Just stumbled upon this… Man I’m ready for some Illini football
Thank you so much for posting that. My freshman year at Illinois -- had only been on campus for a couple weeks and the first game I see Illinois beats the team that goes on to win the national championship with a TD in the final two minutes by a 5-9 QB who also was a wrestler in HS (Bielema really knows what he's doing) in front of an absolutely electric crowd at Memorial Stadium.
Wait, they aren't all going to be like this? (If only I knew then how the next 33 years would play out)
Seriously though, my first game as an Illini freshman? How unbelievable is that. Watching that game again on your link, the crowd was rocking. Forgot just how loud Memorial Stadium could get, and fun to know I was there doing my part in the Block I as a dorky freshman.
And that was such a fun home schedule with Howard Griffith's NCAA record 8 TDs vs. SIU, storming the field after Doug Higgins makes his 5th FG to beat Michigan State 15-13 in another ABC national game.....of course all those highs don't equal the low that was about to come losing to Nick Bell and Iowa with the Rose Bowl on the line in the height of the Bruce Pearl Illinois/Iowa hatred. All these years later, that Iowa loss is still the most painful to me in any year in any sport. Either that or Michigan in the '89 Final Four. Weird that '05 Carolina isn't in front of those two but for me it isn't and I admit that's probably off.
But so fun to watch that Colorado game video. Didn't remember Brent Musburger was on the call....how good is it to hear (for the old-timers like me) "you are looking live at Memorial Stadium..."
And now this year I have a son who will be a freshman at Illinois. Don't think his first game will be as memorable vs. Toledo as Colorado was for me, but I also think his four years will be much better overall for the football and basketball programs, and nothing could make me happier than seeing him enjoy all of it and become a lifelong absolute diehard bleed orange and blue fan like I have. Such a special thing, this Illinois Loyalty. Damn, I love this school.