The 1986 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 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their seventh year under head coach Mike White, the Fighting Illini compiled a 4–7 record (3–5 in conference game), tied for sixth place in the Big Ten, and were outscored by a total of 299 to 189.[1]
The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Shane Lamb (1,414 passing yards, 50.7% completion percentage), running back Keith Jones (534 rushing yards, 4.0 yards per carry), wide receiver Stephen Pierce (43 receptions for 602 yards), and kicker Chris Siambekos (61 points, 19 of 20 extra points, 14 of 19 field goals).[2]
The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois.
Schedule
Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
---|
September 6 | Louisville* | | W 23–0 | 72,822 | [3] |
September 13 | at USC* | | L 16–31 | 51,496 | [4] |
September 20 | No. 6 Nebraska* | - Memorial Stadium
- Champaign, IL
| L 14–59 | 75,869 | [5] |
October 4 | at Ohio State | | L 0–14 | 90,030 | [6] |
October 11 | Purdue | - Memorial Stadium
- Champaign, IL (rivalry)
| W 34–27 | 73,720 | [7] |
October 18 | Michigan State | - Memorial Stadium
- Champaign, IL
| L 21–29 | 75,083 | [8] |
October 25 | at Wisconsin | | L 9–15 | 76,983 | [9] |
November 1 | at No. 3 Michigan | | L 13–69 | 104,122 | [10] |
November 8 | No. 16 Iowa | - Memorial Stadium
- Champaign, IL
| W 20–16 | 75,190 | [11] |
November 15 | at Indiana | | W 21–16 | 34,572 | [12] |
November 22 | Northwestern | - Memorial Stadium
- Champaign, IL (rivalry)
| L 18–23 | 70,568 | [13] |
- *Non-conference game
- Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
|
Games summaries
No. 6 Nebraska
Nebraska at Illinois [box score]
Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
• No. 6 Cornhuskers |
28 |
10 | 14 | 7 |
59 |
Fighting Illini |
0 |
7 | 0 | 7 |
14 |
At Ohio State
Illinois at Ohio State
Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
Fighting Illini |
0 |
0 | 0 | 0 |
0 |
• Buckeyes |
0 |
14 | 0 | 0 |
14 |
At No. 3 Michigan
Illinois at Michigan
Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
Fighting Illini |
10 |
3 | 0 | 0 |
13 |
• No. 3 Wolverines |
7 |
20 | 21 | 21 |
69 |
Scoring summary |
1 | 12:03 | ILL | Chris Siambekos 47-yard field goal | ILL 3–0 |
5:24 | MICH | Jim Harbaugh 13-yard run (Mike Gillette kick) | MICH 7–3 |
0:11 | ILL | Brian Menkhausen 3-yard run (Siambekos kick) | ILL 10–7 |
|
2 | 9:38 | MICH | Gillette 20-yard field goal | TIE 10–10 |
4:13 | MICH | Bob Perryman 1-yard run (Gillette kick) | MICH 17–10 |
2:15 | MICH | Paul Jokisch 41-yard pass from Harbaugh (Gillette kick) | MICH 24–10 |
0:26 | MICH | Gillette 52-yard field goal | MICH 27–10 |
0:00 | ILL | Siambekos 44-yard field goal | MICH 27–13 |
|
3 | 10:55 | MICH | Harbaugh 1-yard run (Gillette kick) | MICH 34–13 |
8:12 | MICH | Perryman 25-yard run (Gillette kick) | MICH 41–13 |
4:27 | MICH | Thomas Wilcher 8-yard run (Gillette kick) | MICH 48–13 |
|
4 | 13:03 | MICH | Chris Zurbrugg 1-yard run (Gillette kick) | MICH 55–13 |
10:10 | MICH | Zurbrugg 1-yard run (Gillette kick) | MICH 62–13 |
2:26 | MICH | Taylor 6-yard run (Gillette kick) | MICH 69–13 |
[14]
No. 16 Iowa
Iowa at Illinois
Team |
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
No. 16 Hawkeyes |
3 |
7 | 0 | 6 |
16 |
• Fighting Illini |
0 |
0 | 7 | 13 |
20 |
Scoring summary |
1 | | IOWA | Houghtlin 36-yard field goal | IOWA 3–0 |
|
2 | | IOWA | Hudson 2-yard run (Houghtlin kick) | IOWA 10–0 |
|
3 | | Illinois | Pierce 54-yard pass from Menkhausen (Siambekos kick) | IOWA 10–7 |
|
4 | | Illinois | Menkhausen 1-yard run (Siambekos kick) | Illinois 14–10 |
| Illinois | Siambekos 29-yard field goal | Illinois 17–10 |
| Illinois | Siambekos 42-yard field goal | Illinois 20–10 |
| IOWA | Harmon 3-yard run (pass failed) | Illinois 20–16 |
[15]
References
- ^ "1986 Illinois Fighting Illini Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
- ^ "1986 Illinois Fighting Illini Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 25, 2025.
- ^ "Illini trump Cards". Quad-City Times. September 7, 1986. Retrieved April 22, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Southern California trips Illinois, 31–16". The Cincinnati Enquirer. September 14, 1986. Retrieved April 22, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Huskers take fight out of Illini". Lincoln Journal Star. September 21, 1986. Retrieved April 22, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Ohio St. shuts out the Illini". Chicago Tribune. October 5, 1986. Retrieved April 22, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Illinois' late TD subdues Boilers". Evansville Courier and Press. October 12, 1986. Retrieved April 22, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Illini drop decision to Michigan State". The Pantagraph. October 19, 1986. Retrieved April 22, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Defense keys Badgers over Illini". The Reporter. October 26, 1986. Retrieved April 22, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Total collapse: Illini blown out 69–13". Herald and Review. November 2, 1986. Retrieved April 22, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Hayden Fry's worry is justified after Iowa upset by Illinois 20–16". Omaha World-Herald. November 9, 1986. Retrieved April 22, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Spoilsport Illinois bowls over Indiana". Chicago Tribune. November 16, 1986. Retrieved April 22, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Northwestern defeats Illinois 23–18". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. November 23, 1986. Retrieved April 22, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Tommy George (November 2, 1986). "MSU rocks and U-M rolls: Michigan nails Illini – 69-13". The Detroit Free Press. pp. 1D, 12D. Retrieved July 23, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Illinois Remembers To Pay Back Iowa". Chicago Tribune. November 10, 1986. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
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