2016 Illinois Fighting Illini football team

2016 Illinois Fighting Illini football
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
DivisionWest Division
Record3–9 (2–7 Big Ten)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorGarrick McGee (1st season)
Offensive schemeMultiple
Defensive coordinatorHardy Nickerson (1st season)
Base defense4–3
Home stadiumMemorial Stadium
2016 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf. Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
No. 7 Penn State xy$   8 – 1     11 – 3  
No. 6 Ohio State x^   8 – 1     11 – 2  
No. 10 Michigan   7 – 2     10 – 3  
Indiana   4 – 5     6 – 7  
Maryland   3 – 6     6 – 7  
Michigan State   1 – 8     3 – 9  
Rutgers   0 – 9     2 – 10  
West Division
No. 9 Wisconsin xy   7 – 2     11 – 3  
Iowa   6 – 3     8 – 5  
Nebraska   6 – 3     9 – 4  
Minnesota   5 – 4     9 – 4  
Northwestern   5 – 4     7 – 6  
  2 – 7     3 – 9  
Purdue   1 – 8     3 – 9  
Championship: Penn State 38, Wisconsin 31
  • ^ – College Football Playoff participant
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2016 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 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season. In their first season under head coach Lovie Smith, the Fighting Illini compiled a 3–9 record (2–7 in conference games), finished in sixth place out of seven teams in the Big Ten's West Division, and were outscored by a total of 383 to 236.[1]

The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Wes Lunt (1,376 passing yards), running back Kendrick Foster (720 rushing yards), wide receiver Malik Turner (48 receptions for 712 yards), and kicker Chase McLaughlin (62 points scored, 26 of 26 extra points, 12 of 17 field goals).[2]

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

Schedule

The Illini hosted all three non–conference games which were against the Murray State Racers from the Ohio Valley Conference, North Carolina Tar Heels from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), and the Western Michigan Broncos from the Mid-American Conference (MAC).

DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
September 32:30 pmMurray State*
BTNW 52–348,644
September 106:30 pmNorth Carolina*
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL
BTNL 23–4860,670
September 173:00 pmWestern Michigan*
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL
ESPNewsL 10–3440,954
October 12:30 pmat No. 15 Nebraska
ESPN2L 16–3190,374
October 82:30 pmPurdue
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL (rivalry)
BTNL 31–34 OT42,912
October 1511:00 amat Rutgers
ESPNewsW 24–742,640
October 222:30 pmat No. 3 Michigan
BTNL 8–41111,103
October 2911:00 amMinnesotadagger
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL
BTNL 17–4040,090
November 511:00 amMichigan State
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL
ESPNewsW 31–2747,144
November 122:30 pmat No. 7 Wisconsin
ESPN2L 3–4879,340
November 1911:00 amIowa
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL
BTNL 0–2839,031
November 2611:00 amat Northwestern
BTNL 21–4230,022
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game
  • All times are in Central time
Schedule Source:[3]

Game summaries

Murray State

See also: 2016 Murray State Racers football team
1 2 3 4 Total
Racers 0 3 0 0 3
Fighting Illini 14 21 7 10 52

North Carolina

1 2 3 4 Total
Tar Heels 17 7 7 17 48
Fighting Illini 14 2 0 7 23
See also: 2016 North Carolina Tar Heels football team

Western Michigan

See also: 2016 Western Michigan Broncos football team
1 2 3 4 Total
Broncos 14 10 3 7 34
Fighting Illini 0 7 3 0 10

At Nebraska

See also: 2016 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
1 2 3 4 Total
Fighting Illini 0 13 3 0 16
#15 Cornhuskers 7 3 0 21 31

Purdue

See also: 2016 Purdue Boilermakers football team and Illinois–Purdue football rivalry
1 2 3 4OT Total
Boilermakers 7 14 3 73 34
Fighting Illini 3 13 7 80 31

