CollegeFootballDigestfrom CooperSearch

1989 Illinois

10–⁠2 (7–⁠1 Big Ten), coached by John Mackovic, finished No. 10 in the AP poll.

Schedule and results

Illinois in 1989, game by game: won at No. 5 USC 14–13; lost at No. 8 Colorado 7–38; won vs. Utah State 41–2; won vs. Ohio State 34–14; won at Purdue 14–2; won at Michigan State 14–10; won vs. Wisconsin 32–9; won at Iowa 31–7; lost vs. No. 3 Michigan 10–24; won vs. Indiana 41–28; won at Northwestern 63–14; won vs. No. 15 Virginia 31–21+49−31Won 14–13 at No. 5 USC+1No. 5 USCLost 7–38 at No. 8 Colorado-31No. 8 ColoradoWon 41–2 vs. Utah State+39Utah StateWon 34–14 vs. Ohio State+20Ohio StateWon 14–2 at Purdue+12PurdueWon 14–10 at Michigan State+4Michigan StateWon 32–9 vs. Wisconsin+23WisconsinWon 31–7 at Iowa+24IowaLost 10–24 vs. No. 3 Michigan-14No. 3 MichiganWon 41–28 vs. Indiana+13IndianaWon 63–14 at Northwestern+49NorthwesternWon 31–21 vs. No. 15 Virginia+10No. 15 Virginia
Each game’s margin, wins above the line and losses below; orange marks an upset win.
DateOpponentResultElo
Sep 4at5USCW 14–⁠1322%
Sep 16at8ColoradoL 7–⁠3830%
Sep 23vsUtah StateW 41–⁠271%
Oct 7vsOhio StateW 34–⁠1453%
Oct 14atPurdueW 14–⁠264%
Oct 21atMichigan StateW 14–⁠1038%
Oct 28vsWisconsinW 32–⁠981%
Nov 4atIowaW 31–⁠747%
Nov 11vs3MichiganL 10–⁠2442%
Nov 18vsIndianaW 41–⁠2862%
Nov 25atNorthwesternW 63–⁠1484%
Jan 1Bowls & playoffvs15VirginiaCitrus BowlW 31–⁠2144%

Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.

How it ended: Beat Virginia 31–⁠21 in the Citrus Bowl; No. 10 in the final AP poll; 2nd in the Big Ten.

In program history: The 12th-best season in program history by end-of-season Elo (of 135 on file).

AP poll, week by week

  1. Wk 1: 22
  2. Wk 2: 11
  3. Wk 3: 10
  4. Wk 4: 20
  5. Wk 5: 20
  6. Wk 6: 18
  7. Wk 7: 16
  8. Wk 8: 13
  9. Wk 9: 8
  10. Wk 10: 8
  11. Wk 11: 8
  12. Wk 12: 12
  13. Wk 13: 11
  14. Wk 14: 10
  15. Wk 15: 11
  16. Wk 16: 11
  17. Final: 10

Players on this team

Before 2004 our records hold honors and the draft; these are the players whose college years here, from their Wikipedia articles or their honors, include 1989.

Consensus All-AmericanMoe Gardner, DT

Record
10–⁠2
Conference
7–⁠1 2nd in Big Ten
AP final
No. 10 peak No. 8
Points
332–⁠182
Coach
John Mackovic
Elo
1649 +160 this season
SP+ rating
20.4 No. 14 of 103; offense No. 30, defense No. 9
SRS
14.8 No. 17 of 106 in Division I-A
Recruiting class
—
Offensive coordinator
Gene Dahlquist
Defensive coordinator
Lou Tepper
Captains
Craig Schneider, Steve Glasson, Mike Bellamy and Moe Gardner
Most valuable player
Mike Bellamy and Moe Gardner

Drafted in 1990

The 1990 draft
Rd 1Jeff George QBIndianapolis Colts
Rd 2Mike Bellamy WRPhiladelphia Eagles

All-Big Ten

8 first team, 2 second team

First team

Second team

From Wikipedia’s 1989 all-conference team article, with the selectors that named each player (AP-1: the Associated Press’s first team).

1989 Big Ten standings

Conference page
TeamConf.OverallAP final
Michigan8–⁠010–⁠27
Illinois7–⁠110–⁠210
Ohio State6–⁠28–⁠424
Michigan State6–⁠28–⁠416
Minnesota4–⁠46–⁠5
Iowa3–⁠55–⁠6
Indiana3–⁠55–⁠6
Purdue2–⁠63–⁠8
Wisconsin1–⁠72–⁠9
Northwestern0–⁠80–⁠11

Ordered by conference winning percentage, then conference wins. Division splits and tiebreakers aren’t applied.