2021 Illinois Fighting Illini football team

2021 Illinois Fighting Illini football
Conference	Big Ten Conference
Division	West Division
Record	5–7 (4–5 Big Ten)
Head coach	Bret Bielema (1st season)
Offensive coordinator	Tony Petersen (1st season)
Offensive scheme	Multiple
Defensive coordinator	Ryan Walters (1st season)
Base defense	4–3
Home stadium	Memorial Stadium
Uniform
Seasons ←  2020 2022  →

2021 Big Ten Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
No. 3 Michigan xy$^		8	–	1					12	–	2
No. 6 Ohio State x		8	–	1					11	–	2
No. 9 Michigan State		7	–	2					11	–	2
Penn State		4	–	5					7	–	6
Maryland		3	–	6					7	–	6
Rutgers		2	–	7					5	–	8
Indiana		0	–	9					2	–	10
West Division
No. 23 Iowa xy		7	–	2					10	–	4
Minnesota		6	–	3					9	–	4
Wisconsin		6	–	3					9	–	4
Purdue		6	–	3					9	–	4
Illinois		4	–	5					5	–	7
Nebraska		1	–	8					3	–	9
Northwestern		1	–	8					3	–	9
Championship: Michigan 42, Iowa 3
^ – College Football Playoff participant $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll

The 2021 Illinois Fighting Illini football team was an American football team that represented the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. In their first season under head coach Bret Bielema, the Fighting Illini compiled a 5–7 record (4–5 in conference games), finished in fifth place in the Big Ten's West Division, and were outscored by a total of 263 to 242. ^[1] The team's 20–18 victory over No. 7 Penn State set an NCAA single-game record with nine overtime periods. ^[2]

The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Brandon Peters (1,170 passing yards, 53.8% completion percentage), running back Chase Brown (1,005 rushing yards), wide receiver Isaiah Williams (47 receptions for 525 yards), kicker James McCourt (80 points, 26 of 26 extra points, 18 of 23 field goals), and defensive back Sydney Brown (81 total tackles, 50 solo tackles). ^[3] Defensive back Kerby Joseph received first-team honors from the media on the 2021 All-Big Ten Conference football team. ^[4]

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

Preseason

Big Ten media poll

The Illini were predicted to finish seventh in the Big Ten's West Division. ^[5]

Big Ten West Division media poll
Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
1	Wisconsin	233 (29)
2	Iowa	202 (5)
3	Northwestern	160
4	Minnesota	146
5	Nebraska	91.5
6	Purdue	72.5
7	Illinois	47

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 28	12:00 p.m.	Nebraska	Memorial Stadium [a] Champaign, IL (Aer Lingus College Football Classic)	FOX	W 30–22	41,064
September 4	6:30 p.m.	UTSA *	Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL	BTN	L 30–37	33,906
September 11	10:00 a.m.	at Virginia *	Scott Stadium Charlottesville, VA	ACCN	L 14–42	36,036
September 17	8:00 p.m.	Maryland	Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL	FS1	L 17–20	37,168
September 25	2:30 p.m.	at Purdue	Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN (Purdue Cannon)	BTN	L 9–13	52,840
October 2	11:00 a.m.	Charlotte *	Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL	BTN	W 24–14	30,559
October 9	2:30 p.m.	Wisconsin	Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL	BTN	L 0–24	40,168
October 23	11:00 a.m.	at No. 7 Penn State	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA	ABC	W 20–18 9OT	105,001
October 30	11:00 a.m.	Rutgers	Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL	BTN	L 14–20	36,942
November 6	11:00 a.m.	at No. 20 Minnesota	Huntington Bank Stadium Minneapolis, MN	ESPN2	W 14–6	46,382
November 20	1:00 p.m.	at No. 17 Iowa	Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA	FS1	L 23–33	64,132
November 27	2:30 p.m.	Northwestern	Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL (Land of Lincoln Trophy)	BTN	W 47–14	27,624
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll (and CFP Rankings, after November 2) - Released prior to game All times are in Central time Source: [7]

1. Illinois and Nebraska were originally scheduled to play at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland for the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. The game was moved back to the United States due to travel concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic. ^[6]

