The 1928 Illinois Fighting Illini football team was an American football team that represented the University of Illinois during the 1928 college football season. In their 16th season under head coach Robert Zuppke, the Illini compiled a 7–1 record and finished in first place in the Big Ten Conference.[1] Tackle Albert J. Nowack was the team captain.[2] The team was ranked No. 6 in the nation in the Dickinson System ratings released in December 1928.[3]
| 1928 Illinois Fighting Illini football | |
|---|---|
 | |
Big Ten champion | |
| Conference | Big Ten Conference |
| Record | 7–1 (4–1 Big Ten) |
| Head coach |
|
| Captain | Butch Nowack |
| Home stadium | Memorial Stadium |
Uniform | |
 | |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 6 Illinois $ | 4 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 4 Wisconsin | 3 | – | 1 | – | 1 | 7 | – | 1 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minnesota | 4 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 6 Iowa | 3 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 6 | – | 2 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ohio State | 3 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 2 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Purdue | 2 | – | 2 | – | 1 | 5 | – | 2 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northwestern | 2 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michigan | 2 | – | 3 | – | 0 | 3 | – | 4 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiana | 2 | – | 4 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 4 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chicago | 0 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Schedule
edit| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 6 | 2:30 p.m. | Bradley* | W 33–6 | 21,477 | [4][5] | |
| October 13 | Coe* |
| W 31–0 | 8,562 | ||
| October 20 | Indiana |
| W 13–7 | 26,683 | ||
| October 27 | at Northwestern |
| W 6–0 | 59,871 | ||
| November 3 | Michigan | L 0–3 | 78,229 | |||
| November 10 | at Butler* | W 14–0 | 9,448 | |||
| November 17 | Chicago | W 40–0 | 48,714 | |||
| November 24 | at Ohio State |
| W 8–0 | 35,712 | ||
| ||||||
Roster
edit| Player | Position |
| Butch Nowack (Captain) | Tackle, Kicker |
| Russ Crane | Guard |
| Oliver M. 'Pete' Langhorst | |
| Judson Timm | Halfback |
| Fritz Humbert | Fullback |
| Rinquist | |
| Dwight Stuessy | Quarterback |
| Doug Mills | Fullback, Punter |
| Frank Walker | Fullback |
| Tom Nickol | Fullback |
| John Tarwain | End |
| James Lewis | |
| Forrest 'Frosty' Peters | Kicker, Quarterback |
| Walter Jolley | End |
| Carl H. Bergeson | |
| Keston J. Deimling | Guard |
| Rouse | |
| Ken Fields | Quarterback |
| Louis Gordon | Guard |
| L. J. Wietz | Tackle |
| L. S. Burdick | Tackle |
| Norman McClure | Guard |
| Chuck Hall | Halfback |
| Robert Z. Hickman | |
| H. E. Richman | |
| Otto R. Hills | |
| Olaf Robinson | Halfback |
| Lou Gordon | Tackle, Guard, End |
- Head coach: Robert Zuppke (15th year at Illinois)
References
edit- ^ "1928 Illinois Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
- ^ "Fighting Illini Football Record Book" (PDF). University of Illinois. 2015. p. 156. Retrieved December 28, 2016.
- ^ "Trojans Rated as Leading College Team in Country". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. December 9, 1928. p. 42 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Bradley Gridders Hope To Uphold Reputation". Belleville Daily Advocate. Belleville, Illinois. Associated Press. September 22, 1928. p. 5. Retrieved June 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com
.
- ^ "Bradley Opens With Win Over Macomb, 25 To 6". Decatur Herald. Decatur, Illinois. Associated Press. September 30, 1928. p. 1. Retrieved June 25, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
 | This college football 1928 season article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This article about a sports team in Illinois is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |