2015 Illinois Fighting Illini football team

2015 Illinois Fighting Illini football
Conference	Big Ten Conference
	West Division
2015 record	5–7 (2–6 Big Ten)
Head coach	Bill Cubit (Interim)
Offensive coordinator	Bill Cubit
Offensive scheme	Spread
Co-defensive coordinator	Tim Banks (4th year)
Co-defensive coordinator	Mike Phair (1st year)
Home stadium	Memorial Stadium (Capacity: 60,670)

2015 Big Ten football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
#6 Michigan State xy$^		7	–	1					12	–	2
#4 Ohio State x		7	–	1					12	–	1
#12 Michigan		6	–	2					10	–	3
Penn State		4	–	4					7	–	6
Indiana		2	–	6					6	–	7
Rutgers		1	–	7					4	–	8
Maryland		1	–	7					3	–	9
West Division
#9 Iowa x		8	–	0					12	–	2
#23 Northwestern		6	–	2					10	–	3
#21 Wisconsin		6	–	2					10	–	3
Nebraska		3	–	5					6	–	7
Minnesota		2	–	6					6	–	7
Illinois		2	–	6					5	–	7
Purdue		1	–	7					2	–	10
Championship: Michigan State 16, Iowa 13
^ – College Football Playoff participant $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant As of January 2, 2016; Rankings from AP Poll

The 2015 Illinois Fighting Illini football team represented the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by interim head coach Bill Cubit, and played their home games at Memorial Stadium. They were members of the West Division of the Big Ten Conference. They finished the season 5–7, 2–6 in Big Ten play to finish in a tie for fifth place in the West Division.

On November 28, interim head coach Bill Cubit was signed to a two-year contract and named head coach.^[1] However, on March 5 Cubit was fired by new athletic director Josh Whitman.^[2]

Previous season

The 2014 Illinois Fighting Illini football team finished the regular season 6–6, with a highlight win against Northwestern which brought the team bowl eligible and was invited to play in the 2014 Heart of Dallas Bowl against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs of Conference USA. The Bulldogs defeated the Illini in Dallas, Texas 35–18 finishing their 2014 Season at 6–7.

Head coach

On August 28, 2015—one week before the start of the regular season—head coach Tim Beckman was fired after an internal investigation found that he had made efforts "to deter injury reporting and influence medical decisions that pressured players to avoid or postpone medical treatment and continue playing despite injuries." He was replaced by offensive coordinator Bill Cubit on an interim basis for the season.^[3]

A few hours before the final game of the season, Cubit had the "Interim" removed from his title and was named permanent head coach. It was an appointment that would last only one game, as Cubit was removed during the following off-season by new Illinois Athletic Director Josh Whitman, on the day Whitman officially assumed the role, in favor of former Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith.

Schedule

Illinois announced their 2015 football schedule on June 3, 2013. The 2015 schedule consist of 7 home and 5 away games in the regular season. The Fighting Illini will host Big Ten foes Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, and Wisconsin and will travel to Iowa, Minnesota, Penn State, and Purdue.^[4]

The Fighting Illini hosted three of their four non conference games against Kent State, Middle Tennessee and Western Illinois. Illinois traveled to Chapel Hill, North Carolina and faced the North Carolina of the Atlantic Coast Conference on September 19.

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 5	2:00 PM	Kent State*	Memorial Stadium • Champaign, IL	BTN	W 52–3	36,693
September 12	11:00 AM	Western Illinois*	Memorial Stadium • Champaign, IL	BTN	W 44–0	37,733
September 19	11:00 AM	at North Carolina*	Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, NC	ESPN2	L 14–48	41,000
September 26	3:00 PM	Middle Tennessee*	Memorial Stadium • Champaign, IL	ESPNews	W 27–25	44,366
October 3	3:00 PM	Nebraska	Memorial Stadium • Champaign, IL	BTN	W 14–13	40,138
October 10	11:00 AM	at No. 22 Iowa	Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, IA	ESPN2	L 20–29	66,693
October 24	2:30 PM	Wisconsin	Memorial Stadium • Champaign, IL	BTN	L 13–24	45,438
October 31	11:00 AM	at Penn State	Beaver Stadium • University Park, PA	ESPN2	L 0–39	94,417
November 7	11:00 AM	at Purdue	Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, IN (Battle for the Purdue Cannon)	BTN	W 48–14	40,197
November 14	11:00 AM	No. 3 Ohio State	Memorial Stadium • Champaign, IL (Battle for the Illibuck)	ABC	L 3–28	51,515
November 21	11:00 AM	at Minnesota	TCF Bank Stadium • Minneapolis, MN	ESPNews	L 23–32	47,976
November 28	2:30 PM	No. 17 Northwestern	Soldier Field • Chicago, IL (Battle for the Land of Lincoln Trophy)	ESPNU	L 14–24	33,514
*Non-conference game. Homecoming. ^#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time Zone.

