43,684

A modest crowd was predicted for Saturday's game, and it proved to be true. The attendance of 43,684 was the UI's third lowest in four home games this season. Maybe, as N-G beat writer Bob Asmussen suggested in his game preview, it's a matter of fan fatigue. How many teams open a season with five straight home games, as Illinois does this year, with Northwestern next on the visitors' list? If they haven't already, UI athletic department officials might want to visit this issue in future scheduling.

Jeff Huth