My first college football game as a freshman - in West Block I.
Illini Football 2026
My first college football game as a freshman - in West Block I.
RabidDawgClassic
- Los Angeles, CA
It generally is the standard bearer for Illini fans of a certain age for what rock bottom looks like. The 0-11 1997 season is a close second.
Joel Goodson
- it's all ball bearings, nowadays
bummer that he got rolled up. hope he's back for SIU
Was there.
IlliniFan85
- Colorado Springs, CO
I think this was pointless... I'll see my way out.
I was at that game with several of my friends on the goal line on the east side
I was a sophomore in HS that year - sat in the horseshoe; I think tickets were still $2 or $3 then. Hotter than hades that day. If it wasn't obvious during the '77 season that Moeller was a joke as a coach, this game left no doubt in anyone's mind
2024 Pat Bryant, Week 1 vs EIU:
5 REC / 63 YD / 2 TD
2026 Collin Dixon, Week 1 vs UAB:
6 REC / 70 YD / 2 TD
Im two years ahead of you . I was a HS sr that year & I played prep ball so I couldn’t even think about getting my dad to go to a game then as we played on Sats too
but a buddy of mine did as his folks were alums . that dude was so sunburn Monday morning . He recounted the heat and how lousy the Illini were .
I recall vividly how bad NU was throughout the 70’s, and that game meant we had dropped down to that level. Thank God Ikenberry was hired in Oct of my frosh year and he right away hired Stoner who then canned Moeller and hired White . coming from PSU, Ike knew the importance of a strong football program for so many reasons .
lstewart53x3
- Scottsdale, Arizona
Changes in SP+ ranking for us and opponents based on week 1 results:
(1) Ohio St [+0]
(7) Oregon [-5]
(16) Iowa [+6]
(28) Nebraska [+5]
(36) UCLA [+10]
(37) Maryland [+12]
(40) Northwestern [+11]
(42) Illinois [-13]
(45) Duke [+0]
(68) Purdue [+11]
(71) Michigan St [-7]
(123) UAB [+2]
(139) SIU [FCS]
Honestly, not a great week 1 for Illini fans. We went from ranked ahead of 9 opponents on our schedule (everyone but Ohio St, Oregon, and Iowa) to now ranked ahead of just 5.
Straight chalk would now give us a 5-7 season.
If you remove Oregon (since that’s a likely loss regardless of falling a few spots), UAB (since we already played the game), and SIU (FCS opponent), our opponents moved up a combined 48 spots in the rankings. Meanwhile, we dropped 13.
So our schedule appears to be quite a bit more difficult than anticipated preseason.
Of course, week 1 lies. We’ll learn a lot more in week 2.
(1) Ohio St [+0]
(7) Oregon [-5]
(16) Iowa [+6]
(28) Nebraska [+5]
(36) UCLA [+10]
(37) Maryland [+12]
(40) Northwestern [+11]
(42) Illinois [-13]
(45) Duke [+0]
(68) Purdue [+11]
(71) Michigan St [-7]
(123) UAB [+2]
(139) SIU [FCS]
Honestly, not a great week 1 for Illini fans. We went from ranked ahead of 9 opponents on our schedule (everyone but Ohio St, Oregon, and Iowa) to now ranked ahead of just 5.
Straight chalk would now give us a 5-7 season.
If you remove Oregon (since that’s a likely loss regardless of falling a few spots), UAB (since we already played the game), and SIU (FCS opponent), our opponents moved up a combined 48 spots in the rankings. Meanwhile, we dropped 13.
So our schedule appears to be quite a bit more difficult than anticipated preseason.
Of course, week 1 lies. We’ll learn a lot more in week 2.