1960 Illinois Fighting Illini football team
| 1960 Illinois Fighting Illini football | |
|---|---|
| Conference | Big Ten Conference |
| Record | 5–4 (3–4 Big Ten) |
| Head coach |
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| MVP | Joe Rutgens |
| Captain | Bill Brown |
| Home stadium | Memorial Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 1 Minnesota + | 6 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 3 Iowa + | 5 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 8 Ohio State | 5 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 15 Michigan State | 4 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 2 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Illinois | 3 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michigan | 3 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northwestern | 3 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 19 Purdue | 3 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 4 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wisconsin | 2 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiana | 0 | – | 7 | – | 0 | 1 | – | 8 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1960 Illinois Fighting Illini football team was an American football team that represented the University of Illinois as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 1960 Big Ten season. In their first year under head coach Pete Elliott, the Illini compiled a 5–4 record (3–4 in conference games), finished in a three-way tie for fifth place in the Big Ten, and outscored opponents by a total of 140 to 117.[1]
The team's statistical leaders included quarterback John Easterbrook (538 passing yards, 46.0% completion rate), halfback Bill Brown (531 rushing yards, 4.1 yards per carry), and end Ed O'Bradovich (21 receptions for 233 yards).[2] Tackle Joe Rutgens was selected as the team's most valuable player.[3] Rutgens also received first-team honors on the 1960 All-Big Ten Conference football team.[4]
The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois.
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 24 | Indiana | No. 4 | W 17–6 | 38,444 | [5] | |
| October 1 | West Virginia* | No. 4 |
| W 33–0 | 43,612 | [6] |
| October 8 | No. 5 Ohio State | No. 4 |
| L 7–34 | 71,119 | [7] |
| October 15 | at No. 10 Minnesota | L 10–21 | 63,641 | [8] | ||
| October 22 | Penn State* |
| W 10–8 | 51,459 | [9] | |
| October 29 | at No. 15 Purdue | W 14–12 | 48,625 | [10] | ||
| November 5 | at Michigan | L 7–8 | 63,665 | [11] | ||
| November 12 | Wisconsin |
| W 35–14 | 48,163 | [12] | |
| November 19 | at Northwestern | L 7–14 | 51,782 | [13] | ||
References
- ^ "1960 Illinois Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 27, 2025.
- ^ "1960 Illinois Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 27, 2025.
- ^ "Fighting Illini Football Record Book" (PDF). University of Illinois. 2015. p. 155. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
- ^ "Matte and Ferguson Picked On All-Big Ten Team". Toledo Blade. November 22, 1960.
- ^ "Illini bounce, clip Hoosiers, 17–6". Omaha World-Herald. September 25, 1960. Retrieved March 23, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "W. Virginia beaten, 33–0, by Illinois". Chicago Tribune. October 2, 1960. Retrieved January 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Ohio State's power crushes Illinois 34–7". The Courier-Journal. October 9, 1960. Retrieved March 23, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Minnesota rallies to defeat Illinois, 21 to 10". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. October 16, 1960. Retrieved March 23, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Illinois early foot beats Penn State". St. Petersburg Times. October 23, 1960. Retrieved March 23, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Purdue loses first at home since '57 as Illini win, 14–12". The South Bend Tribune. October 30, 1960. Retrieved March 23, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Lyall Smith (November 6, 1960). "Spartans, U-M Squeeze Home: Gambles Edge Illinois, 8–7". Detroit Free Press. pp. D1, D3 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Illinois crushes Badgers". The Hammond Times. November 13, 1960. Retrieved March 23, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Wildcats upens Illini, 14–7". The Duluth News Tribune. November 20, 1960. Retrieved March 23, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Schedule/Results (1960 Illinois)". NCAA Statistics. National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved March 23, 2025.