Personnel

Coaching staff

Name	Position	Consecutive season at Illinois in current position
Bret Bielema	Head coach	1st
Tony Petersen	Offensive coordinator	1st
Ryan Walters	Defensive coordinator	1st
Ben Miller	Tight ends coach/special teams coordinator	1st
George McDonald	Wide receivers coach / assistant head coach	1st
Bart Miller	Offensive line coach	1st
Cory Patterson	Running backs coach	4th
Terrance Jamison	Defensive line coach	1st
Andy Buh	Linebackers coach	1st
Kevin Kane	Outside linebackers coach / associate head coach	1st
Aaron Henry	Defensive backs coach	1st

Roster

2021 Illinois Fighting Illini football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class RB 0 Josh McCray Fr WR 1 Isaiah Williams Fr RB 2 Chase Brown So RB 3 Jakari Norwood So WR 4 Khmari Thompson So WR 5 Caleb Griffin So WR 6 Deuce Spann  Fr WR 7 Brian Hightower Jr WR 8 Jafar Armstrong Jr QB 9 Artur Sitkowski So WR 10 Desmond Dan Jr Sr WR 11 Carlos Sandy So QB 12 Matt Robinson So WR 13 Pat Bryant Fr WR 14 Casey Washington So WR 15 Ty Lindenman  Fr QB 16 Samari Collier Fr QB 17 Ryan Johnson Jr QB 18 Brandon Peters Sr WR 19 Dalevon Campbell So RB 22 Chase Hayden Jr RB 23 Reggie Love III  Fr RB 24 Nick Fedanzo  Fr RB 26 Mike Epstein Sr RB 27 Matt Bobak  Fr TE 40 Lucas Althaus Fr TE 41 Preston Engel So TE 42 Michael Marchese Sr TE 43 Griffin Moore  Fr TE 48 Mike Cernigila Jr Fr TE 49 Max Rosenthal Jr OL 53 Devin Hale Fr OL 54 Julian Pearl So OL 55 Blake Jeresaty Sr OL 57 Evan Kirts  Fr OL 59 Josh Plohr  Fr OL 62 Terry Zapf So OL 63 Alex Palczewski Sr OL 64 Josh Kreutz Fr OL 65 Doug Kramer Sr OL 66 Jordyn Slaughter  So OL 67 Brody Wisecarver Fr OL 68 Zachary Barlev Fr OL 70 Tommy Cronin  Fr OL 72 Jack Badovinac Sr OL 73 Josh Gesky Fr OL 75 Alex Pihlstrom Jr OL 79 Vederian Lowe Sr WR 80 Peyton Vining Jr WR 81 Marquez Beason  Fr TE 82 Luke Ford Jr WR 83 Keion Battle  Fr WR 84 Owen Hickey  Fr WR 85 Miles Scott Fr WR 86 Donny Navarro Jr TE 87 Daniel Barker Jr TE 88 Branden Hohenstein Sr TE 89 Tip Reiman  Fr	Defense Pos. # Name Class DB 1 Kionte Curry Fr DB 2 Daniel Edwards Fr DB 2 Derrick Smith Jr DB 3 DD Snyder II Fr LB 5 Calvin Hart Jr  So DB 6 Tony Adams Sr DB 7 Kendall Smith Sr DB 8 Eddie Smith So DB 9 Coran Taylor So DB 10 Tahveon Nicholson  Fr DB 15 Prince Green Fr DB 20 Tyler Strain Fr DB 21 Quan Martin Jr DB 22 Dylan Thomas So DB 24 Prather Hudson Sr DB 25 Kerby Joseph Jr OLB 26 DJ Johnson Fr DB 27 Mike Manning So LB 28 Dylan Rosiek Fr DB 29 Christian Bobak Sr DB 30 Sydney Brown Jr DB 31 Devon Witherspoon So DB 32 Tailon Leitzsey Sr OLB 33 Ezekiel Holmes So LB 34 Ryan Meed  Fr LB 35 Jake Hansen Sr OLB 36 Ben Schultz  Fr DB 37 Jaden Jones-Watkins So LB 38 Isaac Darkangelo Jr LB 39 Kenenna Odeluga Fr OLB 40 Shammond Cooper  Fr DB 41 Joriell Washington Fr LB 42 Luke Zardzin Fr OLB 43 Marko Rajkovic Fr LB 44 Tarique Barnes So LB 45 Khalan Tolson Jr LB 46 Alex McEachern Jr LB 48 Bryce Barnes So OLB 49 Seth Coleman  Fr LB 51 Sean Coghlan Jr DL 52 Verdis Brown So LB 54 Kalen Villanueva Fr DL 55 Sed McConnell Fr DL 88 Keith Randolph Jr.  Fr OLB 90 Alec Bryant  Fr DL 91 Jamal Woods Sr OLB 92 Isaiah Gay Sr DL 93 Calvin Avery Jr DL 94 Johnny Newton  Fr DL 96 Roderick Perry II Sr DL 98 Deon Pate Jr OLB 99 Owen Carney Jr. Sr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class K 5 Caleb Griffin So P 14 Blake Hayes Sr K, P 17 James McCourt Sr P 19 Hugh Robertson  Fr LS 36 Lane Hansen Fr LS 39 Aidan Hall  Fr LS 56 Ethan Tabel Sr	Head coach Bret Bielema Coordinators/assistant coaches Tony Petersen – Offensive coordinator / quarterbacks Ryan Walters – Defensive coordinator Ben Miller – Special teams coordinator/tight ends Cory Patterson – Running backs Terrance Jamison – Defensive line George McDonald – Wide receivers / assistant HC Aaron Henry – Defensive backs Bart Miller – Offensive line Andy Buh – Linebackers Kevin Kane – outside linebackers / associate HC Reggie Bain – Graduate assistant – offense Taylor Reed – Graduate assistant – offense Aaron Gonzales – Graduate assistant – defense Kevin Laeone Richardson II – Graduate assistant – defense John Marinelli – Senior analyst Grant O'Brien – Defensive analyst Adam Kleffner – Offensive analyst Greg Froelich – Special teams analyst Tank Wright – Head strength and conditioning coach Pete Roley – Director of football operations Mark Taurisani – Football chief of staff Patrick Embleton – Director of recruiting Terry Hawthorne – Director of high school personnel Pat Ryan – Director of high school relations Nate McNeal – Assistant recruiting coordinator Travis Perry – Director of creative content Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster

Game summaries

Nebraska

See also: 2021 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team

Nebraska Cornhuskers at Illinois Fighting Illini – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cornhuskers	0	9	7	6	22
Fighting Illini	2	14	14	0	30

at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Illinois

• Date: August 28
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny, 94 °F (34 °C)
• Game attendance: 41,064
• Referee: John O'Neill
• TV announcers (FOX): Joe Davis and Brock Huard
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter ILL – Cam Taylor-Britt tackled in own end zone by Kerby Joseph, 4:07. Fighting Illini 2–0. Second quarter NEB – Markese Stepp 2-yard run (kick failed), 14:25. Cornhuskers 6–2. Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 2:27. NEB – Connor Culp 27-yard field goal, 9:15. Cornhuskers 9–2. Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 3:01. ILL – Mike Epstein 1-yard run (James McCourt kick), 2:51. Tied 9–9. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 6:24. ILL – Calvin Hart Jr. 41-yard fumble return (James McCourt kick), 0:37. Fighting Illini 16–9. Third quarter ILL – Luke Ford 2-yard pass from Artur Sitkowski (James McCourt kick), 6:56. Fighting Illini 23–9. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 8:04. ILL – Isaiah Williams 1-yard pass from Artur Sitkowski (James McCourt kick), 4:01. Fighting Illini 30–9. Drive: 3 plays, 47 yards, 1:10. NEB – Adrian Martinez 75-yard run (Connor Culp kick), 3:48. Fighting Illini 30–16. Drive: 1 play, 75 yards, 0:13. Fourth quarter NEB – Oliver Martin 4-yard pass from Adrian Martinez (kick failed), 2:41. Fighting Illini 30–22. Drive: 19 plays, 91 yards, 6:42.

