2014 zaxby's heart of dallas bowl game program

OUR GAME PLAN:MAKE THE WORLD’S MOST

CRAVEABLE CHICKEN.For 25 years, Zaxby’s® has been cooking up indescribably good food.

From delicious Chicken Fingerz and wings to tasty Zalads and sandwiches, our flavor has people everywhere cheering.

No wonder we’re the Official Chicken of Sports Fanz. Find a Zaxby’s near you at zaxbys.com.

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© 2014 Zaxby’s Franchising, Inc. “Zaxby’s” is a registered trademark of Zaxby’s Franchising, Inc.

On behalf of our team members at more than 650 Zaxby’s® restaurants across the country, I’d like to welcome you to the Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl. We are excited about this new partnership, because for us, it’s a perfect complement to the Zaxby’s culture.

At Zaxby’s, we love football. We started in a college town, and our roots have been in college football ever since. So there is a good reason we are the Official Chicken of Sports Fanz. We also understand it’s not just a game day – it’s a way of life that’s steeped in tradition. Zaxby’s has been part of the tailgating traditions of college fans for almost 25 years.

Most of all, we are proud that this partnership allows us to stand alongside the Heart of Dallas Foundation in recognizing first responders here in Dallas and across the country. Today we can enjoy great football while honoring those who tirelessly serve our communities.

We hope you take advantage of everything the historic Cotton Bowl Stadium, Fair Park and the city of Dallas have to offer. And of course, we hope you get a chance to try Zaxby’s sometime soon – I suggest you try my favorite, the Kickin’ Chicken Sandwich Meal.

Thanks for letting us share this great game day with you.

Zach McLeroy

Zaxby’s CEO and Co-Founder of Zaxby’s

HOD BOWL.indd 1HOD BOWL.indd 1 12/22/14 12:45 PM12/22/14 12:45 PM

©2014 Scion, a marque of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. All rights reserved. Scion, the Scion logo, xB, xD, tC, iQ and FR-S are trademarks of Toyota Motor Corporation.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Corporate Partners .................................................................................................. 4

2014 Bowl Preview....................................................................................................7

HOD Staff ......................................................................................................................9

ESPN Talent ................................................................................................................. 11

Team Radio Networks .......................................................................................... 13

Louisiana Tech University Preview ................................................................. 15

About Lousiana Tech University ..................................................................... 16

Lousiana Tech University Facts ....................................................................... 17

Lousiana Tech University Traditions .............................................................. 18

Lousiana Tech University Athletics ................................................................ 19

Lousiana Tech University Head Coach ........................................................ 21

Lousiana Tech University Coaching Staff .................................................. 22

Lousiana Tech University Bulldogs ...............................................................23

Lousiana Tech University Statistics ..............................................................28

About Conference USA ......................................................................................29

Lousiana Tech University Alphabetical Roster ........................................ 31

Lousiana Tech University Numerical Roster and Depth Chart ......32

University of Illinois Numerical and Depth Chart ..................................33

University of Illinois Alphabetical Roster ...................................................35

University of Illinois Preview .............................................................................36

About University of Illinois ................................................................................ 37

University of Illinois Facts ..................................................................................38

University of Illinois Traditions .........................................................................39

University of Illinois Athletics .......................................................................... 40

University of Illinois Head Coach ....................................................................41

University of Illinois Coaching Staff..............................................................42

University of Illinois Fighting Illini ..................................................................43

University of Illinois Statistics ..........................................................................48

About Big 10 .............................................................................................................49

About Cotton Bowl Stadium ............................................................................ 51

Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl Results ..........................................................53

Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl Individual Records .................................56

Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl Team Records ........................................... 57

Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl Recaps ..........................................................58

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© 2014 HEART OF DALLAS BOWL. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from the Heart of Dallas Bowl is expressly prohibited.

Executive V.P. Operations: Jeff Botwinick

Executive V.P. Business Development

Martin Lewis

Executive V.P. SalesMitch Gibbs

Executive V.P. Team RelationsDave Gerschwer

Executive Vice PresidentJulie Wong

Production ManagerAllie Wassel

Assistant Production ManagerAlycia McCarthy

DesignerSusie Aryeh

DESIGNED BY:

UNIVERSITY SPORTS PUBLICATIONS CO., INC.

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2525

Louisiana Tech Illinois


THANK YOU TO ALL OUR SPONSORS


of DallasGoodson

G o o d s o n A c u r a D a l l a s . c o m

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR SPONSORS

5


PROUD SPONSOROF THE 2014

7

How does a college football bowl game disconnect itself from a perceived state of life support, grow sturdy roots and build staying power?

Philanthropy and, well, chicken fi ngers.

Today’s Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl enters its fi fth year when Louisiana Tech (8-5) faces Illinois (6-6) at noon at the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Fair Park. The venue is celebrating its 85th year of football (all levels) since opening “offi cially” in 1930.

Two years after moving to a charitable model by adopting the name Heart of Dallas - a nonprofi t organization devoted to fi ghting homelessness through sports and entertainment events – the HODB went looking for additional “sauce.”

It found it this year in title sponsor Zaxby’s, a popular chicken/wings/salads/sandwiches chain based in Athens, Ga. Zaxby’s has 640 locations in 15 states but only seven in Texas, four in Dallas-Fort Worth suburbs and three in the north

Houston area.

“We believe the sponsorship of a national bowl will allow our loyalists as well as our new fans to connect with us on an even bigger playing fi eld,” said Zaxby’s CEO and co-founder Zach McLeroy, whose company bills itself as the “offi cial chicken of sports fanz.”

A year after getting a boost at the turnstiles by inviting North Texas from nearby Denton, the ZHODB hopes for similar or better results with Illinois, a Big Ten Conference institution with a wide fan base, and C-USA’s Louisiana Tech, a regional next-door program 250 miles from Dallas with a long history of playing games in this state.

The ZHODB also joined the stable of bowl games owned and operated by ESPN Events before last year’s game in which UNT defeated UNLV 36-14. Compared to Year One – it was the TicketCity Bowl in 2011 and 2012 – the event’s overall vitality appears transformed.

PHILANTHROPY + CHICKEN FINGERS = ZAXBY’S HEART OF DALLAS BOWLBY TROY PHILLIPS, WWW.HEARTOFDALLASBOWL.COM

December 11 announcement media conference at Cotton Bowl Stadium with (left to right) Zaxby’s Molly Huff, Tim Beckman and Mike Thomas of Illinois,

Skip Holtz and Tommy McClelland of Louisiana Tech, and bowl director Brant Ringler.


“You have Conference USA as our anchor,” ZHOD executive director Brant Ringler said. “They have a lot of great teams in and around this region for us to pull from, and I think you’ll see that when you see Louisiana Tech come to our game, and you saw it last year with North Texas at our game.”

This year, Illinois is in Dallas under an alternating agreement that sends a Big Ten or Big 12 team to the ZHODB, based on availability. Northwestern, Purdue and Penn State have appeared in previous editions, and the Big Ten is a combined 0-3 in those appearances.

“For us we have one of the largest alumni bases in the country, so we have people spread all across the country, which is important,” Illinois athletic director Mike Thomas said. “But for us certainly, Dallas is important for a number of reasons.

“As a program we’ve started to recruit there quite heavily. We have a number of kids who have committed to us recently from that area, so that will be of prime importance to us. I think it’s a very easy place for us to get to from the Midwest, and playing in a historic venue, playing against a tremendous opponent.”

The previous three ZHODB’s were played on New Year’s Day or January 2, so its place on the bowl calendar today is another change, especially for TV. After four years of airing on ESPNU, the game moves to the mother ship on ESPN.

In addition to bringing Zaxby’s on board, the ZHODB is set to honor Dallas (and all in general) police, fi re and paramedic fi rst responders as part of this year’s mission.”It’s an additional touch that we have, so we just want people to be aware of that as we go through our game,” Ringler said.

Louisiana Tech defeated Illinois 52-24 in the teams’ only previous meeting. Both are trending upward, with Tech improving from four to eight wins, and the Illini winning their fi nal two regular-season games against Northwestern and Penn State to gain bowl eligibility.

Tech fell to 12-1 Marshall 26-23 in the C-USA championship game. Three of Tech’s fi ve defeats were by three points, one in overtime to Old Dominion.

“I think this is about the only bowl game we could have gone to that could have taken the sting out of just losing a heartbreaking game,” said Louisiana Tech coach Skip Holtz, whose team fell to Marshall on a TD pass in the fi nal minute.

“This is the bowl that we wanted to be in all along. It’s got a great opponent coming from the Big Ten. It’s close to home in Dallas. This is something that our players were really excited about, and when you look at some of the great destination bowls that Conference USA has when you talk about Hawaii and the Bahamas, that’s not what attracted some of these players. They wanted the opportunity to play in the best bowl available, and they felt like this was really a great opportunity to be in Dallas.”

Both teams last appeared in a bowl game in 2011. Tech fell to TCU in the Poinsettia Bowl. Illinois won the Fight Hunger Bowl against UCLA.

Both will kick off the Zaxby’s era – the fi rst of a four-year agreement – of the HODB bent on going toe-to-toe (or wing-to-wing) with the other and adding success to their résumés.

The sauce is ready. Time to dip in.

PHILANTHROPY + CHICKEN FINGERS = ZAXBY’S HEART OF DALLAS BOWL

Troy Phillips is a Fort Worth-based freelance writer and former reporter and copy editor at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.


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ZAXBY’S HEART OF DALLAS BOWL STAFF

Brant RinglerExecutive Director

Scott PomeroyManager, Operations

Trisha BranchTicket Manager

Monty CleggAssociate Manager of

Events

Tim SimmonsMedia Operations

Bryan Delgado Supervisor, Sales &

Marketing

Rachel VanLandinghamEvent Assistant

Candice StinnettOperations Assistant

Ethan WeberEvent Assistant


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ZAXBY’S HEART OF DALLAS BOWL NATIONAL TV & RADIO

ZAXBY’S HEART OF DALLAS BOWL TELEVISION COVERAGE TEAMS2015 ESPN - Mike Corey, Charles Arbuckle, Kayce Smith2014 ESPNU - Clay Matvick, Matt Stinchcomb, Dawn Davenport2013 ESPNU - Clay Matvick, Matt Stinchcomb, Kaylee Hartung2012 ESPNU - Clay Matvick, Danny Kanell, Lisa Williams (Lisa Salters)2011 ESPNU - Dave Pasch, Chris Spielman, Bob Griese, Quint Kessenich

ON TV

Mike Corey Charles Arbuckle Kayce Smith

Redvoice LLC will be providing national radio coverage in both English and Spanish for the 2014 Heart of Dallas Bowl presented by PlainsCapital Bank. The 2014 post-season intercollegiate football game will be carried in North Texas by KLIF-AM 570 and broadcasted in Spanish on ESPN Deportes. XM Radio and Yahoo Sports will also air the game. Brian Estridge (play-by-play), John Denton (color analyst), Rob Best (color analyst) and Landry Burdine (sideline) will

handle the English broadcast with Miguel Cruz (play-by-play) and Elvis Gallegos (color analyst) doing the game in Spanish. This is the second-time in four years that the game has been aired nationally with the fi rst being the 2012 when Houston upset Penn State 30-14.

