Hitting the road: Illinois football in its last 10 nonconference road games

Illinois football is hitting the road to play a nonconference game in September when the Illini visit Kansas for a 6:30 p.m. kickoff on Sept. 8. How will the Illini fare against the Jayhawks? Good question. But if you’re an orange and blue loyalist, you hope it’s better than how Illinois has fared in its last 10 true road games against a nonconference opponent. Sports Editor Matt Daniels has the breakdown:
2021: Virginia 42, Illinois 14
The first road loss of the Bret Bielema era at Illinois happened quickly. Virginia quarterback Brennan Armstrong picked apart the Illini defense, eventually completing 27 of 36 passes for 405 yards and five touchdowns. The host Cavaliers never trailed in a rout that was established well before the crowd settled in at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville, Va.
2019: Illinois 31, Connecticut 23
A bowl game eventually materialized for Illinois in Lovie Smith’s fourth season. Mainly because of an impressive four-game Big Ten win streak in the middle of the season. But the Illini don’t finish the regular season 6-6 without this win at Pratt & Whitney Stadium in East Hartford, Conn., sparked by Brandon Peters throwing four touchdowns for the Illini.
2017: South Florida 47, Illinois 23
A week after Hurricane Irma hit Tampa, Fla., the host Bulls more than showed up after an unexpected week off before the 2-0 Illini visited Raymond James Stadium for a Friday night kickoff. South Florida quarterback Quinton Flowers threw for 280 yards, rushed for 112 yards and accounted for five touchdowns, handing Illinois its first loss of what would turn into 10 straight losses that season.
2015: North Carolina 48, Illinois 14
Another 2-0 start for Illinois wiped out with a blowout loss. The Illini and interim coach Bill Cubit had no chance against the Tar Heels on this Saturday afternoon at Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C. Marquise Williams and Co. made sure of that. Williams threw three touchdowns and ran for 105 yards, with Ryan Switzer returning a punt 85 yards for a touchdown to ruin the Illini’s day.
2014: Washington 44, Illinois 19
“You take out 21 points on three plays, and we’re in this football game.” Former Illinois coach Tim Beckman actually said this after his Illini never led and trailed by double-digits the majority of the game at Husky Stadium in Seattle. A balanced Washington offense racked up 464 yards of total offense and Illinois committed three turnovers during a forgettable performance in the Pacific Northwest.
2012: Arizona State 45, Illinois 14
The second game of the Beckman tenure at Illinois ended with a thud on a late Saturday night in the desert. The host Sun Devils, who lost 17-14 a year earlier in their trip to Champaign, never trailed and intercepted three passes, as the Illini played without starting quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase because of an ankle injury. Illinois dropped to 1-1 after this loss and only went on to win one more game this season.
2010: Fresno State 25, Illinois 23
The regular-season finale on the first Friday night in December saw the Illini fall behind 16-0 in the first quarter against the Bulldogs and fail to pull off a second-half comeback. Mikel Leshoure (142 rushing yards) and Scheelhaase (131 rushing yards) had strong games with their feet, but the Illini defense did little to slow down Fresno State quarterback Ryan Colburn (304 passing yards, three TDs), as Illinois ended the regular season at 6-6.
2009: Cincinnati 49, Illinois 36
Before Brian Kelly developed a southern accent, the Massachusetts native and current LSU coach had Cincinnati on the cusp of an undefeated season. The Bearcats improved to 11-0 this season with this particular win, eventually finishing the regular season unbeaten before losing to Florida in the Sugar Bowl. Illinois wouldn’t go bowling this season, finishing 3-9, with this loss the day after Thanksgiving part of a three-game losing skid to end the season for Ron Zook’s fifth team.
2007: Illinois 41, Syracuse 20
A season that eventually ended with the Illini making their last Rose Bowl appearance possibly took on an optimistic turn thanks to this win at the Carrier Dome in the third game of the season. Rashard Mendenhall rushed for 150 yards and three touchdowns, Troy Pollard (92 rushing yards) and Juice Williams (90 rushing yards) provided a nice complement and the Illini left no doubt by improving to 2-1 with a well-rounded victory.
2006: Rutgers 33, Illinois 0
Before the two became semi-regular Big Ten opponents, the Illini and Scarlet Knights engaged in a two-year series. The opener, in 2005, was memorable in a positive way for Illinois as it pulled off a 33-30 overtime win in Zook’s first game. The trip to Piscataway, N.J., the following September? Not so memorable. Illinois only managed 126 yards of offense in its most lopsided loss during a 2-10 season.