Schedule Source:^[5]

Roster

2015 Illinois Fighting Illini football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class RB 2 Corbin, ReggieReggie Corbin Fr QB 3 George, Jr., JeffJeff George, Jr. Fr WR 4 Taylor, DionteDionte Taylor Jr RB 5 Vaughn, Ke'ShawnKe'Shawn Vaughn Fr RB 6 Ferguson, JoshJosh Ferguson  Sr QB 7 Crouch, ChayceChayce Crouch  Fr WR 8 Allison, GeronimoGeronimo Allison Sr WR 9 Mays, SamSam Mays Fr QB 10 Fitzgerald, JimmyJimmy Fitzgerald Fr WR 11 Turner, MalikMalik Turner So QB 12 Lunt, WesWes Lunt  Jr TE 13 Reams, CalebCaleb Reams Fr QB 14 Mussat, AlexAlex Mussat Fr WR 15 Stone-Davis, TyrinTyrin Stone-Davis  Jr WR 16 Murdock, MarchieMarchie Murdock  So WR 18 Dudek, MikeMike Dudek So WR 19 Hardee, JustinJustin Hardee Sr WR 21 Berg, ManMan Berg  So RB 23 Enyenihi, HenryHenry Enyenihi  Sr RB 25 Foster, KendrickKendrick Foster  So RB 26 Tucker, CameronCameron Tucker  Sr RB 27 Brown, DreDre Brown Fr TE 30 Nudera, JimJim Nudera  Sr WR 31 Poole, LeslieLeslie Poole  Sr TE 39 Echard, NathanNathan Echard  So TE 42 Royer, ChrisChris Royer Fr TE 47 Clary, TimTim Clary  Sr OL 52 Solomon, AdamAdam Solomon Fr OL 53 Allegretti, NickNick Allegretti  Fr OL 55 Boles, ChrisChris Boles  Sr OL 57 Schmidt, AustinAustin Schmidt Jr OL 63 Parisi, MikeMike Parisi Fr OL 64 Broeker, JackJack Broeker Fr OL 66 Fagan, JordanJordan Fagan So OL 67 DiLauro, ChristianChristian DiLauro  So OL 68 Long, MattMatt Long Fr OL 69 Karras, TedTed Karras  Sr OL 70 Marietti, MaxMax Marietti Fr OL 71 Spencer, JoeJoe Spencer  Jr OL 72 Megginson, GabeGabe Megginson Fr OL 73 O'Connor, ChrisChris O'Connor  Sr OL 74 Brennan, ConnorConnor Brennan Jr OL 75 Flavin, PatPat Flavin  Sr OL 76 Martin, ZekeZeke Martin Fr OL 78 Black, HarryHarry Black  So OL 79 Heath, ZachZach Heath Jr TE 80 Johnson, AinslieAinslie Johnson Jr WR 81 Barr, RaphaelRaphael Barr  So WR 82 Fry, KameronKameron Fry  Jr TE 83 Walker, BobbyBobby Walker Fr WR 84 Hahn, JordanJordan Hahn  So WR 86 Cain, DesmondDesmond Cain Fr TE 87 White, TylerTyler White Jr WR 88 Grant, ZachZach Grant  Jr TE 89 Davis, AndrewAndrew Davis Jr	Defense Pos. # Name Class DB 2 Bentley, V'AngeloV'Angelo Bentley Sr DB 3 Barton, TaylorTaylor Barton Fr STAR 5 Crawford, JamesJames Crawford  So LEO 6 Phillips, CarrollCarroll Phillips  Jr DB 7 Day, CalebCaleb Day Jr DB 8 Cazley, DillanDillan Cazley Jr DL 9 Nelson, KennyKenny Nelson  Sr LB 10 Bello, B. J.B. J. Bello  Jr DL 11 Clements, ChunkyChunky Clements Jr DB 12 James, ChrisChris James  Fr STAR 14 Finney, EricEric Finney  Sr DB 15 Little, JevarisJevaris Little  Jr DL 16 Bain, RobRob Bain  Jr DL 17 Ward, JihadJihad Ward Sr DB 19 Sumpter, FrankFrank Sumpter Fr DB 20 Feiedelem, ClaytonClayton Feiedelem  Sr DB 21 Kelly, DarwynDarwyn Kelly  So DB 21 Nelson, PatrickPatrick Nelson Fr LB 22 Walls, LaKeithLaKeith Walls  Jr DB 23 Kwaaning, DavontayDavontay Kwaaning  Sr DB 24 Mosely, DariusDarius Mosely Jr STAR 26 Doxy, CedricCedric Doxy  Jr DB 27 Spencer, EatonEaton Spencer  Sr DB 28 Dunlap, JaylenJaylen Dunlap  So STAR 29 Lugo, NelsonNelson Lugo  Jr DB 29 Moss, T. J.T. J. Moss  Fr DB 30 Hylton, JulianJulian Hylton  Fr DB 31 