Brian Estridge John Denton Rob Best

Landry Burdine Miguel Cruz Elvis Gallegos

ON RADIO


FIGHTING ILLINI SPORTS NETWORKThe 45-station Fighting Illini Sports Network brings Illinois football to fans across the state of Illinois and Midwest with Brian Barnhart, Kurt Kittner and Steve Kelly calling the action.

Barnhart is in his 13th season as the “Voice of the Illini” after a long stint in professional baseball. Barnhart serves as the voice of the Illini Sports Network, providing play-by-play coverage of football and men’s basketball and as the host of the statewide “Tim Beckman Show” call-in program.

A native of Tolono, Ill., Barnhart graduated from Liberty University before beginning a 15-year career in professional baseball in 1986. In 1998, Barnhart was named the play-by-play announcer for the Angels and spent two full seasons there before returning to the Champaign-Urbana area in 2000. During the 2007 season, Barnhart was honored by the Illinois Broadcasters Association with the “Silver Dome Award for Best Sports Play-by-Play” for his call of Illinois’ football upset of No. 1 Ohio State. In 2008, Barnhart was named “Sportscaster of the Year” in the state of Illinois by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association.

Former Illini All-American quarterback Kurt Kittner joined the Illini Sports Network in 2007 and is in his eighth season as expert analyst. Kittner lettered at Illinois from 1998-2001, leading the Illini to a the Big Ten title, a 10-win season and a trip to the Sugar Bowl in 2001. The Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl will be Kittner’s fi nal game in the booth for the Fighting Illini Sports Network.

Along with Barnhart and Kittner on the broadcast is Steve Kelly, a veteran Illini sportscaster who handles pregame, halftime and postgame host duties. Kelly has covered Illini athletics for over two decades on television and radio.

The statewide Fighting Illini Sports Network is managed by Fighting Illini Sports Properties and encompasses all sponsorship and operational elements.

13

LOUISIANA TECH RADIO NETWORKVersatile veteran play-by-play man Dave Nitz leads an energetic 12-station Louisiana Tech Sports Network broadcast team that represents more than 85 years of experience in the business.

Nitz is completing his 40th year calling Bulldog football. The voice of several different professional baseball organizations through the decades, Nitz also does play-by-play for Bulldog basketball and baseball. The “Voice of the Bulldogs” is a member of the Louisiana Tech Athletics Hall of Fame and has called more than 2,000 Tech sporting events.

In his fourth season, color analyst Teddy Allen is the “rookie” in the booth, but he’s no stranger to Tech athletics. He is a well-known, highly-read, award-winning journalist who, as a graduate assistant in sports information, penned the nickname “The Mailman” for NBA Hall of Famer Karl Malone.

Malcolm Butler enters his second year as sideline reporter and his 16th year as a member of the Louisiana Tech Sports Network. The Ruston native has called almost 500 games for the storied Lady Techster basketball program. The Associate Athletics Director for Communications at Louisiana Tech, Butler fi nished as runner-up to Nitz in the LSWA College Radio Play-by-Play statewide contest in 2013.

Bennie Thornell (Louisiana Tech, 1969) enters his 25th year as part of the team. Now the statistician, Thornell began his affi liation with football broadcasts in 1990 and has also served as sideline reporter.

Second-year Tech engineering student Gunner Fritsch serves as the engineer for Bulldog football broadcasts.

ZAXBY’S HEART OF DALLAS BOWL TEAM RADIO NETWORKS

Dave Nitz

Teddy Allen

Malcom Butler

Bennie Thornell

Brian Barnhart

Kurt Kittner

Steve Kelly


PlainsCapital Bank has been a proud supporter of the

Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl since 2012. This year we

are honored to join in recognizing the brave and

courageous first responders who risk their lives to

keep our communities safe.

Best of luck to both teams!

PlainsCapital.com214.252.4000

Thank You First Responders


15

Anytime you double your wins from one season to the next, you’ve got to be doing something right. Louisiana Tech did a lot right in 2014, culminating in the program’s fi rst-ever trip to the Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl.

The Bulldogs (8-5) are facing Big Ten foe Illinois (6-6) on Dec. 26 at the historic Cotton Bowl. Louisiana Tech is 2-2 all-time against the Big Ten, including a 52-24 win at Illinois in 2012.

“I know it’s a matchup that our players are excited about and having the opportunity to be in Dallas,” Louisiana Tech coach Skip Holtz said. “This is one that we are defi nitely coming to with a lot of excitement and a lot of enthusiasm for a lot of different reasons.”

The climb from 4-8 in 2013 to an appearance in the Conference USA Championship Game was made behind one of the country’s most opportunistic defenses and a vastly-improved offense attack.

The Bulldogs led the nation in points off turnovers by racking up 164 points, an even 100 more than last season. Louisiana Tech nearly doubled its overall points per game by averaging 37.5 in 2014, including six games with at least 40 points.

Holtz credited the improvement on both sides of the ball to new blood in the program. First-year defensive coordinator Manny Diaz helped worked miracles, while the offense got stronger as the year progressed behind a rebuilt line.

“Certainly with the addition of some new players, whether it be redshirts, transfers, things along those lines, we’ve got a number of fi rst-year players that played for us,” Holtz said. “And then I also think the way that the coaching staff came together, we hired three new coaches,

a new defensive coordinator, and just the way everybody gelled and kind of really became a unit and became very unselfi sh is a lot of reasons.

“But the reason we’re here is because of what those players did on the fi eld, and we had some guys really step up and have special years for us because we had some of the new faces, but we also have some guys that have really developed as

football players and young men.”

Sophomore safety Xavier Woods and senior Houston Bates led the Bulldog defense as both earned all-league honors. Woods, a fi rst-team CUSA pick, had 62 total tackles with three forced fumbles and a blocked kick. He also had fi ve interceptions (161 return yards), 11 defl ections and six passes broken up.

Bates, who played three seasons at Illinois where he started in 16 of the 35 games he played for the Illini, was a second-team all-conference selection as he had a Bulldog-high of 5.5 sacks with 10 total tackles for losses. Along with 36 total tackles and a team-high 12 quarterback

hurries, Bates also intercepted a pass and forced a fumble.

Junior running back Kenneth Dixon, the team’s leading rusher with 1,238 yards (5.2 average) and 21 touchdowns, is grateful for the chance to fi nish the season in a bowl game after enduring a challenging 2013.

“Our eyes are on the front and not the back,” he said. “We just have to look forward and keep pushing.”

Louisiana Tech is playing in its seventh bowl game since moving up to Division I in 1975. The Bulldogs have been the home team in the previous six and will be again against Illinois. LA Tech is 2-3-1 all-time in bowls.

LOUISIANA TECH PREVIEW

Art Garcia, the Assistant Athletics Director for Communications for UT Arlington, has spent nearly 20 years as a sportswriter. He’s worked for NBA.com, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the San Antonio Express-News and the Bryan-College Station Eagle. Garcia has also written for FoxSportsSouthwest.com, ESPNDallas.com, CBSSports.com, in addition to other national websites and magazines.

DOING SOMETHING RIGHT!BY ART GARCIA, WWW.HEARTOFDALLASBOWL.COM

Kenneth Dixon


Louisiana Tech University is a coeducational public research

university located in Ruston, La., designated as a Tier One

National University according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2015

Best Colleges Report.

With more than 11,000 students from 45 states and 60-plus

countries, Louisiana Tech’s pedestrian-friendly campus centers

around the Quad with its shady trees and the Lady of the Mist

foundation.

As North Louisiana’s only Carnegie RU/H “High Research” and

SREB Four-Year Doctoral 2 Research University, Tech conducts

research with ongoing projects funded by agencies such as

NASA, the National Institutes of Health, the National Science

Foundation and the Department of Defense.

It is the highest-ranked university in Louisiana for return on

investment (ROI) for graduates, is one of the best institutions in

the U.S. for its innovation productivity (R&D output/dollar spent),

and tops in Louisiana and No. 17 in the nation on the list of “Low

Cost Colleges with High Starting Salaries for Graduates.”

Louisiana Tech fi rst opened as The Industrial Institute and College

of Louisiana in 1894. The original mission of the college was for

the education of students in the arts and sciences for the purpose

of developing an industrial economy in post-Reconstruction

Louisiana. Four years later, the state constitution changed the

school’s name to the Louisiana Industrial Institute

In 1921, the college changed its name to the Louisiana Polytechnic

Institute to refl ect its evolution to a larger and more capable

technical institute. The Louisiana Polytechnic Institute offi cially

changed its name to Louisiana Tech University in 1970.

In addition to the main campus in Ruston, Tech holds classes

at instructional sites in Shreveport and Bossier City, operates

a satellite campus at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City

and is home to Air Force Reserve Offi cer Training Corps (ROTC)

Detachment 305.

Located in the piney woods of North Louisiana and near the eastern border of the Ark-La-Tex region with its economy based on its college population. Ruston is a friendly southern town of approximately 22,000 known for its southern charm and incredibly sweet peaches. But more than just peaches, this bustling college town is the perfect getaway for adventure and relaxation.

Rejuvenate your mind, body and soul in the hospitality of this family-friendly locale. The I-20 and Hwy. 33 and 167 corridors are exploding with many new and exciting businesses.

Must-see attractions include the Historic Downtown District offering specialty shops, restaurants, art galleries and unique architecture. Louisiana Military Museum features uniforms, weapons and gear from most every confl ict in American history; and the Eddie G. Robinson Museum recognizes Coach Robinson’s contributions to the nation and the game of football.

Those looking for adventure can ride the best mountain bike trail in the south at Lincoln Parish Park, also a great location for hiking, fi shing and camping. In Ruston and Lincoln Parish, there is something for everyone. Come see all that we have to offer and pick your passion!

ABOUT LOUISIANA TECH

Ruston is a mix of hip, artsy districts with a historic downtown.


17

LOUISIANA TECH UNIVERSITY FACTS

QUICK FACTS

Location ........ Ruston, LA (254 miles from Dallas)

Founded ........................................................................1894

Enrollment ................................................................. 11,025

Nickname .............................................................Bulldogs

Colors ...........................................................Blue and Red

President .....................................................Dr. Les Guice

Athletics Director .......................Tommy McClellend

Head Coach .....................................................Skip Holtz

Second season ...........................................................12-13

Media Relations ...................................... Patrick Walsh

[email protected]/514-9203

www.latech.edu ................www.LATechSports.comNOTE - Louisiana Tech is 35-36-1 all-time when play-ing in the state of Texas after going 1-3 last year and posting a dominating 42-21 win at North Texas in

September.

