796.33263 Spring Prospecios 2001 H616 2001 .spring linoi •»t: ja Award Candidate KURT Heisman Trophy Candidate Davey O'Brien Candidate Johnny Unitas Candidate Sept. 1 at California 9epl. c-t, Sept. 8 NORTHERN ILLINOIS Oct. 6 MINNESOTA "lllini Street Fest/ "Foundation Day" Salute to Agriculture" Oct. 13 at Indiana Sept. 15 LOUISVILLE "Dad's Day/ Oct. 20 WISCONSIN Varsity T Day/Band Day' "Homecoming" Nov. 3 at Purdue Nov. 10 PENN STATE "Salute to Education' Nov. 17 at Ohio State Nov. 22 NORTHWESTERN "Thanksgiving Day" • For tickets call 217-333-3470 Home games in BLUE. Listen to all lllini games on the lllini Sports Network or via the Internet at www. fightingillini. com IER ROCK Doak Walker Award Candi I \ ILLINI FOOTBALL 2001 ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY QUICK FACTS TABLE OF CONTENTS Location: Champaign-Urbana FOOTBALL QUICK FACTS Spring Outlook 2 Founded: 1867 Head Coach: Ron Turner Depth Chart _j Enrollment: 36,000 Alma Mater: Pacific, 77 Spring Roster _8 Colors: Orange & Blue Record at Illinois: 16-29 Practice Jerseys __g Record overall: 23-33 Nickname: Fighting lllini Head Coach Ron Turner JO Seasons at Illinois: Fifth season Conference: Big Ten Coaching Staff _J2 Asst. Head Coach/O-Line: Harry Hiestand President: James J. Stukel Award Candidates __18 Alma Mater: East '83 Stroudsburg, Chancellor: Michael T. Aiken Player Profiles _ 28 Seasons at Illinois: Fifth season Director of Athletics: Ron Guenther 2000 Final Statistics _39 Defensive Coordinator: Mike Cassity Alma Illinois, '67 Mater: 2000 Honors _47 Alma Mater: Kentucky, 76 Stadium: Memorial Stadium Season in Review __47 Seasons at Illinois: First season Capacity: 70,900 2001 Signing Running Backs: Jim Helms Class 53 Surface: Astro Turf Big Alma Mater: Texas, '67 Ten Composite _ __56 Seasons at Illinois: Fifth season Wide Receivers/Recruiting: Robert Jackson 2000 SCHEDULE/RESULTS Alma Mater: Northern Illinois, DATE 74 OPPONENT W/L SCORE ATTENDANCE REC. Seasons at Illinois: Third season Sept. 2 Middle Tennessee W 35-6 35,032 1-0 Linebackers: Osia Lewis Sept. 9 at San Diego State W 49-13 26,779 2-0 Alma Mater: Oregon State, '86 Sept. 16 California w 17-15 50,181 3-0 Seasons at Illinois: Fifth season Sept. 23 Michigan L 31-35 72,524 3-1 Secondary/Safeties: Mike Mallory Sept. 30 at Minnesota L 10-44 44,462 3-2 Alma Mater: Michigan, '85 Oct. 14 Iowa W 31-0 62,639 4-2 Seasons at Illinois: First season Oct. 21 at Penn State L 25-39 96,475 4-3 Tight Ends/Special Teams: Greg McMahon Oct. 28 at Michigan State L 10-14 73,826 4-4 Alma Mater: Eastern '82 Illinois, Nov. 4 Indiana W 42-35 54,283 5-4 Seasons at Illinois: 10th season Nov. 11 Ohio State L 21-24 61,207 5-5 Quarterbacks: Dan O'Dell Nov. 18 at Northwestern L 23-61 40,658 5-6 Alma Mater: San Jose State, '98 Seasons at Illinois: First season ATHLETIC PUBLIC RELATIONS Defensive Line: Donnie Thompson Sports Information Alma Mater: UConn, 75 Director Kent Brown Associate Director/Football Seasons at Illinois: First season Contact Cassie Arner Graduate Assistants: James Williams Assistant Directors Dick Barnes, Jim Christman, Terry Neutz-Hayden, Matt Leuke Mike Koon, Michelle Warner Strength Coach: Jim Zielinski lntems Derrick Burson, Kara Stachowiak Director of Football Operations: Deryk Gilmore Office Manager Marsha Goldenstein Director of Sports Medicine: Al Martindale Office Phone Number (217) 333-1391 Equipment Manager: Trent Chesnut Arner Phone Number (217) 244-3886 Video Coordinator: Steve Cramer Office Fax Number (217) 333-5540 2000 Record: 5-6, 2-6 Big Ten Website www.fightingillini.com Offensive Formation: Pro-style E mai ' [email protected] Defensive Formation: Multiple 4-3 Mailing Address Bielfeldt Athletic Administration Letterwinners returning/lost: 47/16 Building Offensive starters returning/lost: 7/4 1700 South Fourth Street Defensive starters returning/lost: 6/5 Champaign, Illinois 61820 Office Phone: (217) 333-1400 Mailing Address: Memorial Stadium 1402 South First Street www.fightingillini.com Northeast Tower Champaign, IL 61820 Fighting lllini Football Spring Prospectus -1- OUTLOOK ILLINI FOOTBALL LOOKS FOR EXPLOSIVE 2001 SEASON ILLIONIS ADDS NEW COACHES AND DEFENSIVE SCHEME TO SPRING BALL MIX Under head coach Ron Turner the flanker Greg Lewis. Six starters will be back Here is a position-by-position breakdown University of Illinois football program has for 2001 on defense: defensive tackle of the lllini heading into 2001: become one of the most explosive in Brandon Moore, defensive end Terrell school history and the 2001 season looks to Washington, linebacker Jerry Schumacher, QUARTERBACK provide more of the same. strong safety Bobby Jackson, free safety For the last three seasons, Kurt Kittner has Muhammad Abdullah and cornerback held he position of the team's signal