When was the last time Illinois Football Knocked Off #1?

The last time that Illinois football knocked off the nation’s best, throws us back to Columbus, Ohio in 2007. Ron Zook had his team well rebounded from a poor 2006 season (2-10), and the 8-3 (at the time) Illini were hungry for more. After already knocking off #21 Penn State and #5 Wisconsin, all eyes were on the Illini vs the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Led by talents of Isaiah “Juice” Williams, J Leman, Rashard Mendenhall, Arrelious Benn, Vontae Davis, and more, the Illini had the dudes pull off the upset. However, it is never easy to go on the road and claim victory at the Horseshoe.

GAME RECAP

Quarterback Juice Williams led a memorable performance for Illinois. Williams went off for 140 yards through the air, and 4 total touchdowns. The Illini QB also made a number of plays with his legs. In addition, RBs Rashard Mendenhall and Daniel Dufrene totaled an impressive 276 yards rushing, on 51 attempts vs the Buckeyes.

Juice executed a masterful final drive, which chewed up the final 8 minutes of game time. Along the way, he was able to pick up 3 huge first downs to assist the dominant run game and seal the 28-21 win for the Illini. The memorable victory remains one of the undoubtedly greatest achievements in Illinois Football history. Additionally, it is Illini’s only win over a No. 1 opponent dating back to 1956.

The very next week, Illinois football took down rival Northwestern to finish the exciting regular season 9-3. The 2007 Illini went on to earn their first Rose Bowl appearance since 1984, where they eventually lost 49-17 to USC.

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