2014 Results ..................8-5, 7-1, 1st CUSA West

A30 .........................at Oklahoma .......................L 16-48

S6 ...................at Louisiana-Lafayette ......... W 48-20

S11 ...........................at North Texas ...................W 42-21

S20 .............Northwestern State (La.) .........L 27-30

S27 ..............................at Auburn .......................... L 17-45

O4 ................................... UTEP ...............................W 55-3

O18 .................................. UTSA ............................W 27-20

O25 ......................at Southern Miss .................W 31-20

N1 ........................Western Kentucky ...............W 59-10

N8 ..................................at UAB ......................... W 40-24

N22 ......................at Old Dominion .......L 27-30 (OT)

N29 ...................................Rice .............................. W 76-31

D6 ..... at Marshall (CUSA Championship) L 23-26

D26 .............vs. Illinois at ZHODB ..... 12 p.m. CT

Bulldog Bowl Record (2-3-1)Bowl Date Opponent Result Coach Bowl MVP

Independence Dec. 17, 1977 Louisville W 24-14 Maxie Lambright Keith Thibodeaux

Independence Dec. 16, 1978 East Carolina L 13-35 Lambright None

Independence Dec. 15, 1990 Maryland T 34-34 Joe Peace Mike Richardson/

Lorenza Baker

Humanitarian Dec. 31, 2001 Clemson L 24-49 Jack Bicknell Delwyn Daigre

Independence Dec. 28, 2008 Northern Illinois W 17-10 Derek Dooley Phillip Livas/

Weldon Brown

Poinsettia Dec. 21, 2011 TCU L 24-31 Sonny Dykes None

Dr. Les GuicePresident

Tommy McClellend

Athletics Director

Mary Kay HungateDeputy Athletics

Director/SWA

Dr. Donna ThomasFaculty Athletics Representative

Patrick Walsh Media Relations

Louisiana Tech forced six Illinois turnovers and four touchdown passes from quarterback Colby Cameron into a 52-24 road win over the Illini on September 22, 2012 in the only meeting between the two schools.


The Legend of the Bulldog & School Colors - The story takes place in the autumn of 1899 when fi ve Tech students were returning home from school. They came upon an old, hungry bulldog sitting under a tree. The boys fed the dog with what food they had and continued their journey. When they fi nally reached their destination, however, they found that the dog had followed them. Being sen-sitive young men, they sought permission for the dog to stay the night, and the landlord agreed - if the animal remained in the kitchen. That night the house caught fi re. Their overnight guest was the fi rst to awaken. The dog ran from room to room, rousing everyone in the building. Then, after all the other occupants had made their way to safety, one boy remained inside. The bulldog re-entered the smoke-fi lled house in an apparent attempt to rescue him, not realizing the boy had escaped in a different direction. After the fi re was extinguished and smoke had fi nally cleared, the boys went inside to see if the dog had indeed made it out to safety. But when they entered they found the lifeless bulldog lying in an unburned corner of one room. He had died from the smoke and the heat. Natu-rally, the young men were shaken due to the death of their new friend. So they picked him up and carried him to the place they had found him the previous day. They then dug a grave and wrapped him in two jackets - one red and the other blue. When the boys returned to school and related their story, the entire campus mourned the death of the homeless dog. The dog with no name had found a place in the hearts of Tech students. Two years lat-er, Tech organized a football team and decided the team needed not only school colors, but a mascot. A unanimous decision was reached as the bulldog, the fi rst hero of Tech, was given the honor and the red and blue blankets he was buried in were made the school colors. Spirit of ’88 - An icon at Joe Aillet Stadium, the bronze Bulldog statue commemorates the hard-ships and challenges of the 1988 team that paved the path into the Football Bowl Subdivision ranks. The 1988 season was a transitional year for the Bulldogs against a schedule that included Flor-ida State, Texas A&M, Kansas State, Mississippi State, Houston and Wyoming. As a salute to the 1988 team, every Louisiana Tech player and coach touches the Spirit of ’88 upon entrance onto the fi eld prior to every home game.

Walk of Pride - A game-day tradition that started in 2007, the Walk of Pride gives fans an opportuni-ty to welcome the Bulldogs to Joe Aillet Stadium two hours prior to every home game. Bulldog fans line Tailgate Alley in preparation for the arrival of the team buses. Upon the team’s arrival, the Band of Pride provides a musical - and spirited - serenade as the procession of spirit groups and Bulldog players makes its way through the crowd and onto the turf of Joe Aillet Stadium. Ringing of the Bell - On the north end of Joe Aillet Stadium sits an old fi re station bell. Prior to the kickoff of each home game, a player is selected to ring the bell as the Bulldog team runs out onto the fi eld. The Band of Pride - Founded in 1906, the Band of Pride performs pregame and during half-time at all Louisiana Tech home games along with select road contests. Lady of the Mist - As one of the most recognizable landmarks on the Louisiana Tech Main Campus, the Lady of Mist is a granite sculpture that sits in the midst of a fountain in the middle of the quadrangle (The Quad), one of the focal points of the univer-sity and part of the older section of the Main Cam-pus. The Lady of the Mist symbolizes “Alma Mater” who welcomes new students and bids farewell to Tech graduates. The statue and fountain was fund-ed in 1938 by the Women’s Panhellenic Association of Ruston, the governing body of the university’s sorority groups. The idea of Art & Architecture faculty member Mary Moffett and Art Department Chair Elizabeth Bethea, the Lady of the Mist was created by Duncan Ferguson and Jules Struppeck. In 1985, the statue was restored through the efforts of the Student Government Association, Panhellen-ic, the Residence Hall Association, and the Associa-tion of Women Students. The Brick Alumni Walkway - The alumni walkway was constructed in 1995 as part of the centenni-al celebrations at Louisiana Tech. The brick path stretches from the corner of Adams Blvd & Arizona Avenue through the heart of Centennial Plaza and ends at the footsteps of Tolliver Hall near Wisteria Street.

BULLDOG’S DID YOU KNOWS!

FIGHT SONG BY JAMES ALVEY SMITH

Fight! Fight! Fight! For ole red and blue!Show your might and we’ll root for you!

Get on your toes when you meet your foes,

and don’t let them break through!

TECH! TECH! TECH!

Hit those lines like good ole canines!Break through for a touchdown or two!

Hold up your chin and let’s all go in

to win for the red and blue!

ALMA MATER BY JOHN P. GRAHAM

O Tech, thy halls so beautiful,Thy pleasant walks, thy noble trees,

That charmed me in my college days,Are ever dear to me.

Chorus

Louisiana Tech I love thee,My Alma Mater, my Alma Mater;

I will ever loyal beTo thee, my Alma Mater.

Those old Tech days, those joyful days,

So cherished in my memory,Though days of toil, in many ways

Were happy days and free.


19

The Louisiana Tech Athletic Department’s mission is simple – build champions in the classroom, on the fi eld and in life.

Louisiana Tech Athletics supports more than 400 student-athletes annually in their pursuit of academic and athletic excellence, further enhanced by the University’s recent affi liation with Conference USA – LA Tech joined the 14-team league on July 1, 2013.

Our University has produced outstanding athletes over the years, including Pro Football Hall of Famers Terry Bradshaw, Willie Roaf and Fred Dean and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famers Karl Malone and Leon Barmore. Louisiana Tech has also produced outstanding teams as the University boasts fi ve Division I national championships (2 in football, 3 in women’s basketball) and more than 100 conference championships.

Louisiana Tech historically boasts a championship-level standard, one further prioritized by current University leadership in President Les Guice and Athletics Director Tommy McClelland. And its many success stories would be impossible without the loyal supporters who continue to show dedication to Louisiana Tech’s 16 Division I sanctioned programs (9 women’s, 7 men’s).

The 2013-14 academic calendar saw a record set in total athletic gifts at $10.9 million, nearly $6 million more than the previous year’s total. Tech’s “Quest for Excellence” capital campaign and the Louisiana Tech Athletic Club (LTAC) continue to steer the fundraising ship for the athletic department as the Tech faithful see the benefi ts of investing in the student-athletes.

April saw the University break ground on a $20 million-plus South End Zone Facility, enclosing the south end of Joe Aillet Stadium upon completion (August, 2015). The 70,000-plus-square-foot project will serve the community, fans and every student-athlete at Louisiana Tech.

In 2014, Louisiana Tech excelled not only on the fi eld but also in the classroom. Tech annually ranks near the top in the state and conference in academic categories; the University’s student-athletes recently recorded an all-time high four-year graduation success rate of 80 percent.

Students involved in each of Tech’s 16 athletic programs volunteer more than 2,000 community service hours annually to the city of Ruston and to Lincoln Parish.

Retired Football Numbers - Terry Bradshaw, quarterback, No. 12; Willie Roaf, offensive lineman, No. 71.

Consensus All-Americans - Garland Gregory, guard, 1941; Mike Reed, guard, 1946; Terry Bradshaw, quarterback, 1968 and 1969; Roger Carr, wide receiver/fl anker, 1982 and 1973; Mike Barber, tight end, 1974; Fred Dean, defensive tackle, 1974; Matt Dunigan, quarterback, 1982; Doug Landry, linebacker, 1984 and 1985; Walter Johnson, defensive end/linebacker, 1984 and 1986; Glenell Sanders, linebacker, 1987 and 1988 Willie Roaf, offensive lineman, 1992; Troy Edwards, wide receiver, 1998; Ryan Allen, punter, 2012.

Academic All-Americans - John Ward, defensive lineman 1979; Ray Holley, running back, 2012

Ray Guy Award - Ryan Allen, punter, 2011 and 2012

Sammy Baugh Award - Colby Cameron, quarterback, 2012

Fred Biletnikoff Award - Troy Edwards, wide receiver, 1998

College Football Hall of Fame - Joe Aillet, coach (1940-1966), induction 1989; Terry Bradshaw, quarterback, (1966-1969), 1996; Fred Dean, defensive end (1971-1974); 2009; William “Lone Star” Dietz, coach (1922-1923), 2012; Willie Roaf, tackle (1989-1992), 2014.

Pro Football Hall of Fame - Terry Bradshaw, quarterback (1966-69), Pittsburgh Steelers, induction 1989; Fred Dean, defensive end (1971-1974), San Diego Chargers and San Francisco 49ers, 2008; Willie Roaf, tackle (1989-1992), New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs, 2012.

LOUISIANA TECH ATHLETICS


21

In just his second

season at the helm

of the program, Skip

Holtz guided Louisiana

Tech to an 8-5 record

and an appearance in

the Conference USA

Championship Game

opposite Marshall,

making him the fi rst

head coach to take two different teams to the

C-USA title game (East Carolina; 2008-09).

Holtz has taken the reigns of the offense in 2014

and seen much success with LA Tech among the

nation’s leaders in most improved scoring based

on points per game (37.5) compared to his fi rst

season (19.2 in 2013).

In addition to the team’s multiple accolades this

season, Holtz reached a milestone achieved by

only 22 other active head coaches on Nov. 29

when he secured his 100th career victory as a

head coach with a 76-31 win over Rice.

In his fi rst season at Louisiana Tech, Holtz

inherited a team that lost 35 seniors with seven

being invited to NFL camps (two through the

NFL Draft) and brought together the team

as it entered a new conference (Conference

USA) under a new President and new Athletics

Director, going 4-8.

Holtz, who is coaching a school into a bowl

game for the sixth time, compiled a 34-23 record

at Connecticut (1994-1998, 1998 FCS quarter-

fi nals), 38-27 mark at East Carolina (2005-2009,

four bowls) and 16-21 at South Florida (2010-

2012, one bowl game).

The son of a legendary coach (Lou), “Skip” spent

the fi rst two years of his life in Connecticut, while

his father served as the top football assistant

on the Huskies’ staff from 1964-1965. He was

a prep quarterback at Fayetteville (Ark.) High

School, while his father was the head coach at

the University of Arkansas.

Holtz attended Holy Cross Junior College

in South Bend, Ind., for two years before

transferring to Notre Dame where earned his

bachelor’s degree in business management in

1986 and was a football letter winner for the Irish

that same year, appearing in all 11 games as a

special teams member and backup fl anker.

Skip and his wife, Jennifer, are the parents of

three children: Louis Leo (Trey) Holtz III, Chad

Fitzgerald Holtz and Hailey Elizabeth Holtz.

LOUISIANA TECH HEAD COACH SKIP HOLTZ


LOUISIANA TECH UNIVERSITY COACHING STAFF

Skip HoltzHead Coach

Blake BakerSafeties

Ronnie BradfordDefensive BacksSpecial Teams Coordinator

Manny DiazDefensive

Coordinator/Linebackers

Price FergusonInterim Offensive

Line

Oscar GilesDefensive Line

Jabbar JulukeRunning Backs

Tony PetersenOffensive

Coordinator/Quarterbacks

Tim RattayWide Receivers

Joe SloanInside Receivers

Kurt HesterHead Strength and Conditioning Coach

Ed JacksonAssistant AD/

Character Education


23

LOUISIANA TECH BULLDOGS

15 • Bryson AbrahamCornerback

47 • Darchi Anderson Linebacker

78 • Chris AyeOfffesive Lineman

21 • Adairius BarnesDefensive Back

10 • Jonathan BarnesKicker

23 • Kentrell Brice Defensive Back

64 • David BellardOffensive Lineman

94 • Houston BatesDefensive End

90 • DeAngelo Brooks Defensive Tackle

62 • Joseph BrunsonOffensive Lineman

13 • Kamal BrownQuarterback

75 • Darrell BrownOffensive Lineman

20 • Colby BrownDefensive Back

8 • Taylor BurchQuarterback

87 • Grant ChildressWide Receiver

66 • Shane CarpenterOffensive Lineman

50 • Deldrick Canty Defensive Lineman

9 • Vernon ButlerDefensive Lineman

Defensive LinemanDeldrick Canty

29 • C.J. ClevelandLinebacker



28 • Kenneth DixonRunning Back

77 • Jens DanielsenOffensive Lineman

22 • Jarred CraftRunning Back

35 • Secdrick Cooper Safety

8 • Vontarrius DoraDefensive Lineman

51 • Russell Farris Linebacker

60 • Tucker EtheridgeDeep Snapper

40 • Roland Dunn, Jr. Cornerback

45 • Jaylon FergusonDefensive End

39 • Marcus Gaines Wide Receiver

23 • Jay Gafford Running Back

6 • Beau Fitte Linebacker

39 • Kyle FischerKicker

44 • Josh GastonTight End

59 • Hakim GrayDefensive End

57 • Richard GreenwaltOffensive Lineman

SafetySecdrick Cooper


25


4 • Sterling Griffin Wide Receiver

11 • Lloyd GroganDefensive Back

1 • Carlos Henderson Wide Receiver

14 • Ryan HigginsQuarterback

88 • Eddie Johnson Wide Receiver

91 • Cedric Johnson Defensive Tackle

38 • Michael JacobDefensive Back

46 • Solomon Hunter Linebacker

13 • Le’Vander LigginsDefensive Back

36 • Hunter Lee Wide Receiver

76 • Clayton LandryOffensive Lineman

33 • Ricky JonesTight End

70 • Jeremy LongOffensive Lineman

17 • Andy McAlindonTight End

25 • Blake MartinRunning Back

79 • Cam ManningOffensive Lineman

55 • David MahaffeyOffensive Lineman

Wide ReceiverCarlos Henderson

48 • Kirkland McCullochCornerback

58 • Devon McKinney Defensive Lineman



80 • Kameron McKnight Wide Receiver

43 • Logan McPherson Punter/Kicker

49 • Will ParkerPunter

52 • Quanta Moore Linebacker

37 • Michael MimsDefensive Back

14 • Thaddaeus MedfordDefensive Back

34 • Mike SchrangDefensive End

82 • Michael RodriguezOffensive Lineman

68 • Josh RobinsonOffensive Lineman

19 • Jabari PrewittCornerback

30 • Boston ScottRunning Back

28 • Gerald ShousePunter

27 • Marlon Seets Running Back

2 • Sanford SeayWide Receiver

QuarterbackCody Sokol

96 • Tyler Porter Defensive Tackle

9 • Conner Smith Wide Receiver


27


19 • Cody SokolQuarterback

5 • Trent TaylorWide Receiver

84 • Andre TaylorDefensive Lineman

92 • Carter StreetTight End

18 • D.J. St. Julien Wide Receiver

24 • Nick Thomason Linebacker

32 • Mitch Villemez Linebacker

3 • Paul Turner Wide Receiver

53 • Darrell TravisDeep Snapper

41 • Tywun WaltersRunning Back

16 • Alex Woodall Quarterback

73 • Kirby WixsonOffensive Lineman

10 • Price Wilson Quarterback

85 • Marlon Watts Wide Receiver

7 • Xavier WoodsDefensive Back

Defensive BackXavier Woods


LOUISIANA TECH STATISTICS

Score by quarters 1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT TotalLouisiana Tech 86 132 158 109 3 488Opponents 51 98 47 126 6 328

TEAM STATISTICS LT OPPONENTSSCORING 488 328• Points Per Game 37.5 25.2FIRST DOWNS 264 253• Rushing 98 97• Passing 139 144• Penalty 27 12RUSHING YARDAGE 1,966 1,533• Yards gained 2,246 1,988• Yards lost 280 455• Attempts 459 467• Per Rush 4.3 3.3• Per Game 151.2 117.9• TDs 29 18PASSING YARDAGE 3,284 3,091• Comp-Att-Int 256-439-13 286-481-25• Per Pass 7.5 6.4• Per Catch 12.8 10.8• Per Game 252.6 237.8• TDs 29 18TOTAL OFFENSE 5,250 4,624• Total Plays 898 948• Per Play 5.8 4.9• Per Game 403.8 355.7KICK RETURNS: #-Yards 40-991 73-1596• Per Return 24.8 21.9PUNT RETURNS: #-Yards 22-188 20-208• Per Return 8.5 10.4INT RETURNS: #-Yards 25-274 13-75• Per Return 11.0 5.8FUMBLES-LOST 25-12 26-15PENALTIES-Yards 63-510 79-774• Per Game 39.2 59.5PUNTS-Yards 62-2,304 67-2,678• Per Punt 37.2 40.0• Net average 33.2 36.6KICKOFFS-Yards 87-5,158 66-4,001• Per Kick 59.3 60.6• Net kick average 37.2 36.9TIME OF POSSESSION 30:04 29:563RD-DOWN Conv. 76/184, 41% 73/204, 36%4TH-DOWN Conv. 8/12, 67% 16/23, 70%SACKS BY-Yards 32-230 17-99MISC YARDS 90 29TOUCHDOWNS SCORED 63 39FIELD GOALS 17-26 19-25ON-SIDE KICKS 0-1 0-1RED-ZONE SCORES (47-53) 89% (39-45) 87%RED-ZONE TDs (38-53) 72% (26-45) 58PATs (59-62) 95% (37-37) 100%

SCORING TD PointsKenneth Dixon 26 156Trent Taylor 9 54Carlos Henderson 6 36Paul Turner 4 24Jarred Craft 3 18Hunter Lee 3 18Sterling Griffi n, Cody Sokol 2 12Eight tied 1 6Place-kicking – Jonathan Barnes, 12 for 17 FGs (Long 45), 34 for 37 EXPs, 70 points; Kyle Fisher, 5 for 9 FGs (Long 51) 25 for 25 EXPs, 40 points

FUMBLE RETURNS No. Yards TD LongTerrell Pinson 2 63 1 61Beau Fitte 1 19 1 19Tyler Porter 1 0 0 0Houston Bates 1 12 0 12Le’Vander Liggins 0 0 1 0

RUSHING Rushes Net Avg TD LongKenneth Dixon 240 1,236 5.2 21 99Jarred Craft 78 278 3.6 3 58Blake Martin 27 157 5.8 0 24Tevin King 21 101 4.8 0 26Carlos Henderson 10 59 5.9 1 27Cody Sokol 50 56 1.1 2 32Hunter Lee 4 18 4.5 0 9Marcus Gaines 3 18 6.0 0 19Taylor Burch 2 17 8.5 1 10Ryan Higgins 5 17 3.4 0 8Jay Gafford 2 16 8.0 0 8Marion Seets 7 14 2.0 1 5Boston Scott 1 3 3.0 0 3Ricky Jones 1 1 1.0 0 1TEAM 8 -25 -3.1 0 0

PASSING Effi ciency Cmp-Att-Int Pct Yards TD LongCody Sokol 138.9 246-420-13 58.6 3,189 29 84Ryan Higgins 118.0 6-10-0 60.0 69 0 14Taylor Burch 103.1 4-6-0 66.7 26 0 21TEAM 0.0 0-3-0 0.0 0 0 0

RECEIVING No. Yards Avg TD LongTrent Taylor 62 814 13.1 9 40Paul Turner 39 476 12.2 4 55Sterlin Griffi n 29 408 14.1 2 78Hunter Lee 28 321 11.5 3 28Kenneth Dixon 26 306 11.8 5 84Carlos Henderson 25 476 19.0 4 72Marlon Watts 9 106 11.8 0 39Marcus Gaines 8 82 10.2 1 18Conner Smith 7 52 7.4 0 11Terome Grant 4 51 12.8 0 20Blake Martin 4 16 4.0 0 6Josh Gaston 3 47 15.7 1 36Tevin King 3 44 14.7 0 25DeJsawn Oliver 2 35 17.5 0 21Ricky Jones 2 24 12.0 0 15Jarred Craft 2 15 7.5 0 9Eddie Johnson 1 9 9.0 0 9Cody Sokol 1 3 3.0 0 3Andy McAlindon 1 -1 -1.0 0 0

PUNT RETURNS No. Yards Avg TD LongTrent Taylor 21 168 8.0 0 22Le’Vander Liggins 1 20 20.0 0 20

INTERCEPTIONS No. Yards Avg TD LongAdairius Barnes 5 26 5.2 0 12Xavier Woods 5 161 32.2 1 46Terrell Pinson 3 34 11.3 0 19Le’Vander Liggins 3 24 8.0 0 24Colby Brown 2 7 3.5 0 7Nick Thomason 2 2 1.0 0 2Kentrell Brice 2 2 1.0 0 2Bryson Abraham 2 0 0.0 0 0Houston Bates 1 19 19.0 0 19

KICK RETURNS No. Yards Avg TD LongCarlos Henderson 29 750 25.9 1 96Tevin King 3 91 30.3 0 55Blake Martin 2 66 33.0 0 45Hunter Lee 1 37 37.0 0 37Terome Grant 1 26 26.0 0 26Bryson Abraham 1 15 15.0 0 15Marcus Gaines 1 7 7.0 0 7Conner Smith 1 0 0.0 0 0Secdrick Cooper 1 -1 -1.0 0 0

PUNTING No Avg Long TB FC I20 50+ BLOCKEDGerald Shouse 5 38.0 55 0 0 3 1 0Logan McPherson 57 37.1 54 2 11 14 3 0

Leading Tacklers UT-AT=Totals Tackles for Loss SacksKentrell Bricea 59-21=80 3-23 3-23Tony Johnson 42-27=69 7-27 2.5-15Xavier Woods 43-19=62 3.5-13 1-9Terrell Pinson 31-26=57 7.5-35 1.5-18Vernon Butler 32-20=52 13.5-28 1-4Le’Vander Liggins 34-17=51 2-10 1-9


29

Conference USA celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2014-15, welcoming newcomer Western Kentucky University into the fold on July 1. The league has transformed through its two decades, but the commitment to excellence, integrity, leadership and its student athletes in athletics, academics and community is unwavering.

