New Illinois coach to make homegrown talent a priority | |
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) New Illinois coach Bret Bielema said Monday he hopes to have a staff in place by early January and is already concentrating on homegrown recruiting. "I called (the Illinois Department of Transportation) and told them to put up roadblocks so kids won't be allowed to leave the state," he joked at his introductory news conference. "Seriously, I can't tell you how many Illinois high school football coaches I have talked to already. We are making Illinois kids a priority here." Bielema, a native of tiny Prophetstown in northwestern Illinois, replaces Lovie Smith, who went 17-39 overall in his five-year tenure and posted a 10-33 Big Ten record. Bielema's initial contract is for six years beginning with an annual salary of $4.2 million. MORE | |
| Leaders | |||||
| Passing Yards: | B. Peters | 429 | |||
| Passing TDs: | I. Williams | 4 | |||
| Rushing Yards: | C. Brown | 540 | |||
| Rushing TDs: | M. Epstein | 4 | |||
| Receiving Yards: | J. Imatorbhebhe | 297 | |||
| Receiving TDs: | B. Hightower | 3 | |||
| Interceptions: | J. Hansen | 2 | |||
| Schedule 2020 | ||||
| Date | Opponent | Result / Time | ||
| 9/19 | at Indiana | Cancelled | ||
| 10/23 | at 14 Wisconsin | L 7 - 45 | ||
| 10/31 | vs. Purdue | L 24 - 31 | ||
| 11/7 | vs. Minnesota | L 14 - 41 | ||
| 11/14 | at Rutgers | W 23 - 20 | ||
| 11/21 | at Nebraska | W 41 - 23 | ||
| 11/28 | vs. 4 Ohio State | Cancelled | ||
| 12/5 | vs. 19 Iowa | L 21 - 35 | ||
| 12/12 | at 14 Northwestern | L 10 - 28 | ||
| 12/19 | at Penn State | L 21 - 56 | ||
| Big Ten | ||||||||||||
| East | ||||||||||||
| Conference | Overall | |||||||||||
| 3 Ohio State | 5-0 | 7-1 | ||||||||||
| 11 Indiana | 6-1 | 6-2 | ||||||||||
| Penn State | 4-5 | 4-5 | ||||||||||
| Maryland | 2-3 | 2-3 | ||||||||||
| Rutgers | 3-6 | 3-6 | ||||||||||
| Michigan | 2-4 | 2-4 | ||||||||||
| Michigan State | 2-5 | 2-5 | ||||||||||
| West | ||||||||||||
| Conference | Overall | |||||||||||
| 14 Northwestern | 6-1 | 7-2 | ||||||||||
| 15 Iowa | 6-2 | 6-2 | ||||||||||
| Wisconsin | 3-3 | 4-3 | ||||||||||
| Minnesota | 3-4 | 3-4 | ||||||||||
| Nebraska | 3-5 | 3-5 | ||||||||||
| Purdue | 2-4 | 2-4 | ||||||||||
| Illinois | 2-6 | 2-6 | ||||||||||
| Offense (FBS Rank) | |||||
| Yards: | 2792 (88) | ||||
| Passing Yards: | 1223 (104) | ||||
| Rushing Yards: | 1569 (52) | ||||
| Points per game: | 20.1 (111) | ||||
| Yards per game: | 349.0 (99) | ||||
| Touchdowns: | 19 (103) | ||||
| Field Goals: | 7 (81) | ||||
| Defense (FBS Rank) | |||||
| Yards: | 3738 (69) | ||||
| Passing Yards: | 1897 (57) | ||||
| Rushing Yards: | 1841 (99) | ||||
| Points per game: | 34.9 (97) | ||||
| Yards per game: | 467.3 (114) | ||||
| Touchdowns: | 35 (88) | ||||
| Field Goals: | 7 (29) | ||||
© 2021 by STATS PERFORM.Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS PERFORM is strictly prohibited.