Statistics	NEB	ILL
First downs	19	18
Total yards	392	326
Rushes–yards	39–160	48–167
Passing yards	232	159
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	16–32–0	15–19–0
Time of possession	25:05	34:55

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Nebraska	Passing	Adrian Martinez	16/32, 232 yards, TD
	Rushing	Adrian Martinez	17 rushes, 111 yards, TD
	Receiving	Oliver Martin	6 receptions, 103 yards, TD
Illinois	Passing	Artur Sitkowski	12/15, 124 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Mike Epstein	16 rushes, 75 yards, TD
	Receiving	Deuce Spann	1 reception, 45 yards

UTSA

See also: 2021 UTSA Roadrunners football team

UTSA Roadrunners at Illinois Fighting Illini – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Roadrunners	7	13	3	14	37
Fighting Illini	0	14	3	13	30

at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Illinois

• Date: September 4
• Game time: 6:30 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Cloudy, 73 °F (23 °C)
• Game attendance: 33,906
• Referee: Greg Blum
• TV announcers (BTN): Lisa Byington, Anthony Herron, and Coley Harvey
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter UTSA – Frank Harris 9-yard run (Hunter Duplessis kick), 1:32. Roadrunners 7–0. Drive: 13 plays, 94 yards, 4:40. Second quarter UTSA – Brendan Brady 7-yard run (Hunter Duplessis kick), 11:31. Roadrunners 14–0. Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 3:43. ILL – Deuce Span 31-yard pass from Artur Sitkowski (James McCourt kick), 9:21. Roadrunners 14–7. Drive: 5 plays, 65 yards, 2:10. UTSA – Hunter Duplessis 32-yard field goal, 6:24. Roadrunners 17–7. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 2:57. ILL – Daniel Barker 14-yard pass from Artur Sitkowski (James McCourt kick), 2:46. Roadrunners 17–14. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:38. UTSA – Hunter Duplessis 28-yard field goal, 0:47. Roadrunners 20–14. Drive: 5 plays, 15 yards, 1:01. Third quarter ILL – James McCourt 52-yard field goal, 9:22. Roadrunners 20–17. Drive: 4 plays, -2 yards, 1:26. UTSA – Hunter Duplessis 27-yard field goal, 3:19. Roadrunners 23–17. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 3:39. Fourth quarter ILL – James McCourt 53-yard field goal, 14:15. Roadrunners 23–20. Drive: 8 plays, 30 yards, 4:04. UTSA – Zakhari Franklin 19-yard pass from Frank Harris (Hunter Duplessis kick), 12:37. Roadrunners 30–20. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 1:38. ILL – Daniel Barker 15-yard pass from Artur Sitkowski (James McCourt kick), 9:56. Roadrunners 30–27. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:41. UTSA – Brendan Brady 33-yard run (Hunter Duplessis kick), 4:57. Roadrunners 37–27. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:59. ILL – James McCourt 32-yard field goal, 1:55. Roadrunners 37–30. Drive: 14 plays, 60 yards, 2:56.

Statistics	UTSA	ILL
First downs	26	24
Total yards	497	416
Rushes–yards	50–237	35–166
Passing yards	280	266
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	20–32–0	22–43–0
Time of possession	30:42	29:18

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
UTSA	Passing	Frank Harris	20/32, 280 yards, TD
	Rushing	Sincere McCormick	31 rushes, 117 yards
	Receiving	Zakhari Franklin	10 receptions, 155 yards, TD
Illinois	Passing	Artur Sitkowski	22/42, 266 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	Reggie Love III	11 rushes, 39 yards
	Receiving	Isaiah Williams	8 receptions, 101 yards