Conference USA enjoys a far-reaching fan base with its 14 members: Charlotte, FIU, Florida Atlantic, Louisiana Tech, Marshall, Middle Tennessee, North Texas, Old Dominion, Rice, Southern Miss, UAB, UTEP, UTSA and WKU.

Since beginning competition in 1995, Conference USA teams have combined for 83 bowl appearances in football, 100 NCAA Tournament appearances in basketball including three Final Fours, 60 NCAA baseball appearances including six College World Series berths, 71 NCAA soccer tournament appearances including four trips to the College Cup, and 35 individual national champions in track and fi eld and cross country.

Success is not limited to athletic achievement, however, as 186 Conference USA student-athletes have garnered Academic All-America honors, 651 have achieved academic all-district laurels and thousands of student-athletes have earned their college degrees.

Conference USA sponsors competition in 19 sports – nine for men (baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, tennis, and indoor and outdoor track and fi eld) and 10 for women (basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and fi eld, and volleyball).

The league promotes the scholar-athlete ideal, honoring outstanding achievement with numerous conference-sponsored academic awards, including the Commissioner’s Honor Roll and the Commissioner’s Academic Medal as well as sport-specifi c All-Academic teams.

C-USA annually awards $4,000 postgraduate scholarships, along with the Sport Academic Awards, Scholar-

Athletes of the Year and the Institutional Academic Excellence Award. Additionally, Conference USA presents a Spirit of Service Award three times each year, recognizing student-athletes who excel on the fi eld, in the classroom and give back to the community through signifi cant service efforts and participation.

SUCCESS ON THE PLAYING FIELDConference USA performers have achieved great success in competition, placing the league among the top conferences in the nation. The league’s schools have earned 83 football bowl bids over the years and Conference USA has 10 bowl affi liations through the 2019 season, securing a minimum of fi ve berths annually.

SUCCESS OFF THE FIELDC-USA institutions are among the nation’s best in academic performance of student-athletes, bolstered by the fact that student-athletes at league schools have a higher graduation rate than the general student population. Among C-USA’s 5,000 student-athletes, there are champions off the playing fi eld as well. In 19 years, more than 28,000 student-athletes have been named to the Commissioner’s Honor Roll or received the Commissioner’s Academic Medal, indicative of outstanding achievement in the classroom.

C-USA ON TVC-USA enjoys signifi cant television exposure through partnerships with FOX Sports Media Group, CBS Sports Network and ESPN. The multi-tiered selection process that is rooted in partnering with all three networks has substantially increased the number of national and regional appearances for football, men’s and women’s basketball, and all other conference sports.

C-USA membership include institutions within eight of the Top 40 media markets and four in the Top 25 according to Nielsen. C-USA home markets this year will include more than 13 million TV households, a 30 percent increase from two years ago.

C-USA DIGITAL NETWORKThe C-USA Digital Network offi cially launched in August of 2011. Network programming includes live streaming of non-televised events, video on demand, a weekly C-USA studio show, podcasting, regular-season and championship event highlights, and conference-produced feature stories. In its fi rst year, 1,164 events were streamed live and 8,126 videos were posted and available on the C-USA Digital Network, and those numbers have more than doubled. Monthly and yearly subscriptions provide fans access

to events offered on all of the C-USA member institution’s athletic websites as well as C-USA network programming.

C-USA IN THE COMMUNITYThe conference’s current footprint is concentrated with 14 members in 10 states and a combined area population of nearly 30 million. With a commitment to community involvement, the conference developed several initiatives to maintain strong ties in C-USA cities, as well as with fans and alumni across the country. C-USA schools also place a priority on giving back to their communities through volunteer service with local and national organizations. Individually, student-athletes are recognized each season through the Spirit of Service award.

GOVERNANCEConference USA has signifi cant representation in the NCAA governance structure. The presidents of the member institutions serve as the league’s Board of Directors.

A PROUD HISTORYConference USA was formed in 1995 and quickly emerged as one of the nation’s top conferences. The conference unveiled its name, logo and commissioner April 24, 1995, in Chicago. The league’s charter members included Charlotte, Cincinnati, DePaul, Houston, Louisville, Marquette, Memphis, Saint Louis, Southern Miss, Tulane, UAB and USF. Eleven of the institutions began athletic participation in 1995, while Houston joined competition in the fall of 1996.

The league’s headquarters were established in Chicago and, after nine years, relocated to the current offi ce in Irving, Texas. Britton Banowsky was named Commissioner in October 2002, succeeding Mike Slive, the league’s fi rst commissioner.

C-USA added East Carolina (September, 1996) and the United States Military Academy (March, 1997) as football members. ECU began league competition in 1997; Army in 1998 and UAB began football play in 1999. The league added TCU and ECU (1999) for all sports and they began competition in 2001. USF started C-USA football in 2003. Marshall, Rice, SMU, Tulsa, UCF and UTEP became full-time Conference USA members for all sports in 2005.

In 2013, charter member Charlotte returned to C-USA and was joined by new members FIU, Florida Atlantic, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, North Texas, Old Dominion and UTSA. The membership is at 14 institutions with WKU joining the league on July 1, 2014.

CONFERENCE USA

Banowsky


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DEFENSE

31

NO NAME POS HT WT CL EXP. HOMETOWN (SCHOOL)

15 Bryson Abraham CB 5-9 174 R-Jr. 2L Jennings, La. (Jennings HS)

47 Darchi Anderson LB 6-1 220 R-Jr. SQ Shreveport, La. (Captain Shreve HS)

78 Chris Aye OL 6-4 277 R-Fr. RS Houston, Texas (Cypress Ridge HS)

21 Adairius Barnes DB 5-11 191 Jr. 2L Port Gibson, Miss. (Port Gibson HS)

10 Jonathan Barnes K 5-9 168 R-Fr. RS Baton Rouge, La. (Woodlawn HS)

94 Houston Bates DE 6-3 256 R-Sr. TR Covington, La. (Illinois)

64 David Bellard OL 6-2 298 R-Fr. RS Opelouses, La. (Northwest HS)

93 James Braswell TE 6-4 205 Fr. HS Monroe, La. (St. Frederick’s HS)

23 Kentrell Brice DB 5-11 191 Jr. 2L Ruston, La. (Ruston HS)

90 DeAngelo Brooks DT 6-0 302 Sr. 1L Shreveport, La. (Kilgore JC)

20 Colby Brown DB 5-9 170 R-Sr. 1L College Park, Ga. (Highland CC)

75 Darrell Brown OL 6-4 302 R-So. 1L Abilene, Texas (Cooper HS)

13 Kamal Brown QB 6-3 190 R-Fr. RS Lafayette, La. (Comeaux HS)

62 Joseph Brunson OL 6-4 308 R-So. RS Ruston, La. (Louisiana-Lafayette)

8 Taylor Burch QB 6-4 225 R-Sr. 1L Monroe, La. (Neville HS)

9 Vernon Butler DL 6-3 317 Jr. 2L Summit, Miss. (North Pike HS)

50 Deldrick Canty DL 6-1 252 Fr. HS Baton Rouge, La. (Scotlandville HS)

66 Shane Carpenter OL 6-5 299 Fr. HS Walker, La. (Walker HS)

87 Grant Childress WR 6-0 185 R-So. SQ Tyler, Texas (Grace Community HS)

29 C.J. Cleveland LB 6-1 195 R-Jr. 1L Shreveport, La. (Arkansas Tech)

35 Secdrick Cooper S 6-0 196 Fr. HS Marrero, La. (Archbishop Shaw HS)

22 Jarred Craft RB 5-11 213 Fr. HS Haughton, La. (Haughton HS)

77 Jens Danielsen OL 6-4 289 R-Jr. 1L Wichita, Kan. (Coffeyville CC)

28 Kenneth Dixon RB 5-10 214 Jr. 2L Strong, Ark. (Strong HS)

8 Vontarrius Dora DL 6-4 245 R-Jr. 2L West Point, Miss. (West Point HS)

40 Andrew Doughty P 5-10 180 Fr. HS Shreveport, La. (Captain Shreve HS)

40 Roland Dunn, Jr. CB 5-10 158 Fr. HS Shreveport, La. (Evangel Christian Acad.)

60 Tucker Etheridge DS 5-10 244 Fr. HS Marietta, Ga. (Blessed Trinity HS)

51 Russell Farris LB 5-11 220 Fr. HS Ventress, La. (Livonia HS)

45 Jaylon Ferguson DE 6-5 234 Fr. HS St. Francisville, La. (West Feliciana HS)

39 Kyle Fischer K 5-11 216 R-So. 1L Frisco, Texas (Frisco HS)

6 Beau Fitte LB 6-0 216 R-Jr. 2L Port Sulphur, La. (South Plaquemines HS)

23 Jay Gafford RB 5-11 205 So. HS Dallas, Texas (Rockford HS)

39 Marcus Gaines WR 5-6 148 Fr. HS Covington, La. (St. Paul’s HS)

44 Josh Gaston TE 6-3 261 Jr. JC Olive Branch, Miss. (NW Mississippi CC)

59 Hakim Gray DE 6-3 263 R-Fr. RS Keachi, La. (North Desoto HS)

57 Richard Greenwalt OL 6-4 302 R-Sr. 1L Wildomar, Calif. (Riverside CC)

27 Tony Griffin DB 5-11 185 R-Fr. RS Shreveport, La. (C. E. Byrd HS)

4 Sterling Griffin WR 6-1 189 R-Sr. 1L Opa Locka, Fla. (USF)

11 Lloyd Grogan DB 6-1 210 R-So. 1L Morgan City, La. (Central Catholic HS)

93 Victor Gutierrez FB 6-2 233 R-Fr. SQ Baton Rouge, La. (Parkview Baptist HS)

1 Carlos Henderson WR 5-11 179 R-Fr. RS New Orleans, La. (McDonogh 35 HS)

14 Ryan Higgins QB 6-2 205 R-So. 1L Hutto, Texas (Hutto HS)

46 Solomon Hunter LB 6-2 210 Fr. HS San Antonio, Texas (Roosevelt HS)

38 Michael Jacob DB 6-0 171 R-Fr. RS Allen, Texas (Allen HS)

91 Cedric Johnson DT 6-2 302 Fr. HS Rowlett, Texas (Rowlett HS)

88 Eddie Johnson WR 6-3 229 Sr. 1L Midlothian, Texas (Navarro JC)

84 Tylone Johnson WR 5-8 160 Fr. HS Gray, La. (H.L. Bourgeois HS)

33 Ricky Jones TE 6-1 269 R-Jr. SQ Sweeny, Texas (McMurry)

NO NAME POS HT WT CL EXP. HOMETOWN (SCHOOL)

