At 5-0, Illini thinking big

"It's making this program into something that it should have been before," Illinois defensive end Whitney Mercilus said. "We have a big responsibility among the team to keep the success rolling."

"It's a great feeling being 5-0," Illinois offensive tackle Jeff Allen said. "It's great to beat a rival."

Illinois didn't hide its feelings after a second consecutive win against Northwestern. With "Sweet Home Chicago" blaring in the background -- a reference to Northwestern calling itself "Chicago's Big Ten team" -- the Illini hoisted the Land of Lincoln Trophy. The scoreboard read "The state of Illinois' undefeated team."

Asmussen