2014 Illinois Fighting Illini football team

The 2014 Illinois Fighting Illini football team represented the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in the 2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by third-year head coach Tim Beckman, and played their home games at Memorial Stadium. They were members of the new West Division of the Big Ten Conference. They finished the season 6–7, 3–5 in Big Ten play to finish in a tie for fifth place in the West Division. They were invited to the Heart of Dallas Bowl where they lost to Louisiana Tech.

2014 Illinois Fighting Illini football
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
DivisionWest Division
Record6–7 (3–5 Big Ten)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorBill Cubit (2nd season)
Offensive schemeSpread
Defensive coordinatorTim Banks (3rd season)
Base defense4–3
Home stadiumMemorial Stadium
Seasons
← 2013
2015 →
2014 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
No. 1 Ohio State x$#^   8 0     14 1  
No. T–5 Michigan State   7 1     11 2  
Maryland   4 4     7 6  
Rutgers   3 5     8 5  
Michigan   3 5     5 7  
Penn State   2 6     7 6  
Indiana   1 7     4 8  
West Division
No. 13 Wisconsin x   7 1     11 3  
Minnesota   5 3     8 5  
Nebraska   5 3     9 4  
Iowa   4 4     7 6  
Illinois   3 5     6 7  
Northwestern   3 5     5 7  
Purdue   1 7     3 9  
Championship: Ohio State 59, Wisconsin 0
  • # – College Football Playoff champion
  • ^ – College Football Playoff participant
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

Schedule

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DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
August 3011:00 amNo. 24 (FCS) Youngstown State*BTNW 28–1736,234
September 611:00 amWestern Kentucky*
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL
BTNW 42–3438,561
September 133:00 pmat Washington*FOXL 19–4462,325
September 203:00 pmTexas State*
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL
ESPNewsW 42–3541,019
September 278:00 pmat No. 21 NebraskaBTNL 14–4591,255
October 411:00 amPurdue
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL (rivalry)
ESPN2L 27–3845,046
October 1111:00 amat WisconsinESPN2L 28–3880,341
October 2511:00 amMinnesota 
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL
ESPNUW 28–2444,437
November 17:00 pmat No. 13 Ohio StateABCL 14–55106,961
November 1511:00 amIowa
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL
BTNL 14–3050,373
November 2211:00 amPenn State
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL
ESPN2W 16–1435,172
November 2911:00 amat NorthwesternESPNUW 47–3331,137
December 2612:00 pmvs. Louisiana Tech*ESPNL 18–3531,297
  • *Non-conference game
  •  Homecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Central time

[1]

Personnel

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Coaching staff

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Name Position Consecutive season at
Illinois
Alma Mater
Tim Beckman Head coach 2 Findlay (1988)
Bill Cubit Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks 1 Delaware (1974)
Mike Bellamy Wide receivers 2 Illinois (1990)
Tom Brattan Offensive Line 0 Delaware (1972)
Alex Golesh Tight ends/Running backs/Fullbacks/recruiting coordinator 2 Ohio State (2006)
Tim Banks Defensive coordinator/secondary 2 Central Michigan (1995)
Greg Colby Defensive line 1 Illinois (1974)
Al Seamonson Outside Linebackers 1 Wisconsin (1982)
Mike Ward Inside Linebackers 2 Georgetown College (1984)
Tim Salem Special Teams Coordinator 2 Arizona State (1985)
Reference:[2]

Roster

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2014 Illinois Fighting Illini football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
WR 2 Tyrin Stone-Davis   So
TE 3 Jon Davis Sr
QB 4 Reilly O'Toole Sr
RB 5 Donovonn Young Jr
RB 6 Josh Ferguson   So
QB 7 Chayce Crouch Fr
WR 8 Geronimo Allison Jr
WR 9 Martize Barr   Sr
TE 11 Matt LaCosse Sr
QB 12 Wes Lunt   So
WR 13 Dionte Taylor So
QB 15 Aaron Bailey So
WR 16 Marchie Murdock   Fr
QB 16 Man Berg   Fr
WR 18 Mike Dudek Fr
WR 19 Justin Hardee Jr
RB 23 Devin Church   So
RB 25 Kendrick Foster   Fr
RB 26 Cameron Tucker   Jr
RB 29 T. J. Moss Fr
TE 30 Jim Nudera   Jr
WR 31 Leslie Poole   Jr
TE 47 Tim Clary   Jr
OL 52 Alex Hill   Sr
OL 53 Nick Allegretti Fr
OL 55 Chris Boles   Jr
OL 57 Austin Schmidt So
OL 60 Tony Durkin   Jr
OL 64 Steve Dumezich Fr
OL 66 Scott McDowell   Jr
OL 67 Christian DiLauro   Fr
OL 68 Simon Cvijanovic   Sr
OL 69 Ted Karras   Jr
OL 70 Peter Cvijanovic Fr
OL 71 Joe Spencer   So
OL 73 Chris O'Connor   Jr
OL 74 Michael Heitz   Sr
OL 75 Pat Flavin   Jr
OL 76 Jesse Chadwell   Fr
OL 78 Harry Black So
WR 80 Jeremey Whitlow   Jr
WR 81 Raphael Barr So
WR 82 Kameron Fry   So
TE 83 Trevor Kanteman   Fr
WR 84 Kenny Knight   Jr
WR 86 Malik Turner Fr
TE 87 Tyler White So
WR 88 Zach Grant Jr
TE 89 Dallas Hinkhouse   Jr
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
DB 2 V'Angelo Bentley Jr
DB 3 Taylor Barton   So
DB 4 Darwyn Kelly   Fr
STAR 5 James Crawford   Fr
LB 6 Carroll Phillips   So
DB 7 Caleb Day So
DB 8 Dillan Cazley So
STAR 9 Earnest Thomas III   Sr
LB 10 B. J. Bello   So
STAR 14 Eric Finney   Jr
DB 15 Jevaris Little   So
DL 17 Jihad Ward Jr
DB 20 Clayton Fejedelem   Jr
DB 21 Zane Petty   Sr
LB 22 LaKeith Walls   So
DB 23 Dennis Thurow   Fr
DB 24 Darius Mosely So
DB 25 Sean Arowolaju   So
DB 26 Cedric Doxy   So
DB 27 Eaton Spencer   Jr
DB 28 Jaylen Dunlap So
STAR 29 Nelson Lugo   So
DB 30 Julian Hylton Fr
DB 31 Nick North   Jr
DB 32 Chris James Fr
STAR 33 Zepheniah Grimes   Jr
LB 34 Mike Svetina Jr
LB 35 Sean White   So
LB 36 Austin Roberts Fr
DB 37 Davontay Kwaaning   Jr
DB 38 Samuel Harlib   Fr
LB 39 Nathan Echard   Fr
LB 42 Ralph Cooper Sr
LB 43 Mason Monheim Jr
DL 44 Austin Teitsma   Sr
LB 45 Henry McGrew Fr
STAR 46 Jason Goldsmith Fr
LEO 48 Tate Gordon Fr
STAR 49 Conner Schmidt   Fr
LB 52 T. J. Neal   So
LB 55 Tre Watson Fr
DL 58 Kenny Nelson   Jr
DL 85 Brandon Roberts   Fr
LEO 90 DeJazz Woods   Sr
LEO 91 Dawuane Smoot So
DL 92 Abe Cajuste   Sr
DL 93 Teko Powell Jr
DL 94 Tito Odenigbo Fr
DL/FB 95 Jake Howe   Sr
DL 96 Rob Bain   So
DL 97 Paul James III Fr
DL 98 Joe Fotu Jr
DL 99 Jarrod Clements So
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
PK/P 13 Ryan Frain   So
PK 17 Taylor Zalewski   Jr
P 18 Justin DuBernois Sr
PK 38 David Reisner   So
P 40 Ryan Tucker Fr
P 41 Nick Kybruz Fr
LS 54 Zach Hirth   So
LS 56 Michael Martin   So
PK 83 Brennen VanMieghem Sr
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
  • Tim Banks (defensive coordinator / secondary)
  • Bill Cubit (offensive coordinator / quarterbacks)
  • Mike Bellamy (wide receivers)
  • Tom Brattan (offensive line)
  • Greg Colby (defensive line)
  • Alex Golesh (tight ends / specialist / recruiting coordinator)
  • Tim Salem (running backs / special teams coordinator)
  • Al Seamonson (outside linebackers)
  • Mike Ward (inside linebackers)
  • Robert Arnheim (graduate assistant - offense)
  • Kolby Jackson (graduate assistant - defense)
  • Tyler Johns (graduate assistant - offense)
  • LeDominique Williams (graduate assistant - defense)
  • Nina Baloun (assistant recruiting coordinator)
  • Trent Chesnut (head football equipment manager)
  • Dane Chester (director of football game analysis)
  • Ryan Cubit (director of football student-athlete development)
  • Aaron Hillmann (head football strength & conditioning coach)
  • Tim Knox (director of football operations)
  • Jake Naas (head football athletic trainer)
  • Eric Streeter (assistant athletic trainer)
  • Juice Williams (director of alumni and former player relations)
  • Scott Yielding (director of player personnel)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  •   Injured
  •   Redshirt