76 Clayton Landry OL 6-5 278 R-So. SQ Denham Springs, La. (Live Oak HS)

36 Hunter Lee WR 5-10 199 Sr. 3L Flower Mound, Texas (Flower Mound HS)

13 Le’Vander Liggins DB 5-10 193 Sr. 3L Leesville, La. (Leesville HS)

70 Jeremy Long OL 6-1 307 R-Jr. RS Haughton, La. (Haughton HS)

55 David Mahaffey OL 6-4 310 So. JC Brandon, Miss. (East Mississippi CC)

79 Cam Manning OL 6-2 278 R-Fr. RS Southlake, Texas (Carroll HS)

25 Blake Martin RB 5-10 194 R-Jr. 2L Lucas, Texas (Lovejoy HS)

17 Andy McAlindon TE 6-6 231 R-Jr. SQ San Bruno, Calif. (American River JC)

41 Carrington McCallister LB 5-11 212 R-Fr. SQ Bedford, Texas (Euless Trinity HS)

48 Kirkland McCulloch CB 6-0 190 Fr. HS Shreveport, La. (C.E. Byrd HS)

58 Devon McKinney DL 6-0 288 R-Sr. SQ Camden, N.J. (Pierce College)

80 Kameron McKnight WR 6-2 217 Fr. HS Ethel, La. (East Feliciana HS)

43 Logan McPherson P/K 5-10 175 So. 1L Fort Payne, Ala. (Fort Payne HS)

14 Thaddaeus Medford DB 5-10 192 R-So. SQ Newbern, Tenn. (Dyer County HS)

37 Michael Mims DB 5-11 196 R-Fr. RS West Monroe, La. (West Monroe HS)

52 Quanta Moore LB 6-1 222 Fr. HS New Orleans, La. (Edna Karr HS)

81 DeJuawn Oliver WR 5-11 192 So. SQ Napoleonville, La. (Assumption HS)

49 Will Parker P 6-3 220 Fr. HS Denison, Texas (Denison HS)

96 Tyler Porter DT 5-11 320 R-Jr. SQ Lafayette, La. (Northside HS)

19 Jabari Prewitt CB 5-9 188 R-Jr. 1L Hutto, Texas (Hutto HS)

68 Josh Robinson OL 6-2 301 R-Jr. SQ Lancaster, Texas (Lancaster HS)

82 Michael Rodriguez OL 6-6 250 Fr. HS La Porte, Texas (La Porte HS)

18 D.J. St. Julien WR 5-11 189 R-Sr. 1L Lafayette, La. (Acadiana HS)

34 Mike Schrang DE 6-2 240 R-Sr. 3L Kingwood, Texas (Kingwood HS)

30 Boston Scott RB 5-6 195 R-Fr. RS Zachary, La. (Zachary HS)

2 Sanford Seay WR 6-2 206 R-Jr. JC Leesburg, Ga. (Itawamba CC/Georgia)

27 Marlon Seets RB 5-10 230 R-Jr. SQ Haughton, La. (Alcorn State)

28 Gerald Shouse P 6-1 182 Jr. SQ Shreveport, La. (Evangel Christian Academy)

9 Conner Smith WR 6-3 206 R-So. SQ Covington, La. (Fontainebleau HS)

19 Cody Sokol QB 6-2 213 R-Sr. TR Phoenix, Ariz. (Iowa/Scottsdale CC)

92 Carter Street TE 6-2 264 R-Sr. SQ Pilot Point, Texas (Pilot Point HS)

84 Andre Taylor DL 6-5 255 R-Sr. 3L Round Rock, Texas (Round Rock HS)

5 Trent Taylor WR 5-8 178 So. 1L Shreveport, La. (Evangel Christian Academy)

83 Kylin Thomas WR 5-11 173 Jr. HS Shreveport, La. (Captain Shreve HS)

24 Nick Thomason LB 6-1 235 R-Jr. RS Muscle Shoals, Ala. (Northeast Miss. JC)

53 Darrell Travis DS 5-11 258 R-So. RS McKinney, Texas (McKinney North HS)

3 Paul Turner WR 5-11 191 R-Jr. TR West Monroe, La. (LSU)

32 Mitch Villemez LB 6-2 225 Sr. 1L Hardin, Texas (Blinn JC)

54 Drake Vincent LB 5-10 183 Fr. HS Opelouses, La. (Westminster Academy)

41 Tywun Walters RB 5-11 218 Fr. HS Marks, Miss. (M.S. Palmer HS)

85 Marlon Watts WR 6-2 179 Fr. HS New Orleans, La. (St. Augustine HS)

30 Dillon Williams DB 6-2 198 Jr. SQ Shreveport, La. (LSU-Eunice)

10 Price Wilson QB 6-1 217 Fr. HS Marietta, Ga. (Walton HS)

73 Kirby Wixson OL 6-4 320 Jr. JC Pearl, Miss. (Hinds CC)

16 Alex Woodall QB 6-3 245 Fr. HS Summit, Miss. (McComb HS)

7 Xavier Woods DB 5-11 192 So. 1L West Monroe, La. (West Monroe HS)

95 Matthew Ydarraga DE 6-3 225 Fr. HS Central, La. (Catholic HS)

LOUISIANA TECH ALPHABETICAL ROSTER


OffenseLT 77 Jens Danielsen 6-4, 289, JR 75 Darrell Brown 6-4, 302, SOLG 67 Tre Carter 6-1, 301, SR 68 Josh Robinson 6-2, 301, JRC 73 Kirby Wixson 6-4, 320, JR 55 David Mahaffey 6-4, 310, SORG 62 Joseph Brunson 6-4, 308, SO 57 Richard Greenwalt 6-4, 302, SRRT 74 Mitchell Bell 6-3, 344, SR 78 Chris Aye 6-4, 277, FRQB 19 Cody Sokol 6-2, 213, SR 14 Ryan Higgins 6-2, 205, SO 8 Taylor Burch 6-4, 225, SRRB 28 Kenneth Dixon 5-10, 214, JR 22 Jarred Craft 5-11, 213, FR 25 Blake Martin 5-10, 194, JR 27 Marlon Seets 5-10, 230, JRWR 5 Trent Taylor 5-8, 178, SO 44 Josh Gaston 6-3, 261, JR 88 Eddie Johnson 6-3, 229, SRWR 4 Sterling Griffi n 6-1, 189, SR 1 Carlos Henderson 5-11, 179, FR 39 Marcus Gaines 5-6 148, FRWR 9 Conner Smith 6-3, 206, SO 36 Hunter Lee 5-10, 199, SR 26 Tevin King 5-7. 160, SOWR 3 Paul Turner 5-11, 191, JR 85 Marlon Watts 6-2, 179, FR DefenseDE 94 Houston Bates 6-3, 256, SR 34 Mike Schrang 6-2, 240, SRDT 98 Aaron Brown 6-1, 270, SO 58 Devon McKinney 6-0, 288, SRDT 9 Vernon Butler 6-3, 317, JR 90 DeAngelo Brooks 6-0, 302 SRDE 8 Vontarrius Dora 6-4, 245, JR 84 Andre Taylor 6-5, 255, SR 50 Deldrick Canty 6-1, 252, FRLB 32 Mitch Villemez 6-2, 225, SR 6 Beau Fitte 6-0, 216, JR 51 Russell Farris 5-11, 220, FRLB 42 Tony Johnson 6-2, 255, SR 24 Nick Thomason 6-1, 235, JRLB 31 Terrell Pinson 6-2, 214, SR 29 C.J. Cleveland 6-1, 195, JRS 23 Kentrell Brice 5-11, 191, JR 11 Lloyd Grogan 6-1, 210, SOS 7 Xavier Woods 5-11, 192, SO 35 Secdrick Cooper 6-0, 196, FRCB 13 Le’Vander Liggins 5-10, 193, SR 15 Bryson Abraham 5-9, 174, JRCB 21 Adairius Barnes 5-9, 174, JR 20 Colby Brown 5-9, 170, SR

SpecialistsK 39 Kyle Fischer 5-11, 216, SO 10 Jonathan Barnes 5-9, 168, FRP 43 Logan McPherson 5-10, 175, SO 28 Gerald Shouse 6-1, 182, JRDS 53 Darrell Travis 5-11, 258, SO 60 Tucker Etheridge 5-10, 244, FRH 8 Taylor Burch 6-4, 225, SR 43 Logan McPherson 5-10, 175, SO 9 Conner Smith 6-3, 206, SOPR 5 Trent Taylor 5-8, 178, SO 3 Paul Turner 5-11, 191, JRKR 1 Carlos Henderson 5-11, 179, FR 26 Tevin King 5-7, 160, SO 36 Hunter Lee 5-10, 199, SR

NO Name POS

1 Carlos Henderson WR

2 Sanford Seay WR

3 Paul Turner WR

4 Sterling Griffi n WR

5 Trent Taylor WR

6 Beau Fitte LB

7 Xavier Woods DB

8 Taylor Burch QB

8 Vontarrius Dora DL

9 Vernon Butler DL

9 Conner Smith WR

10 Jonathan Barnes K

10 Price Wilson QB

11 Lloyd Grogan DB

13 Kamal Brown QB

13 Le’Vander Liggins DB

14 Ryan Higgins QB

14 Thaddaeus Medford DB

15 Bryson Abraham CB

16 Alex Woodall QB

17 Andy McAlindon TE

18 D.J. St. Julien WR

19 Jabari Prewitt CB

19 Cody Sokol QB

20 Colby Brown DB

21 Adairius Barnes DB

22 Jarred Craft RB

23 Kentrell Brice DB

23 Jay Gafford RB

24 Nick Thomason LB

25 Blake Martin RB

27 Tony Griffi n DB

27 Marlon Seets RB

28 Kenneth Dixon RB

28 Gerald Shouse P

29 C.J. Cleveland LB

30 Boston Scott RB

30 Dillon Williams DB

32 Mitch Villemez LB

33 Ricky Jones TE

34 Mike Schrang DE

35 Secdrick Cooper S

36 Hunter Lee WR

37 Michael Mims DB

38 Michael Jacob DB

39 Kyle Fischer K

39 Marcus Gaines WR

40 Andrew Doughty P

NO Name POS

40 Roland Dunn, Jr. CB

41 Carrington McCallister LB

41 Tywun Walters RB

43 Logan McPherson P/K

44 Josh Gaston TE

45 Jaylon Ferguson DE

46 Solomon Hunter LB

47 Darchi Anderson LB

48 Kirkland McCulloch CB

49 Will Parker P

50 Deldrick Canty DL

51 Russell Farris LB

52 Quanta Moore LB

53 Darrell Travis DS

54 Drake Vincent LB

55 David Mahaffey OL

57 Richard Greenwalt OL

58 Devon McKinney DL

59 Hakim Gray DE

60 Tucker Etheridge DS

62 Joseph Brunson OL

64 David Bellard OL

66 Shane Carpenter OL

68 Josh Robinson OL

70 Jeremy Long OL

73 Kirby Wixson OL

75 Darrell Brown OL

76 Clayton Landry OL

77 Jens Danielsen OL

78 Chris Aye OL

79 Cam Manning OL

80 Kameron McKnight WR

81 DeJuawn Oliver WR

82 Michael Rodriguez OL

83 Kylin Thomas WR

84 Tylone Johnson WR

84 Andre Taylor DL

85 Marlon Watts WR

87 Grant Childress WR

88 Eddie Johnson WR

90 DeAngelo Brooks DT

91 Cedric Johnson DT

92 Carter Street TE

93 James Braswell TE

93 Victor Gutierrez FB

94 Houston Bates DE

95 Matthew Ydarraga DE

96 Tyler Porter DT

LOUISIANA TECH NUMERICAL ROSTER AND DEPTH CHART


33

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS NUMERICAL ROSTER

OffenseLT 57 Austin Schmidt 6-6, 295, SO 75 Patrick Flavin 6-7, 300, JRLG 74 Michael Heitz 6-5, 310, SR 73 Chris O’Connor 6-5, 300, JRC 52 Alex Hill 6-3, 315, SR 71 Joe Spencer 6-4, 300, SO 78 Harry Black 6-5, 280, FRRG 71 Joe Spencer 6-4, 300, SO 73 Chris O’Connor 6-5, 300, JRRT 67 Christian DiLauro 6-5, 295, FR 75 Patrick Flavin 6-7, 300, JRQB 4 Reilly O’Toole 6-4, 220, SR OR 12 Wes Lunt 6-5, 225, SO 15 Aaron Bailey 6-2, 225, SORB 5 Donovonn Young 6-0, 220, SR 6 Josh Ferguson 5-10, 195, JR 23 Devin Church 5-8, 190, SOWR-X 8 Geronimo Allison 6-4, 195, JR 16 Marchie Murdock 6-1, 195, FR 2 Tyrin Stone-Davis 6-3, 195, SOWR-T 18 Mike Dudek 5-11, 185, FR 13 Dionte Taylor 6-0, 180, SO 9 Martize Barr 6-0, 195, SRWR-Z 86 Malik Turner 6-3, 205, FR 19 Justin Hardee 6-1, 195, JR 88 Zach Grant 6-0, 195, SOTE 3 Jon Davis 6-3, 240, SR 11 Matt LaCosse 6-6, 250, SR 87 Tyler White 6-5, 255, SO 47 Tim Clary 6-2, 250, JR