Virginia

See also: 2021 Virginia Cavaliers football team

Illinois Fighting Illini at Virginia Cavaliers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Fighting Illini	0	7	7	0	14
Cavaliers	14	7	14	7	42

at Scott Stadium, Charlottesville, Virginia

• Date: September 11
• Game time: 10:00 a.m. CDT/11:00 a.m. EDT
• Game weather: Sunny
• Game attendance: 36,036
• Referee: Jeffrey Servinski
• TV: ACCN
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter UVA – Jelani Woods 32-yard pass from Brennan Armstrong (Justin Duenkel kick), 13:44. Cavaliers 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:16. UVA – Dontayvion Wicks 28-yard pass from Brennan Armstrong (Justin Duenkel kick), 10:04. Cavaliers 14–0. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 1:37. Second quarter ILL – Deuce Spann 33-yard pass from Artur Sitkowski (James McCourt kick), 11:09. Cavaliers 14–7. Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 4:19. UVA – Dontayvion Wicks 6-yard pass from Brennan Armstrong (Justin Duenkel kick), 1:17. Cavaliers 21–7. Drive: 7 plays, 62 yards, 2:41. Third quarter ILL – Chase Brown 21–yard run (James McCourt kick), 12:59. Cavaliers 21–14. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 2:01. UVA – Billy Kemp IV 2-yard pass from Brennan Armstrong (Justin Duenkel kick), 9:04. Cavaliers 28–14. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:55. UVA – Keytaon Thompson 8-yard run (Justin Duenkel kick), 4:06. Cavaliers 35–14. Drive: 9 plays, 74 yards, 3:50. Fourth quarter UVA – Wayne Taulapapa 3-yard pass from Brennan Armstrong (Justin Duenkel kick), 6:02. Cavaliers 42–14. Drive: 5 plays, 46 yards, 2:44.

Statistics	ILL	UVA
First downs	20	31
Total yards	337	556
Rushes–yards	27–116	33–133
Passing yards	221	423
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	24–45–1	28–40–1
Time of possession	27:52	31:19

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Illinois	Passing	Artur Sitkowski	24/45, 221 yards, TD, INT
	Rushing	Chase Brown	7 rushes, 41 yards, TD
	Receiving	Dalevon Campbell	2 receptions, 43 yards
Virginia	Passing	Brennan Armstrong	27/36, 405 yards, 5 TD, INT
	Rushing	Wayne Taulapapa	10 rushes, 35 yards
	Receiving	Jelani Woods	5 receptions, 122 yards, TD

Maryland

See also: 2021 Maryland Terrapins football team

Illinois Fighting Illini (1–2) vs. Maryland Terrapins (2–0)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Maryland	0	3	7	10	20
Illinois	0	3	7	7	17

at Memorial Stadium • Champaign, IL

• Date: Saturday, September 17, 2021
• Game time: 9:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: sunny • Temperature: 75°F
• Game attendance: 37,168
• Referee: Ron Snodgrass
• TV: FS1
• Pregame line:

Game information

Second Quarter (10:43) UMD – Joseph Petrino 32 yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 66 yards, 5:07; UMD 3-0) (1:27) ILL – James McCourt 25-yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 73 yards, 2:16; Tied 3-3) Third Quarter (13:11) UMD – Tayon Fleet-Davis 2-yard run, Joseph Petrino kick (Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 1:49; UMD 10-3) (6:15) ILL – Josh McCray 38-yard run, James McCourt kick (Drive: 8 plays, 93 yards, 3:37; Tied 10-10) Fourth Quarter (14:13) ILL – Casey Washington 30-yard run, James McCourt kick (Drive: 3 plays, 79 yards, 1:05; ILL 17-10) (13:11) UMD – Tayon Fleet-Davis 10-yard pass from Taulia Tagovailoa, Joseph Petrino kick (Drive: 8 plays, 86 yards, 2:37 Tie 17-17) (00:00) UMD – Joseph Petrino 32-yard field goal (Drive: 3 plays, 32 yards, 00:47; UMD 20-17)

Statistics	UMD	ILL
First downs	25	19
Total yards	481	368
Rushes/yards	27/131	45/183
Passing yards	350	185
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	32-43-0	10–26–1
Time of possession	29:09	30:51

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Maryland	Passing	Taulia Tagovailoa	32–43, 350 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Tayon Fleet-Davis	11 carries, 64 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Dontay Demus Jr.	8 receptions, 77 yards
Illinois	Passing	Brandon Peters	10–26, 185 yards, 1 INT
	Rushing	Reggie Love III	10 carries, 63 yards
	Receiving	Chase Brown	2 receptions, 54 yards

^[8]