caller Illinois jumped out to a great start in 2000, Eugene Wilson. and returns for his senior season, looking sweeping its non-conference schedule for to rewrite the Illinois record books. Kittner the second straight year, averaging over The lllini have three new defensive coach- already holds the single season record for 34 points in wins against Middle es, including coordinator Mike Cassity who most touchdown passes with 24 and led Tennessee, San Diego State and California joins the staff with 16 years experience as a the lllini's record setting offense in 1999. and earning a No. 17 national ranking. The defensive coordinator. Also joining the He has been tabbed one of the top quar- lllini provided excitement with five down- lllini are secondary coach Mike Mallory terbacks in the nation and earned honor- to-the-wire games during the Big Ten sea- and defensive line coach Donnie able mention All-America honors from son, including a 42-35 win over Indiana Thompson. Osia Lewis will move from Football News. The three-year starter has and a shutout win over Iowa. defensive ends coach to linebackers for passed for over 5,000 yards and 43 touch- the 2001 season. Defensively, the 2001 downs and improved his passing accuracy "When you look at last season, you see team mirrors the offense from the 1999 to nearly 60 percent in 2000. that we were a few plays away from being season. The lllini will depend on many a 9-2 or 8-3 team," head coach Ron Turner young, talented players to contribute this Competition for the back-up role heats up said. "Although we didn't go to a bowl season. Heading into 1999, there were this spring between sophomores Dustin game, this team realizes that we are a many question marks on the offensive side Ward and Christian Morton. Morton will strong team that has the talent to jump of the ball. The team depended on youth spend his first spring with the Illinois foot- right back into the national scene." and that unit went on to become the most ball team, looking to compete with Ward. productive offense in school history. Ward played in seven games last fall, mak- The lllini head into the 2001 season with 47 ing his first collegiate start against letterwinners returning from last seasons "We as a coaching staff are very excited Northwestern. He passed for 390 yards 5-6 squad, including 13 starters. Seven about the players we have defensively for and threw four touchdown passes for the starters return on the offensive side: quar- this season, but we are concerned with the season. Morton became a vital part of the terback Kurt Kittner, tailback Rocky lack of experience," Turner said. "We will special teams units toward the end of the Harvey, offensive tackle Tony Pashos, need young players to step up and give us season, leading the team in punt return offensive guard Jay Kulaga, center Luke the depth and play-making ability that we and kickoff return yardage. He averaged Butkus, split end Aaron Moorehead and saw from the offense two years ago." 24 yards per kickoff return and 20 yards Pictured above (left to right): Illinois starting quarterback Kurt Kittner, fifth-year head coach Ron Turner and Illinois' leading rusher in 2000 Antoineo Harris. Fighting lllini Football Spring Prospectus -2- OUTLOOK Pictured above (left to right): Tight end Brian Hodges, Doak Walker Award Candidate Rocky Harvey and Illinois 330-pound offensive tackle Tony Pashos. per punt return. Also adding depth to the Fullback: With the departure of Jameel straight 2,000 yard passing season. In quarterback position is redshirt-freshman Cook to the NFL draft, the lllini will look to 2000, former walk-on Greg Lewis led the Mark Kornfeld, who set a school record sophomore Carey Davis as a replacement lllini with 544 receiving yards and six with 5,839 yards passing in his career. at fullback this spring. Davis played in 10 touchdowns. Not far behind, was another games as a redshirt-freshman tallying 40 former walk-on Aaron Moorehead who Turner on Quarterbacks: "I think Kurt yards receiving, 21 rushing and one touch- hauled in four touchdowns and 520 yards. Kittner is one of the best if not the best down reception. He got his first collegiate Both will return to try and secure a start- quarterback in the country and we are start for an injured Cook against Indiana. ing position in this very talented, deep excited about having him back for his Pushing Davis for playing time will be jun- receiving corp. fourth year as a starter. We are looking ior Carlos Lattimore. Lattimore moved to forward to having him provide great lead- fullback from safety last season and scored Flanker: Lewis posted his first 100-yard ership for us as well as his great football his sole touchdown of the season against game against Michigan and had five catch- ability.