At Rutgers

See also: 2016 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team
1 2 3 4 Total
Fighting Illini 0 7 10 7 24
Scarlet Knights 0 0 0 7 7

At Michigan

See also: 2016 Michigan Wolverines football team and Illinois–Michigan football rivalry
1 2 3 4 Total
Fighting Illini 0 0 0 8 8
#3 Wolverines 21 10 3 7 41

Minnesota

See also: 2016 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team
1 2 3 4 Total
Golden Gophers 14 0 7 19 40
Fighting Illini 7 0 7 3 17

Michigan State

See also: 2016 Michigan State Spartans football team
1 2 3 4 Total
Spartans 3 3 11 10 27
Fighting Illini 0 7 10 14 31

At #7 Wisconsin

See also: 2016 Wisconsin Badgers football team
1 2 3 4 Total
Fighting Illini 3 0 0 0 3
#7 Badgers 21 10 3 14 48

Iowa

See also: 2016 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
1 2 3 4 Total
Hawkeyes 0 7 7 14 28
Fighting Illini 0 0 0 0 0

At Northwestern

See also: 2016 Northwestern Wildcats football team and Illinois–Northwestern football rivalry
1 2 3 4 Total
Fighting Illini 0 14 7 0 21
Wildcats 14 7 14 7 42