Purdue

See also: 2021 Purdue Boilermakers football team

Illinois Fighting Illini at Purdue Boilermakers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Fighting Illini	0	3	3	3	9
Boilermakers	6	0	0	7	13

at Ross–Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, Indiana

• Date: September 25
• Game time: 2:30 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny
• Game attendance: 52,840
• Referee: John O'Neill
• TV: BTN
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter PUR – Mitchell Fineran 23-yard field goal, 8:31. Boilermakers 3–0. Drive: 15 plays, 69 yards, 6:29. PUR – Mitchell Fineran 30-yard field goal, 3:34. Boilermakers 6–0. Drive: 6 plays, 34 yards, 2:57. Second quarter ILL – James McCourt 51-yard field goal, 2:24. Boilermakers 6–3. Drive: 7 plays, 29 yards, 3:40. Third quarter ILL – James McCourt 35-yard field goal, 8:18. Tied 6–6. Drive: 13 plays, 58 yards, 6:42. Fourth quarter ILL – James McCourt 45-yard field goal, 14:51. Fighting Illini 9–6. Drive: 6 plays, 53 yards, 1:39. PUR – TJ Sheffield 14-yard pass from Aidan O'Connell (Mitchell Fineran kick), 5:44. Boilermakers 13–9. Drive: 10 plays, 94 yards, 3:42.

Statistics	ILL	PUR
First downs	17	17
Total yards	275	315
Rushes–yards	42–175	26–38
Passing yards	100	277
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	14–27–0	24–40–2
Time of possession	33:45	26:15

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Illinois	Passing	Brandon Peters	14/26, 100 yards
	Rushing	Josh McCray	24 rushes, 156 yards
	Receiving	Casey Washington	3 receptions, 31 yards
Purdue	Passing	Aidan O'Connell	12/19, 182 yards, TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Dylan Downing	10 rushes, 39 yards
	Receiving	Milton Wright	7 receptions, 88 yards

Charlotte

See also: 2021 Charlotte 49ers football team

Charlotte vs Illinois

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
49ers	7	7	0	0	14
•Fighting Illini	3	7	14	0	24

• Date: October 2
• Location: Memorial Stadium (Champaign)
  Champaign, IL
• Game start: 11:01 p.m. CDT
• Elapsed time: 3:02
• Game attendance: 30,559
• Game weather: 73 °F (23 °C) • Weather: Cloudy • Wind: SE 5 MPH
• Referee: Reggie Smith
• TV announcers (BTN): Chris Vosters, Stanley Jackson, Krystle Rich

• Sources: ^{[9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14]}

Scoring summary

1	7:28	ILLI	James MCCOURT 29 Yd Field Goal	ILLI 3-0
1	1:31	CHAR	Victor TUCKER 22 Yd pass from Chris REYNOLDS (Jonathan CRUZ Kick)	CHAR 7-3
2	2:52	ILLI	Daniel BARKER 10 Yd pass from Brandon PETERS (James MCCOURT Kick)	ILLI 10-7
2	0:46	CHAR	Elijah SPENCER 27 Yd pass from Chris REYNOLDS (Jonathan CRUZ Kick)	CHAR 14-10
3	6:52	ILLI	Chase BROWN 31 Yd Run (James MCCOURT Kick)	ILLI 17-14
3	0:00	ILLI	Chase BROWN 80 Yd Run (James MCCOURT Kick)	ILLI 24-14

Wisconsin

See also: 2021 Wisconsin Badgers football team

Wisconsin vs Illinois – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Badgers	3	7	14	0	24
Fighting Illini	0	0	0	0	0

at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Illinois

• Date: October 9, 2021
• Game time: 2:30 p.m.
• Game weather: 84 °F (29 °C); Sunny; Wind at n/a MPH
• Game attendance: 40,168
• Referee: Mark Kluczynski
• TV announcers (BTN): Mark Followill (play-by-play) and Matt Millen (analyst)