Roster
Last update: December 3, 2014

Game summaries

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Youngstown State

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Youngstown State Penguins vs Illinois Fighting Illini – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Youngstown State 3 3 3817
Illinois 0 7 02128

at Memorial StadiumChampaign, IL

  • Date: August 30, 2014
  • Game time: 11:00 a.m. CDT
  • Game weather: Temperature: • Wind: • Weather:
  • Game attendance:  
  • Referee: Referee: • Umpire: • Linesman: • Line judge: • Back judge: • Field judge: • Side judge:
  • TV announcers (BTN): Chris Denari (Play-by-play) & Danan Hughes (Color)
Game information

Western Kentucky

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Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs Illinois Fighting Illini – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Western Kentucky 3 14 10734
Illinois 7 7 72142

at Memorial StadiumChampaign, IL

  • Date: September 6, 2014
  • Game time: 11:00 a.m. CDT
  • Game weather: Temperature: • Wind: • Weather:
  • Game attendance:  
  • Referee: Referee: • Umpire: • Linesman: • Line judge: • Back judge: • Field judge: • Side judge:
  • TV announcers (BTN): Chris Denari (Play-by-play), J Leman (Color) & Rebecca Haarlow (Sideline)
Game information

Washington

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1 2 3 4 Total
Fighting Illini 3 9 7 0 19
Huskies 21 17 0 6 44

Texas State

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1 2 3 4 Total
Bobcats 14 7 7 7 35
Fighting Illini 6 7 12 17 42

Nebraska

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1 2 3 4 Total
Fighting Illini 7 7 0 0 14
Cornhuskers 7 24 7 7 45

Purdue

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1 2 3 4 Total
Boilermakers 7 10 14 7 38
Fighting Illini 14 0 13 0 27

Wisconsin

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1 2 3 4 Total
Fighting Illini 14 0 0 14 28
Badgers 7 17 7 7 38

Minnesota

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1 2 3 4 Total
Golden Gophers 0 3 21 0 24
Fighting Illini 14 0 7 7 28

Ohio State

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1 2 3 4 Total
Fighting Illini 0 0 7 7 14
Buckeyes 17 14 17 7 55

Iowa

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1 2 3 4 Total
Hawkeyes 2 7 7 14 30
Fighting Illini 7 0 0 7 14

Penn State

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1 2 3 4 Total
Nittany Lions 7 0 0 7 14
Fighting Illini 0 7 3 6 16

Northwestern

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1 234Total
• Illinois 13 13714 47
Northwestern 0 71016 33

Reilly O'Toole passed for 147 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing for 147 yards.[3]

Louisiana Tech–Heart of Dallas Bowl

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1 2 3 4 Total
Fighting Illini 3 6 6 3 18
Bulldogs 14 7 0 14 35

References

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  1. ^ "2014 Illinois Fighting Illini Football Schedule". FB Schedules. Retrieved February 1, 2014.
  2. ^ "Coaches". University of Illinois Department of Athletics. Archived from the original on April 7, 2014. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
  3. ^ Jackson, John (November 29, 2014). "Illinois Bowl Eligible With 47-33 Win". ESPN. Associated Press. Retrieved November 30, 2014.