Roster

2016 Illinois Fighting Illini football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
RB 2 Reggie Corbin  Fr
QB 3 Jeff George, Jr.  Fr
WR 4 D. J. Taylor Sr
RB 5 Ke'Shawn Vaughn So
RB 6 Tre Nation Fr
QB 7 Chayce Crouch  So
WR 9 Sam Mays So
WR 11 Malik Turner Jr
QB 12 Wes Lunt  Sr
TE 13 Caleb Reams  Fr
QB 14 Cam Miller Fr
WR 15 M. J. McGriff Fr
WR 16 Zarrian Holcombe Fr
WR 18 Mike Dudek  So
WR 19 Justin Hardee  Sr
WR 21 Man Berg  Sr
RB 22 Kendrick Foster  Jr
WR 25 Trenard Davis  Fr
RB 27 Dre Brown  Fr
RB 29 Christian Bobak Fr
DB 36 Austin Roberts  So
RB 39 Nathan Echard  Jr
OL 52 Adam Solomon  Fr
OL 53 Nick Allegretti  So
OL 57 Austin Schmidt Sr
OL 61 Darta Lee Fr
OL 65 Doug Kramer Fr
OL 66 Jordan Fagan Jr
OL 67 Christian DiLauro  Jr
OL 68 Matt Long  Fr
OL 70 Eddy Fish Fr
OL 71 Joe Spencer  Sr
OL 72 Gabe Megginson  Fr
OL 73 Jake Cerny Fr
OL 74 Connor Brennan Fr
OL 75 Kurt Gavin Fr
OL 78 Harry Black Sr
OL 79 Zach Heath  Jr
TE 80 Ainslie Johnson Sr
TE 81 Griffin Palmer Fr
WR 82 Samuel Harlib  Jr
TE 83 Bobby Walker  Fr
WR 84 Dominic Thieman Fr
TE 85 Andrew Trainer  Fr
WR 86 Desmond Cain So
TE 87 Tyler White Sr
WR 88 Zach Grant  Sr
TE 89 Andrew Davis Sr
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
DB 1 Jaylen Dunlap  Jr
LB 2 Julian Jones So
DB 3 Taylor Barton  Sr
DB 4 Darwyn Kelly  Jr
LB 5 James Crawford  Jr
DL 6 Carroll Phillips  Sr
DB 7 Caleb Day Sr
DB 8 Dillan Cazley Sr
LB 9 Dele Harding Fr
LB 10 Hardy Nickerson Jr.  Sr
DL 11 Chunky Clements Sr
DB 12 Chris James  So
DL 14 Gimel President  Sr
DL 16 Rob Bain  Sr
DB 17 Stanley Green Fr
DB 20 Harvey Clayton, Jr. Fr
DB 21 Patrick Nelson  Fr
DB 23 Frank Sumpter  Fr
DB 24 Darius Mosely Sr
DB 26 Evan Jones Fr
DB 27 Ahmari Hayes  Jr
DB 30 Julian Hylton  So
DB 31 Cameron Watkins  Fr
LB 32 Justice Williams  Fr
LB 33 Tré Watson  Fr
LB 34 Christion Abercrombie Fr
LB 35 Jake Hansen Fr
DB 37 Zach Holman  So
LB 40 Mike Svetina  Sr
LB 41 Jimmy Marchese  Fr
DL 42 Brandon Jones Fr
LB 44 Drew Murtaugh Fr
DL 45 Henry McGrew  So
DL 47 Sean Adesanya  So
LB 52 Ayo Shogbonyo Fr
DL 55 Jamal Milan  Fr
DL 76 Zeke Martin  Fr
DL 85 Brandon Roberts  Jr
DL 91 Dawuane Smoot Sr
DL 94 Tito Odenigbo  So
DL 95 Kenyon Jackson Fr
DL 96 Tymir Oliver Fr
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
P 13 Ryan Frain Sr
K 17 James McCourt Fr
K, P 38 David Reisner  Sr
P 40 Ryan Tucker  So
K 43 Chase McLaughlin  Fr
LS 56 Michael Martin  Sr
LS 58 Sean Mills Fr
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
  • Garrick McGee – Offensive Coordinator / Quarterbacks
  • Hardy Nickerson – Defensive Coordinator
  • Mike Phair – Defensive Line
  • Bob Ligashesky – Special Teams Coordinator / Tight Ends
  • Luke Butkus – Offensive Line
  • Andrew Hayes-Stoker – Wide Receivers
  • Tim McGarigle – Linebackers
  • Thad Ward – Running Backs
  • Paul Williams – Defensive Backs
  • Joe Fotu - Graduate Assistant - Defense
  • Tyler Johns - Graduate Assistant - Offense
  • Brett Nelson - Graduate Assistant - Offense
  • Robert Wright - Graduate Assistant - Defense
  • Dean Hogan - Special Teams Analyst
  • Kingsley Osei-Asibey - Defensive Analyst
  • Nathan Scheelhaase - Offensive Analyst
  • Tim Knox - Director of Football Operations
  • Josh Sternquist - Director of Player Personnel
  • Patrick Embleton - Director of Football Student-Athlete Development
  • Nathan McNeal - Director of High School Relations
  • Travis Perry - Graphics/Social Media
  • Nina Baloun - Recruiting Assistant
  • James Kirkland - Recruiting Analyst
  • Joey Boese - Head Football Strength & Conditioning Coach
  • Jeremy Busch - Head Football Athletic Trainer
  • Trent Chestnut - Head Football Equipment Manager
  • Alex Benizzi - Director of Football Video
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Roster
Last update: October 13, 2016

Awards and honors

References

  1. ^ "2016 Illinois Fighting Illini Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  2. ^ "2016 Illinois Fighting Illini Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  3. ^ "2016 Illinois Fighting Illini Football Schedule". FB Schedules. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
  4. ^ "Big Ten Football Players of the Week". Big Ten Conference. Big Ten Conference. October 17, 2016. Archived from the original on November 17, 2016. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  5. ^ "Big Ten Football Players of the Week". Big Ten Conference. Big Ten Conference. November 7, 2016. Archived from the original on November 13, 2016. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  6. ^ "2016 Big Ten Individual Award Winners" (PDF). www.grfx.cstv.com. Big Ten Conference. November 29, 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 29, 2016. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
  7. ^ "2016 Big Ten Individual Award Winners" (PDF). www.grfx.cstv.com. Big Ten Conference. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 28, 2018. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
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