1995 Illinois Fighting Illini football team

Last updated

1995 Illinois Fighting Illini football
Fighting Illini logo.svg
Conference Big Ten Conference
Record5–5–1 (3–4–1 Big Ten)
Head coach
Offensive coordinator Paul Schudel (1st season)
Defensive coordinator Denny Marcin (4th season)
MVP Kevin Hardy
Captains
  • Jason Dulick
  • Kevin Hardy
  • Brett Larsen
Home stadium Memorial Stadium
Seasons
  1994
1996  
1995 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 8 Northwestern $ 8 0 010 2 0
No. 6 Ohio State 7 1 011 2 0
No. 13 Penn State 5 3 09 3 0
No. 17 Michigan 5 3 09 4 0
Michigan State 4 3 16 5 1
No. 25 Iowa 4 4 08 4 0
Illinois 3 4 15 5 1
Wisconsin 3 4 14 5 2
Purdue 2 5 14 6 1
Minnesota 1 7 03 8 0
Indiana 0 8 02 9 0
  • $ Conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1995 Illinois Fighting Illini football team was an American football team that represented the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 1995 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their fourth and final year under head coach Lou Tepper, the Fighting Illini compiled a 5–5–1 record (3–4–1 in conference games), tied for seventh place in the Big Ten, and were outscored by a total of 198 to 193. [1]

Contents

The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Johnny Johnson (1,110 passing yards), running back Robert Holcombe (1,051 rushing yards), wide receiver Jason Dulick (36 receptions for 453 yards), and kicker Bret Scheuplein (49 points scored). [2]

The Illini's 3–3 tie with Wisconsin on November 25 was the last tie in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) history as the NCAA implemented an overtime system following the season that eliminated the possibility of a tie. [3]

The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois.

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 22:30 pmNo. 13 Michigan No. 25 ABC L 14–3870,193
September 99:00 pmat No. 24 Oregon * SCC L 31–3444,201
September 1611:30 amNo. 17 Arizona *
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL
ESPN W 9–757,134
September 231:00 pm East Carolina *
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL
W 7–060,545
October 712:00 pmat Indiana ESPN2 W 17–1038,098
October 1411:00 am Michigan State
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL
Creative L 21–2765,653
October 2811:00 amNo. 8 Northwestern
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL (rivalry)
CreativeL 14–1765,425
November 411:30 amat Iowa ESPNW 26–770,397
November 112:30 pmat No. 2 Ohio State ABCL 3–4192,639
November 181:00 pm Minnesota
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL
W 48–1445,521
November 252:30 pmat Wisconsin CreativeT 3–376,750
  • *Non-conference game
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Central time

Game summaries

Michigan

Michigan Wolverines at Illinois Fighting Illini
Quarter1234Total
Michigan7321738
Illinois0001414

at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Illinois

  • Date: September 2, 1995
  • Game time: 2:30 p.m. CST
  • Game attendance: 70,193
  • Box Score
Game information
First quarter
  • MICH - C Howard 13 pass from Dreisbach (Hamilton kick)

Second quarter

  • MICH - FG Hamilton 49

Third quarter

  • MICH - Biakabutuka 5 run (Hamilton kick)
  • MICH - Biakabutuka 11 run (Hamilton kick)
  • MICH - Biakabutuka 35 run (Hamilton kick)

Fourth quarter

  • MICH - A Williams 28 blocked punt return (Hamilton kick)
  • ILL - Smith 5 run (B Scheuplein kick)
  • ILL - L Willis 5 pass from Weaver (B Scheuplein kick)

At Oregon

Illinois Fighting Illini at Oregon Ducks
Quarter1234Total
Illinois71212031
Oregon70131434

at Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Oregon

Game information
First quarter
  • ORE - Whittle 24 run (J Smith kick)
  • ILL - Dulick 41 pass from J Johnson (B Scheuplein kick)

Second quarter

  • ILL - FG B Scheuplein 42
  • ILL - Douthard 3 run (kick failed)
  • ILL - FG B Scheuplein 27

Third quarter

  • ORE - Whittle 12 run (J Smith kick)
  • ILL - Douthard 1 run (two-point conversion failed)
  • ORE - Byrd 1 run (kick failed)
  • ILL - Holcombe 11 run (two-point conversion failed)

Fourth quarter

  • ORE - Whittle 3 run (Ricketts reception for two-point conversion)
  • ORE - Figueras recovered fumble in end zone (kick failed)

Arizona

Arizona Wildcats at Illinois Fighting Illini
Quarter1234Total
Arizona00077
Illinois00099

at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Illinois

  • Date: September 16, 1995
  • Game time: 11:30 a.m. CST
  • Game attendance: 57,134
  • Box Score
Game information
First quarter
  • No scoring

Second quarter

  • No scoring

Third quarter

  • No scoring

Fourth quarter

  • ILL - B. Scheuplein 47-yard field goal
  • ARIZ - R. Williams 17-yard pass from White (Prasuhn kick)
  • ILL - James 53-yard fumble return (kick failed)

