Illinois knocks of Northwestern, 41-22

By T Erickson  |   Saturday, November 17, 2007  |  Comments( 0 )

College Football
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The Fighting Illini of Illinois protected their home field against Big Ten rival Northwestern in their final contest of the regular season, 41-22. The win gave Illinois second place in the Big Ten and a most likely a berth in the Capital One Bowl on January 1 in Orlando.

Sophomore QB Juice Williams led the Illini with 136 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 23 carries. He also passed for 217 yards and one TD (15-23, 1 int). RB Rashard Mendenhall contributed 123 yards and 2 TDs on the ground on 27 carries. The Illini took a 21-7 lead into the locker room at half time and never looked back in locking up their best season since 2000 when they went 10-2 overall and lost to LSU in the 2001 Sugar Bowl.

Commentary: Ron Zook's recruiting coups are paying off earlier than anyone anticipated. Look for Zook to get several pro and college offers in the offseason. Northwestern finishes bowl eligible at 6-6, but will be a longshot to get a bowl berth with a .500 winning percentage. Illinois will be a favorite to win the Big Ten next season.
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