Game information

First quarter WISC – Collin Larsh 25-yard field goal, 4:14. Wisconsin 3–0.Drive: 18 plays, 67 yards, 9:44. Second quarter WISC – John Chenal 1-yard TD run, (Collin Larsh kick), 5:27. Wisconsin 10–0.Drive: 14 plays, 79 yards, 6:50. Third quarter WISC – Chez Mellusi 15-yard TD run, (Collin Larsh kick), 8:38. Wisconsin 17–0.Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 6:22. WISC – Braelon Allen 23-yard TD run, (Collin Larsh kick), 1:00. Wisconsin 24–0.Drive: 5 plays, 86 yards, 2:45. Fourth quarter No scoring Top passers ILL – Artur Sitkowski – 8/27, 55 yards WISC – Graham Mertz – 10/19, 100 yards, INT Top rushers ILL – Chase Brown – 8 rushes, 35 yards WISC – Chez Mellusi – 21 rushes, 145 yards, TD Top receivers ILL – Isaiah Williams – 4 receptions, 23 yards WISC – Kendric Pryor – 2 receptions, 47 yards Top defenders ILL – Tarique Barnes – 12 tackles, forced fumble, QB hurry, pass breakup WISC – Noah Burks – 6 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 0.5 sack, 3 QB hurries

At. No. 7 Penn State

See also: 2021 Illinois vs. Penn State football game and 2021 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

Illinois Fighting Illini at No. 7 Penn State Nittany Lions – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	2OT	3OT	4OT	5OT	6OT	7OT	8OT	9OT	Total
Fighting Illini	0	7	0	3	3	3	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	20
No. 7 Nittany Lions	7	3	0	0	3	3	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	18

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

• Date: October 23
• Game time: 11:00 a.m. CDT/12:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Rain, 48 °F (9 °C)
• Game attendance: 105,001
• Referee: Reggie Smith
• TV announcers (ABC): Bob Wischusen, Dan Orlovsky, and Kris Budden
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter PSU – KeAndre Lambert-Smith 42-yard pass from Sean Clifford (Jordan Stout kick), 0:09. Nittany Lions 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 93 yards, 1:55. Second quarter PSU – Jordan Stout 35-yard field goal, 11:12. Nittany Lions 10–0. Drive: 6 plays, 23 yards, 1:41. ILL – Chase Brown 1-yard run (James McCourt kick), 2:52. Nittany Lions 10–7. Drive: 15 plays, 75 yards, 8:20. Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter ILL – James McCourt 37-yard field goal, 11:49. Tied 10–10. Drive: 16 plays, 70 yards, 7:33. Overtime PSU – Jordan Stout 31-yard field goal. Nittany Lions 13–10. Drive: 8 plays, 12 yards. ILL – James McCourt 39-yard field goal. Tied 13–13. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards. Second overtime ILL – James McCourt 22-yard field goal. Fighting Illini 16–13. Drive: 7 plays, 21 yards. PSU – Jordan Stout 40-yard field goal. Tied 16–16. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards. Eighth overtime ILL – Isaiah Williams 2-point pass from Brandon Peters. Fighting Illini 18–16. PSU – Noah Cain 2-point run. Tied 18–18. Ninth overtime ILL – Casey Washington 2-point pass from Brandon Peters. Fighting Illini 20–18.

Statistics	ILL	PSU
First downs	27	14
Total yards	395	227
Rushes–yards	67–357	29–62
Passing yards	38	165
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	8–21–1	19–34–0
Time of possession	36:25	23:35

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Illinois	Passing	Artur Sitkowski	8/19, 38 yards, INT
	Rushing	Chase Brown	33 rushes, 223 yards, TD
	Receiving	Donny Navarro III	2 receptions, 12 yards
Penn State	Passing	Sean Clifford	19/34, 164 yards, TD
	Rushing	Noah Cain	11 rushes, 43 yards
	Receiving	Jahan Dotson	6 receptions, 69 yards

Rutgers

	1	2	3	4	Total
Scarlet Knights	7	3	0	10	20
Fighting Illini	0	14	0	0	14

See also: 2021 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team

No. 20 Minnesota

	1	2	3	4	Total
Fighting Illini	7	7	0	0	14
No. 20 Golden Gophers	0	0	0	6	6

See also: 2021 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team

No. 17 Iowa

See also: 2021 Iowa Hawkeyes football team

Illinois at Iowa

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Fighting Illini	10	3	3	7	23
•No. 17 Hawkeyes	7	10	3	13	33

• Date: November 20
• Location:
  Kinnick Stadium
  Iowa City, IA
• Game start: 1:10 p.m. CST
• Elapsed time: 3:31
• Game attendance: 64,132
• Referee: Larry Smith
• TV announcers (FS1): Adam Alexander (play-by-play) and Devin Gardner (analyst)

• Source: Box Score

        

Scoring summary

1	8:37	Illinois	L. Ford 13-yard pass from Brandon Peters (James McCourt kick)	Illinois 7–0
	3:20	Illinois	James McCourt 46-yard field goal	Illinois 10–0
	3:05	Iowa	Charlie Jones 100-yard kickoff return (Caleb Shudak kick)	Illinois 10–7
2	14:08	Iowa	Arland Bruce IV 2-yard run (Caleb Shudak kick)	Iowa 14–10
	6:41	Iowa	Caleb Shudak 51-yard field goal	Iowa 17–10
	3:13	Illinois	James McCourt 45-yard field goal	Iowa 17–13
3	9:12	Iowa	Caleb Shudak 48-yard field goal	Iowa 20–13
	2:46	Illinois	James McCourt 53-yard field goal	Iowa 20–16
4	9:12	Iowa	Caleb Shudak 48-yard field goal	Iowa 23–16
	9:12	Iowa	Caleb Shudak 48-yard field goal	Iowa 26–16
	1:36	Iowa	Jack Campbell 32-yard interception return (Caleb Shudak kick)	Iowa 33–16
	0:31	Iowa	Isaiah Williams 16-yard pass from Brandon Peters (James McCourt kick)	Iowa 33–23

Statistics	ILL	IOWA
First downs	11	18
Total yards	312	255
Rushing yards	64	172
Passing yards	248	83
Turnovers	2	1
Time of possession	25:42	34:18

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Illinois	Passing	Brandon Peters	16/36, 248 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Chase Brown	13 carries, 42 yards
	Receiving	Casey Washington	3 receptions, 61 yards
Iowa	Passing	Alex Padilla	6/17, 83 yards, INT
	Rushing	Tyler Goodson	27 carries, 132 yards
	Receiving	Arland Bruce IV	2 receptions, 45 yards

Northwestern

	1	2	3	4	Total
Wildcats	0	7	0	7	14
Fighting Illini	14	23	3	7	47

See also: 2021 Northwestern Wildcats football team and Illinois–Northwestern football rivalry

References

1. "2021 Illinois Fighting Illini Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 26, 2025.
2. "Illinois outlasts Penn State in record-breaking nine overtimes". RSN. October 23, 2021. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
3. "2021 Illinois Fighting Illini Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
4. "Big Ten Unveils Football All-Conference Teams for Defense, Special Teams and Select Individual Honors" (PDF). Big Ten Conference. November 30, 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 30, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
5. Baird, Nathan (July 21, 2021). "Ohio State voted overwhelming favorite in 2021 Cleveland.com Preseason Big Ten Poll". Cleveland.com.
6. "2021 College Football Game moved from Aviva Stadium". CollegeFootballIreland.com. February 17, 2021. Archived from the original on February 17, 2021. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
7. "2021 Illinois Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
8. "Maryland vs. Illinois - Game Summary - September 17, 2021 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
9. "GAME NOTES: Charlotte at Illinois". September 28, 2021. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
10. "Second Half Surge Carries Illini Past Charlotte, 24-14". October 2, 2021. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
11. "Scoring Summary Report 2021 Charlotte Football, Charlotte Vs Illinois (Oct 02, 2021 at Champaign, Illinois)" (PDF). Retrieved October 4, 2021.
12. "Charlotte vs Illinois – Game Summary". ESPN . October 2, 2021. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
13. Bailey, Hunter (October 4, 2021). "Charlotte runs aground against Illinois: How the Illini held off the 49ers". The Charlotte Observer . Retrieved October 4, 2021.
14. "TPA:Charlotte at Illinois". Charlotte49ers.com. October 3, 2021. Retrieved October 4, 2021.