DefenseDE 17 Jihad Ward 6-6, 290, JR 97 Paul James III 6-4, 255, FRNT 44 Austin Teitsma 6-2, 290, SR 95 Jake Howe 6-3, 305, SR 98 Joe Fotu 6-3, 285, JRDT 96 Rob Bain 6-3, 300, SO 99 Jarrod Clements 6-3, 290, SOLEO 90 DeJazz Woods 6-3, 255, SR 91 Dawuane Smoot 6-3, 270, SO 39 Nathan Echard 6-2, 230, FrWLB 43 Mason Monheim 6-1, 235, JR 22 LaKeith Walls 6-2, 215, SOMLB 52 T.J. Neal Jr. 6-1, 235, SO 42 Ralph Cooper 6-1, 240, SR 10 B.J. Bello 6-3, 225, SOSTAR 9 Earnest Thomas III 6-2, 210, SR 14 Eric Finney 6-0, 220, JR 33 Zepheniah Grimes 5-11, 225, JRCB 2 V’Angelo Bentley 5-10, 190, JR 24 Darius Mosely 5-11, 190, SO 37 Davontay Kwaaning 5-11, 190, SRSS 21 Zane Petty 6-1, 205, SR 15 Jevaris Little 6-0, 190, SO 4 Darwyn Kelly 6-1, 210, FRFS 3 Taylor Barton 6-1, 215, SO 20 Clayton Fejedelem 6-1, 195, JR 5 James Crawford 6-2, 215, FRCB 27 Eaton Spence 6-0, 185, JR 8 Dillan Cazley 5-10, 190, SO

Special TeamsK 38 David Reisner 6-0, 195, SO 17 Taylor Zalewski 6-3, 220, JR 13 Ryan Frain 6-2, 220, SOP 18 Justin DuVernois 6-1, 190, SR 13 Ryan Frain 6-2, 220, SOLS 56 Michael Martin 6-4, 225, SO 54 Zach Hirth 6-4, 220, SOH 18 Justin DuVernois 6-1, 190, SR 4 Reilly O’Toole 6-4, 220, SRKO 17 Taylor Zalewski 6-3, 220, JR OR 38 David Reisner 6-0, 195, SO 13 Ryan Frain 6-2, 220, SOPR 2 V’Angelo Bentley 5-10, 190, JR 24 Darius Mosely 5-11, 190, SO 18 Mike Dudek 5-11, 185, FR 9 Martize Barr 6-0, 195, SRKR 2 V’Angelo Bentley 5-10, 190, JR 24 Darius Mosely 5-11, 190, SO 18 Mike Dudek 5-11, 185, FR 23 Devin Church 5-8, 190, SO

NO Name POS

2 V’Angelo Bentley DB

2 Tyrin Stone-Davis WR

3 Taylor Barton DB

3 Jon Davis TE

4 Darwyn Kelly DB

4 Reilly O’Toole QB

5 James Crawford STAR

5 Donovonn Young RB

6 Josh Ferguson RB

6 Carroll Phillips LB

7 Chayce Crouch QB

7 Caleb Day DB

8 Geronimo Allison WR

8 Dillan Cazley DB

9 Martize Barr WR

9 Earnest Thomas III STAR

10 B.J. Bello LB

11 Matt LaCosse TE

12 Wes Lunt QB

13 Ryan Frain PK/P

13 Dionte Taylor WR

14 Eric Finney STAR

15 Aaron Bailey QB

15 Jevaris Little DB

16 Man Berg QB

16 Marchie Murdock WR

17 Jihad Ward DL

17 Taylor Zalewski PK

18 Mike Dudek WR

18 Justin DuVernois P

19 Justin Hardee WR

20 Clayton Fejedelem DB

21 Zane Petty DB

22 LaKeith Walls LB

23 Devin Church RB

23 Dennis Thurow DB

24 Darius Mosely DB

25 Sean Arowolaju DB

25 Kendrick Foster RB

26 Cedric Doxy DB

26 Cameron Tucker RB

27 Eaton Spence DB

28 Jaylen Dunlap DB

29 Nelson Lugo STAR

29 T.J. Moss RB

30 Julian Hylton DB

30 Jim Nudera TE

31 Nick North DB

31 Leslie Poole WR

32 Chris James DB

33 Zepheniah Grimes STAR

34 Mike Svetina LB

35 Sean White LB

36 Austin Roberts LB

37 Davontay Kwaaning DB

NO Name POS

38 Samuel Harlib DB

38 David Reisner PK

39 Nathan Echard LB

40 Ryan Tucker P

41 Nick Kyburz P

42 Ralph Cooper LB

43 Mason Monheim LB

44 Austin Teitsma DL

45 Henry McGrew LB

46 Jason Goldsmith STAR

46 Tate Gordon LEO

47 Tim Clary TE

48 Chase McLaughlin PK

49 Conner Schmidt STAR

52 Alex Hill OL

52 T.J. Neal LB

53 Nick Allegretti OL

54 Zach Hirth LS

55 Chris Boles OL

55 Tre Watson LB

56 Michael Martin LS

57 Austin Schmidt OL

58 Kenny Nelson DL

64 Steve Dumezich OL

66 Scott McDowell OL

67 Christian DiLauro OL

68 Simon Cvijanovic OL

69 Ted Karras OL

70 Peter Cvijanovic OL

71 Joe Spencer OL

73 Chris O’Connor OL

74 Michael Heitz OL

75 Pat Flavin OL

78 Harry Black OL

80 Jeremey Whitlow WR

81 Raphael Barr WR

82 Kameron Fry WR

83 Trevor Kanteman TE

83 Brennen VanMieghem PK

84 Kenny Knight WR

85 Brandon Roberts DL

86 Malik Turner WR

87 Tyler White TE

88 Zach Grant WR

89 Dallas Hinkhouse TE

90 DeJazz Woods LEO

91 Dawuane Smoot LEO

92 Abe Cajuste DL

93 Teko Powell DL

94 Tito Odenigbo DL

95 Jake Howe DL/FB

96 Rob Bain DL

97 Paul James III DL

98 Joe Fotu DL

99 Jarrod Clements DL


35

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOISALPHABETICAL ROSTER

NO NAME POS HT WT CLASS HOMETOWN (SCHOOL)

53 Nick Allegretti OL 6-4 305 FR Frankfort, IL (Lincoln-Way East)

8 Geronimo Allison WR 6-4 195 JR Tampa, FL (Iowa Western CC)

25 Sean Arowolaju DB 6-1 195 SO Matteson, IL (Rich South)

15 Aaron Bailey QB 6-2 225 SO Bolingbrook, IL (Bolingbrook)

96 Rob Bain DL 6-3 305 SO Bolingbrook, IL (Bolingbrook)

9 Martize Barr WR 6-1 195 SR Washington, DC (Iowa Western CC)

81 Raphael Barr WR 6-2 190 SO Etiwanda, CA (Citrus College (CA))

3 Taylor Barton DB 6-1 215 SO Orlando, FL (Lake Highland Prep)

10 B.J. Bello LB 6-3 225 SO New Lenox, IL (Lincoln-Way West)

2 V’Angelo Bentley DB 5-10 190 JR Cleveland, OH (Glenville)

16 Man Berg QB 6-2 200 FR Sherman Oaks, CA (La Salle)

78 Harry Black OL 6-5 280 FR Orlando, FL (Dr. Phillips)

55 Chris Boles OL 6-4 320 JR Toledo, OH (Central Catholic)

92 Abe Cajuste DL 6-3 290 SR Miami, FL (Victor Valley College)

8 Dillan Cazley DB 5-10 190 SO Charleston, IL (Charleston)

23 Devin Church RB 5-8 190 SO Southfield, MI (Brother Rice)

47 Tim Clary TE 6-2 250 JR Spring Grove, IL (Richmond-Burton)

99 Jarrod Clements DL 6-3 290 SO Dayton, OH (Trotwood Madison)

42 Ralph Cooper LB 6-1 240 SR Winnsboro, SC (Fairfield Central)

5 James Crawford STAR 6-2 215 FR Deerfield, FL (St. Thomas Aquinas)

7 Chayce Crouch QB 6-4 225 FR Granville, OH (Newark Catholic)

70 Peter Cvijanovic OL 6-6 290 FR Concord Township, OH (East Coast Prep)

68 Simon Cvijanovic OL 6-6 310 SR Cleveland, OH (Benedictine)

3 Jon Davis TE 6-3 240 SR Louisville, KY (Louisville Eastern)

7 Caleb Day DB 6-1 200 SO Hilliard, OH (Hilliard Darby)

67 Christian DiLauro OL 6-5 295 FR Uniontown, OH (Green)

26 Cedric Doxy DB 6-2 220 SO Calumet City, IL (Thornwood)

18 Mike Dudek WR 5-11 185 FR Naperville, IL (Neuqua Valley)

64 Steve Dumezich OL 6-5 285 FR Chicago, IL (Mount Carmel)

28 Jaylen Dunlap DB 6-1 185 SO Chicago, IL (Crete-Monee)

18 Justin DuVernois P 6-1 190 SR Plantation, FL (St. Thomas Aquinas)

39 Nathan Echard LB 6-2 230 FR Eureka, MO (Eureka)

20 Clayton Fejedelem DB 6-1 195 JR Lemont, IL (St. Xavier University)

6 Josh Ferguson RB 5-10 195 JR Naperville, IL (Joliet Catholic)

14 Eric Finney STAR 6-1 220 JR Riverside, CA (College of the Canyons)

75 Pat Flavin OL 6-7 300 JR Lisle, IL (Benet Academy)

25 Kendrick Foster RB 5-9 200 FR Peoria, IL (Richwoods)

98 Joe Fotu DL 6-3 285 JR East Oakland, CA (Laney CC)

13 Ryan Frain PK/P 6-2 220 SO Indianapolis, IN (Scecina)

82 Kameron Fry WR 6-1 200 SO Urbana, IL (Urbana)

46 Jason Goldsmith STAR 6-2 215 FR Highland Park, IL (Highland Park)

46 Tate Gordon LEO 6-2 200 FR Lincoln, IL (Lincoln Community)

88 Zach Grant WR 6-01 195 SO Springfield, IL (St. Ambrose College/NIU)

33 Zepheniah Grimes STAR 5-11 225 JR Bamberg, SC (Bamberg-Ehrhardt)

19 Justin Hardee WR 6-1 195 JR Cleveland, OH (Glenville)

38 Samuel Harlib DB 6-1 180 FR Las Vegas, NV (Army & Navy Academy)

74 Michael Heitz OL 6-6 310 SR Vermont, IL (VIT)

52 Alex Hill OL 6-3 310 SR Slidell, LA (Slidell)

89 Dallas Hinkhouse TE 6-5 245 JR Clive, IA (Iowa Western CC)

54 Zach Hirth LS 6-4 220 SO Eureka, MO (Eureka)

95 Jake Howe DL/FB 6-3 305 SR McHenry, IL (McHenry)

30 Julian Hylton DB 6-1 195 FR Tinley Park, IL (Lincoln-Way North)

32 Chris James DB 5-11 185 FR Orange, TX (West Orange-Stark)

97 Paul James III DL 6-4 255 FR Miami, FL (Norland)

NO NAME POS HT WT CLASS HOMETOWN (SCHOOL)