East Carolina

East Carolina Pirates at Illinois Fighting Illini
Quarter1234Total
East Carolina00000
Illinois07007

at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Illinois

  • Date: September 16, 1995
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
  • Game attendance: 60,545
  • Box Score
Game information
First quarter
  • No scoring

Second quarter

Third quarter

  • No scoring

Fourth quarter

  • No scoring

At Indiana

Illinois Fighting Illini at Indiana Hoosiers
Quarter1234Total
Illinois377017
Indiana370010

at Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, Indiana

Game information

Michigan State

Michigan State Spartans at Illinois Fighting Illini
Quarter1234Total
Michigan State766827
Illinois707721

at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Illinois

  • Date: October 14, 1995
  • Game time: 11:00 p.m. CST
  • Game attendance: 65,653
  • Box Score
Game information
First quarter
  • MSU - S. Greene 16-yard run (Gardner kick)
  • ILL - Douthard 1-yard run (Scheuplein kick)

Second quarter

  • MSU - S. Greene 3-yard run (kick failed)

Third quarter

  • ILL - Holcombe - 25-yard run (Scheuplein kick)
  • MSU - S. Greene 3-yard run (Gardner kick)

Fourth quarter

  • MSU - S. Greene 1-yard run (S. Greene run)
  • ILL - Dulick 14-yard pass from J. Johnson (Scheuplein kick)

Northwestern

#8 Northwestern Wildcats at Illinois Fighting Illini
Quarter1234Total
Northwestern0100717
Illinois770014

at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Illinois

  • Date: October 28, 1995
  • Game time: 11:00 p.m. CST
  • Game attendance: 65,425
  • TV: SCC
  • Box Score
Game information
First quarter
  • ILL - Weaver 1-yard run (Scheuplein kick)

Second quarter

  • ILL - Robert Holcombe 7-yard run (Scheuplein kick)
  • NU - Brian Gowins 49-yard field goal
  • NU - D'Wayne Bates 43-yard pass from Steve Schnur (Gowins kick)

Third quarter

Fourth quarter

  • NU - Darnell Autry 1-yard run (Gowins kick)

At Iowa

Illinois Fighting Illini at Iowa Hawkeyes
Quarter1234Total
Illinois3761026
Iowa07007

at Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, Iowa

Game information
First quarter
  • ILL - Scheuplein 24-yard field goal ILL 3–0

Second quarter

  • IOWA - Tim Dwight 12-yard pass from Matt Sherman (Bromert kick) IOWA 7–3
  • ILL - Cushing 5-yard pass from Johnson (Scheuplein kick) ILL 10–7

Third quarter

  • ILL - Havard 35-yard run (run failed) ILL 16–7'

Fourth quarter

  • ILL - Scheuplein 19-yard field goal ILL 19–7
  • ILL - Douthard 3-yard run (Scheuplein kick) ILL 26–7

At Ohio State

Illinois Fighting Illini at Ohio State Buckeyes
Quarter1234Total
Illinois00303
Ohio State14321341

at Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio

  • Date: November 11
  • Game time: 2:30 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Overcast, 37 °F (3 °C)
  • Game attendance: 92,639
  • Referee: Steve Pamon
  • Box Score
Game information

Minnesota

Minnesota Golden Gophers at Illinois Fighting Illini
Quarter1234Total
Minnesota077014
Illinois101472152

at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Illinois

  • Date: November 18, 1995
  • Game time: 1:00 pm CST
  • Game attendance: 45,521
  • Box score
Game information

At Wisconsin

Illinois Fighting Illini at Wisconsin Badgers
Quarter1234Total
Illinois00033
Wisconsin00303

at Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wisconsin

  • Date: November 25, 1995
  • Game time: 2:30 p.m. CST
  • Game attendance: 76,750
  • Box Score
Game information
Third quarter
  • WIS - John Hall 29-yard field goal

Fourth quarter

  • ILL - Scheuplein 51-yard field goal

Roster

1995 Illinois Fighting Illini football team roster
PlayersCoaches
Offense
Pos.#NameClass
TE 86 Matt Cushing So
RB 7Ty DouthardJr
WR 83Jason DulickJr
WR Steve Harvard
RB 35 Robert Holcombe So
QB Johnny Johnson
WR 6 George McDonald Redshirt.svg  Fr
Defense
Pos.#NameClass
LB 51 Kevin Hardy Sr
DE 97 Simeon Rice Sr
Special teams
Pos.#NameClass
K Bret Scheuplein
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injury icon 2.svg Injured
  • Redshirt.svg Redshirt

Roster

Awards and honors

1996 NFL draft

Two of the top three overall picks in the 1996 NFL draft were from Illinois.

PlayerRoundPickPositionClub
Kevin Hardy 12Linebacker Jacksonville Jaguars
Simeon Rice 13Defensive end Arizona Cardinals
Ken Blackman 369Guard Cincinnati Bengals

[5]


References

  1. "1995 Illinois Fighting Illini Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
  2. "1995 Illinois Fighting Illini Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
  3. "Sometimes history isn't always pretty as the CFB's last tie shows". ESPN.com. November 10, 2016.
  4. "Past Winners".
  5. "1996 NFL Draft Listing - Pro-Football-Reference.com". Pro-Football-Reference.com . Archived from the original on December 21, 2007.