1985 Illinois Fighting Illini football team

The 1985 Illinois Fighting Illini football team was an American football team that represented the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign during the 1985 Big Ten Conference football season. In their sixth year under head coach Mike White, the Illini compiled a 6–5–1 record and finished in third place in the Big Ten Conference.[1]

1985 Illinois Fighting Illini football
Peach Bowl, L 29–31 vs. Army
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
1985 record6–5–1 (5–2–1 Big Ten)
Head coach
Home stadiumMemorial Stadium
1985 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
No. 10 Iowa $ 7 –1 –0  10 –2 –0
No. 2 Michigan 6 –1 –1  10 –1 –1
Illinois 5 –2 –1  6 –5 –1
No. 14 Ohio State 5 –3 –0  9 –3 –0
Michigan State 5 –3 –0  7 –5 –0
Minnesota 4 –4 –0  7 –5 –0
Purdue 3 –5 –0  5 –6 –0
Wisconsin 2 –6 –0  5 –6 –0
Indiana 1 –7 –0  4 –7 –0
Northwestern 1 –7 –0  3 –8 –0
  • $ – Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The team's offensive leaders were quarterback Jack Trudeau with 2,938 passing yards, running back Thomas Rooks with 718 rushing yards, and wide receiver David Williams with 1,047 receiving yards.[2]

Schedule
DateOpponentRankSiteResultAttendance
September 7No. 6 USC*No. 11
L 10–2076,369
September 14Southern Illinois*No. 19
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL
W 28–2576,330
September 21at No. 18 Nebraska*No. 20
L 25–5276,149
October 5No. 5 Ohio State
W 31–2876,343
October 12at Purdue
L 24–3068,837
October 19at Michigan State
W 30–17
October 26Wisconsin
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL
W 38–2576,395
November 2No. 4 Michigan
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL
T 3–376,397
November 9at No. 6 Iowa
L 0–5966,120
November 16Indiana
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL
W 41–24
November 23at Northwestern
W 45–20
December 31vs. Army*
L 29–3129,857
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Game summaries

USC
See also: 1985 USC Trojans football team

[3]

at Nebraska
Illinois at Nebraska
1 234Total
No. 20 Fighting Illini 0 10015 25
• No. 18 Cornhuskers 14 10217 52
See also: 1985 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team

Ohio State
Ohio State at Illinois
1 234Total
Buckeyes 0 14140 28
• Fighting Illini 14 0710 31
See also: 1985 Ohio State Buckeyes football team

[4]

at Michigan State
See also: 1985 Michigan State Spartans football team

Michigan
1 234Total
Wolverines 0 030 3
Fighting Illini 0 030 3
See also: 1985 Michigan Wolverines football team

On November 2, 1985, Illinois played Michigan to a 3-3 tie at Memorial Stadium. Each team kicked a field goal in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Michigan drove the length of the field, but fullback Gerald White fumbled at the Illinois 12-yard line, with the Illini recovering at the nine-yard line. Illinois then drove the length of the field and, with time running out, Chris White lined up for what would have been a game-winning 37-yard field goal. Dieter Heren tipped the ball, which hit the cross-bar and bounced back, and the game ended in a tie. After the game, head coach White said, "I don't remember feeling worse after a game. . . . I'm devastated."[5]

at Iowa
Illinois at Iowa
1 234Total
Fighting Illini 0 000 0
• No. 6 Hawkeyes 35 14010 59
  • Date: November 9
  • Location:
    Kinnick Stadium,
    Iowa City, Iowa
  • Game start: 1:05 p.m. CST
  • Elapsed time: 3:20
  • Game attendance: 66,120
  • Game weather: ~45 °F (7 °C), Cloudy, rain, Wind NE 10–15 mph (16–24 km/h)
  • Referee: Otho Kortz
See also: 1985 Iowa Hawkeyes football team


[6]

vs. Army (Peach Bowl)
Illinois vs. Army
1 234Total
Fighting Illini 3 1376 29
• Cadets 7 1473 31
Main article: 1985 Peach Bowl
See also: 1985 Army Cadets football team


[7]

References
  1. "1985 Illinois Fighting Illini Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  2. "1985 Illinois Fighting Illini Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  3. "Upsets: UCLA Takes Bosco, and USC Hoists Champaign". Los Angeles Times. September 8, 1985. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  4. "Illinois Leaves Behind Past Failures, Upsets No. 5 Ohio State". Los Angeles Times. October 6, 1985. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  5. "U-M, Illinois fit to be tied". Detroit Free Press. November 3, 1985. p. D1.
  6. "Iowa Hits Illini Early, Often". Chicago Tribune. November 10, 1985. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  7. "ARMY'S AIR ATTACK STUNS ILLINI". The New York Times. January 1, 1986. Retrieved January 19, 2020.


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