Watkins, CameronCameron Watkins Fr STAR 32 Williams, JusticeJustice Williams Fr LB 33 Watson, TreTre Watson  Fr LB 34 Svetina, MikeMike Svetina  Jr LB 35 White, SeanSean White  Jr LB 36 Roberts, AustinAustin Roberts  Fr DB 37 Thurow, DennisDennis Thurow  So DB 38 Harlib, SamuelSamuel Harlib  So LB 40 Goldsmith, JasonJason Goldsmith  Fr LB 41 Marchese, JimmyJimmy Marchese Fr DL 42 Fotu, JoeJoe Fotu Sr LB 43 Monheim, MasonMason Monheim Sr LB 44 Jones, JulianJulian Jones Fr LEO 45 McGrew, HenryHenry McGrew  Fr DE 46 Wahi, IkjotIkjot Wahi Fr LEO 47 Adesanya, SeanSean Adesanya So LB 48 Clark, JackJack Clark Fr STAR 49 Schmidt, ConnerConner Schmidt  So LB 52 Neal, T. J.T. J. Neal  Jr DL 55 Milan, JamalJamal Milan Fr DL 65 Walton, RyanRyan Walton  So DL 85 Roberts, BrandonBrandon Roberts  So DL 90 Aldemir, AltanAltan Aldemir Fr LEO 91 Smoot, DawuaneDawuane Smoot Jr DL 93 Powell, TekoTeko Powell  Jr DL 94 Odenigbo, TitoTito Odenigbo  Fr DL 95 Loeb, MaxMax Loeb  So	Special teams Pos. # Name Class K/P 13 Frain, RyanRyan Frain Jr K 17 Zalewski, TaylorTaylor Zalewski Sr K 35 Milazzo, JonathanJonathan Milazzo Fr K/P 38 Reisner, DavidDavid Reisner  Jr P 40 Tucker, RyanRyan Tucker  Fr P 46 Nelson, LukeLuke Nelson Jr K 48 McLaughlin, ChaseChase McLaughlin  Fr LS 54 Hirth, ZachZach Hirth  Jr LS 56 Martin, MichaelMichael Martin  Jr	Head coach Bill Cubit - Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator Coordinators/assistant coaches Time Banks – Co-Defensive Coordinator and Secondary Mike Phair – Co-Defensive Coordinator and Defensive Line Mike Bellamy – Wide Receivers Tom Brattan – Offensive Line Ryan Cubit – Quarterback and Recruiting Coordinator Alex Golesh – Tight Ends and Special Teams Coordinator Nathan Scheelhaase – Running Backs Al Seamonson – Outside Linebackers Mike Ward – Inside Linebackers Tyler Johns - Graduate Assistant Reilly O'Toole - Graduate Assistant Kaeman Mitchell - Graduate Assistant LeDominique Williams - Graduate Assistant Scott Yelding - Director of Player Personnel Tim Knox - Director of Football Operations Patrick Embleton - Director of Football Student-Athlete Development Aaron Hillmann - Head Football Strength & Conditioning Coach Trent Chestnut - Head Football Equipment Manager Alex Benizzi - Director of Football Video Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster Last update: December 1, 2015

References

1. http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/eye-on-college-football/25392685/illinois-announces-new-two-year-deal-with-bill-cubit
2. http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/eye-on-college-football/25505459/illinois-fires-coach-bill-cubit-less-than-four-months-after-hiring-him
3. Ryan, Shannon; Cohen, Jodi S. (August 28, 2015). "Illinois Fires Football Coach Tim Beckman over Mishandling of Injuries". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 30, 2015.
4. "2015 Big Ten Football Schedule Announced" (Press release). Illinois Athletics. June 3, 2013. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
5. "2015 Illinois Fighting Illini Football Schedule". FB Schedules. Retrieved January 20, 2015.