Illinois Drops Third Game Of Season

GETTING THE OFFENSE ROLLING

Illinois running back Mike Epstein had a career-long 63-yard run halfway through the second quarter, the Illini's longest play of the season. The six play, 83-yard drive was topped off by a one-yard touchdown run by Epstein, who finished the day with 11 carries for 108 yards. The senior tailback surpassed 100 yards rushing for the fourth time in his career and was five yards short of his career high.
Illinois recorded 181 total rush yards in the game, led by running backs Mike Epstein and Chase Brown.

JUST ANOTHER DAY FOR HANSEN

Another game, another forced fumble for Jake Hansen, who has two forced fumbles in three games this season for the Illini. Hansen is now tied for third-most forced fumbles in Illinois history with ten, only trailing Simeon Rice (13) and Whitney Mercilus (11).
The senior linebacker had six total tackles, including three solo tackles and one tackle for loss in addition to the forced fumble.

TEAM NOTES:

• Illinois is 30-40-3 all-time against Minnesota.

• Illinois started an all-Illinois offensive line of LT Vederian Lowe (Rockford, Ill.), C Kendrick Green (Peoria, Ill.) , RG Verdis Brown (Chicago, Ill.), RT Alex Palczewski (Mount Prospect, Ill.) and LG  Alex Pihlstrom (Glen Ellyn, Ill.).

• Illinois started six transfers -  WR Brian Hightower, LB Milo Eifler, WR Josh Imatorbhebhe, TE Daniel Imatorbhebhe, DL Roderick Perry II, DB Derrick Smith 

• Seven of Illinois' 22 starters against Minnesota have 20+ starts: OT Alex Palczewski (39th), OT Vederian Lowe (35th), OL Kendrick Green (28th), LB     Jake Hansen (25rd), DB Sydney Brown (23rd), DB Tony Adams (22nd).

• Illinois captains: LB Jake Hansen, P Blake Hayes, CB Nate Hobbs - other captains QB Brandon Peters and C Doug Kramer were out.

• Sophomore QB Coran Taylor and freshman DL Jer'Zhan Newton made their first career starts.

• Jer'Zhan Newton became the first Illinois true freshman defensive lineman to start a game since Bobby Roundtree, Isaiah Gay, and Jamal Woods in   2017. He is the 18th true freshman to start a game on the defensive line in Illinois history. Some of the notables include Bobby Roundtree (2017),     Corey Liuget (2008), Fred Wakefield (1997), and Mark Butkus (1980).

• Senior P Blake Hayes moved into third all-time in career punting average with 10,004 yards. He trails Steve Fitts (10,671) and Justin DuVernois (10,571).

• Senior LB Jake Hansen had his 10th career forced fumble, his ninth in the last 12 games. He now trails only Simeon Rice and Whitney Mercilus for the most forced fumbles in Illinois history. 

• Junior RB Mike Epstein rushed for 108 years on 11 carries, including a career-long 63-yard sprint, and scored one touchdown. It was his fourth-career 100-yard rushing game. 

• Sophomore Devon Witherspoon recorded his first career interception in the fourth quarter. 

• Junior OL Alex Pihlstrom, who was awarded a schoralship after practice on Thursday 11/5/20 made his second career start at OL.

• Senior RT Alex Palczewski started for the 39th straight game.

• Senior LT Vederian Lowe started for the 29th straight game.

• Junior OL Kendrick Green started for the 30th straight game and his third career start at center.

• Illinois senior quarterback Brandon Peters and redshirt freshman tight end Griffin Moore were both sidelined for 21 days following positive test results   

Thursday 10/29/20 for the COVID-19 virus. Per Big Ten Conference protocol, following recovery both players will be eligible to return for the Nov. 21   game at Nebraska.

QUOTES

Head Coach Lovie Smith

Opening Statement: "Extremely disappointed with the way we played today, we knew what type of football game it would be today, a physical one. We didn't meet their physicality. Offensive side: Epstein went over for 100 yards, one big one. I thought they dominated us on both sides, offensive and defensive. Couldn't do anything offensively. Not much happened, terrible performance, when you play like that, you can't wait to get to the next game. Last week we lost but we didn't lose like this. We are better than this."

On the first run of the second half...your first and goal ended up being, third and 48, talk about that…"That's how the day went. It seems like when we got a little momentum going, we got some type of penalty."