83 Trevor Kanteman TE 6-4 245 FR Woodland Hills, CA (Pierce College)

69 Ted Karras OL 6-4 310 JR Indianapolis, IN (Cathedral)

4 Darwyn Kelly DB 6-1 210 FR Upper Marlboro, MD (H.D. Woodson)

84 Kenny Knight WR 6-4 205 JR Detroit, MI (Country Day)

37 Davontay Kwaaning DB 5-11 190 SR Chicago, IL (Lindblom)

41 Nick Kyburz P 6-1 215 FR Chesterfield, MO (Marquette)

11 Matt LaCosse TE 6-6 250 SR Naperville, IL (North)

15 Jevaris Little DB 6-1 190 SO St. Petersburg, FL (Lakewood)

29 Nelson Lugo STAR 5-11 200 SO Franklin Park, IL (East Leyden)

12 Wes Lunt QB 6-5 225 SO Rochester, IL (Oklahoma State)

56 Michael Martin LS 6-4 225 SO Champaign, IL (Centennial)

66 Scott McDowell OL 6-5 300 JR Hinsdale, IL (Central)

45 Henry McGrew LB 6-3 235 FR Overland Park, KS (Blue Valley)

48 Chase McLaughlin PK 6-1 165 FR Cypress, TX (Cypress Woods)

43 Mason Monheim LB 6-1 235 JR Orrville, OH (Orrville)

24 Darius Mosely DB 5-11 190 SO O’Fallon, IL (O’Fallon Township)

29 T.J. Moss RB 5-11 195 FR Carpentersville, IL (Dundee Crown)

16 Marchie Murdock WR 6-1 195 FR Arlington, TX (Legacy)

52 T.J. Neal LB 6-1 235 SO McKeeseport, PA (McKeeseport)

58 Kenny Nelson DL 6-6 250 JR Detroit, MI (Cass Tech)

31 Nick North DB 6-1 200 JR Hollywood, FL (McArthur)

30 Jim Nudera TE 6-1 240 JR Elmhurst, IL (York)

73 Chris O’Connor OL 6-5 300 JR Tinley Park, IL (Andrew)

94 Tito Odenigbo DL 6-3 280 FR Centerville, OH (Centerville)

4 Reilly O’Toole QB 6-4 220 SR Wheaton, IL (Wheaton Warrenville South)

21 Zane Petty DB 6-1 205 SR Corning, CA (American River College)

6 Carroll Phillips LB 6-3 230 SO Miami, FL (Coiah Lincoln CC)

31 Leslie Poole WR 5-11 185 JR Schaumburg, IL (Conant)

93 Teko Powell DL 6-3 305 JR Miami, FL (Norland)

38 David Reisner PK 6-1 195 SO Bartlett, IL (Navy)

36 Austin Roberts LB 6-2 230 FR Rice Lake, WI (Rice Lake)

85 Brandon Roberts DL 6-3 265 FR Peoria, IL (Richwoods)

57 Austin Schmidt OL 6-6 295 SO Galena, OH (Olentangy)

49 Conner Schmidt STAR 5-11 195 FR Lincoln, IL (Lincoln Community)

91 Dawuane Smoot LEO 6-3 270 SO Groveport, OH (Groveport Madison)

27 Eaton Spence DB 6-1 185 JR Belle Glade, FL (Glades Day)

71 Joe Spencer OL 6-4 300 SO Mason, OH (Mason)

2 Tyrin Stone-Davis WR 6-3 195 SO Philadelphia, PA (Pierce College (CA))

34 Mike Svetina LB 6-2 235 JR Brunswick, OH (St. Ignatius)

13 Dionte Taylor WR 6-1 190 SO Ft. Lauderdale, FL (University School)

44 Austin Teitsma DL 6-2 290 SR Glen Ellyn, IL (Glenbard South)

9 Earnest Thomas III STAR 6-2 210 SR Southfield, MI (St. Mary’s)

23 Dennis Thurow DB 6-1 205 FR Naperville, IL (Neuqua Valley)

26 Cameron Tucker RB 5-8 200 JR River Forest, IL (Nazareth Academy)

40 Ryan Tucker P 6-3 185 FR Chicago, IL (Marist)

86 Malik Turner WR 6-3 205 FR Springfield, IL (Sacred Heart-Griffin)

83 Brennen VanMieghem PK 6-2 190 SR Metamora, IL (Metamora Twp.)

22 LaKeith Walls LB 6-2 215 SO Cleveland, OH (Rhodes)

17 Jihad Ward DL 6-6 295 JR Philadelphia, PA (Globe Tech (NY))

55 Tre Watson LB 6-2 240 FR Tampa, FL (Tampa Catholic)

35 Sean White LB 6-1 230 SO Casey, IL (Casey-Westfield)

87 Tyler White TE 6-5 255 SO Kalamazoo, MI (Plainwell)

80 Jeremey Whitlow WR 6-2 215 JR Cleveland, OH (Central Catholic)

90 DeJazz Woods LEO 6-3 255 SR Tampa, FL (Robinson)

5 Donovonn Young RB 6-1 220 SR Houston, TX (Katy)

17 Taylor Zalewski PK 6-3 220 JR Orland Park, IL (Carl Sandburg)


UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS PREVIEW

“Our players have been fi ghting, and they’ve been trying to put the fi ght back in the Illini.”

Third-year Illinois head coach Tim Beckman’s crew certainly accomplished that in 2014, and earned the school’s 18th bowl trip along the way.

Following a 2-10 season in 2012 and a 4-8 ledger a year ago, Beckman’s squad fi nished 6-6 this year to earn its fi rst bowl berth since 2011. The Illini’s resume includes a 28-24 victory over then-No. 22 Minnesota.

The Illini showed grit down the stretch, winning its fi nal two games to become bowl eligible. The stamp came in the fi nal game of the year, when Illinois defeated instate rival Northwestern on the road by a 47-33 score in a game between two teams seeking their all-important sixth win of the season.

Perhaps the truest sign of the fi ght that Beckman’s group showed is that the team trailed in the fourth quarter in fi ve of its six victories. Just one week before defeating the Wildcats, Illinois downed Penn State, 16-14, on a fi eld goal with eight seconds left.

“I couldn’t be more excited or proud of our football team for what they accomplished to earn the invitation to the Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl,” Beckman said. “Our seniors did an outstanding job of leading our team through a challenging schedule, and never quit. It’s a great reward for all the hard work this Fighting Illini football team put in over the last year.”

There is little doubt that Illinois comes into the bowl battle tested. The Illini’s schedule ranked as the 13th-toughest in the nation, and eight of its opponents are playing in postseason games.

Offensively, the team persevered despite losing

sophomore starting quarterback Wes Lunt to a

broken leg midway through the season. A three-

year backup, senior Reilly O’Toole stepped up

and totaled more yards (1,049) and touchdowns

(9) than in his previous three seasons combined,

all while leading the squad to its three Big Ten

victories.

Freshman wideout Mike Dudek

has been the quarterbacks

favorite target, and is just

35 yards shy of a 1,000-yard

receiving season. He has 69

catches and six touchdowns

on the year in the most prolifi c

rookie season in Illinois history.

Junior Josh Ferguson leads the

team on the ground, compiling

685 yards on 139 carries (4.9

yards per rush) and eight

touchdowns. Senior Donovonn

Young, a product of Houston,

Texas, also has chipped in with

fi ve rushing scores and 361

yards.

Defensively, junior Mason Monheim headlines a

stout linebacker group. The preseason Butkus

Award candidate racked up 108 tackles, four

forced fumbles, and two interceptions, including

one returned for a touchdown.

On special teams, the Illini have two players key

to changing fi eld position. Return man V’Angelo

Bentley, who appeared on the Hornung Award

Watch List as one of the nation’s most versatile

players, is averaging better than 20 yards per kick

return and 10 yards per punt return. On the other

side, Justin DuVernois ranks 14th in the nation in

punting average (44.4).

Drew Harris is the founder of First Pitch Public Relations, a sports-focused media relations company in Fort Worth, Texas. He has 16 years of experience in the sports communications industry with UW-Green Bay, TCU, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Kansas City Royals. Current clients include: ESPN Events, The Ben Hogan Award, Davey O’Brien Award, UT Arlington Athletics, and the Fort Worth Stock Show Syndicate.

ILLINI FIGHTING BACKBY DREW HARRIS, WWW.HEARTOFDALLASBOWL.COM

Reilly O’Toole


37

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is the state’s classic land grant university, dedicated to building on its tradition of excellence in education, research and public engagement, and driven to innovate in each of these missions. True to its commitment to provide access to top quality higher education to all of Illinois, the Urbana campus regularly ranks among the “best buys” among American universities.

Nearly 3,000 faculty members lead more than 44,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students in a process of discovery and learning in 17 colleges and schools and more than 150 research centers and institutes.

Illinois provides a diverse learning environment with students and faculty members from more than 120 nations, and a choice of 150 undergraduate majors. Students have opportunities ranging from participating in research or studying abroad, to leading one of more than 1,000 student organizations.

Illinois faculty members win the most prestigious national and international awards, including Nobel and Pulitzer prizes, Guggenheim Fellowships, Tony Awards, and National Medals of Science and Technology. Illinois alumni are similarly recognized; 11 have won Nobel Prizes.

Campus resources include one of the world’s largest public university libraries, with its online resources and precious rare book collections, including the earliest specimen of printing in the world, the oldest book printed in moveable type, and the fi rst folio of Shakespeare (1623).

Finally, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is the only U.S. institution of higher education ranking in the top 10 in the three key metrics of international education: international student enrollment, total number of study abroad students, and the number of federally funded Title VI National Resource Centers for international and area studies.

In its 2014 rankings, U.S. News & World Report’s America’s Best Colleges rated Illinois as the No. 11 public university and the No. 41 national university.

Champaign-UrbanaChampaign County is a warm and welcoming community with a dynamic mix of technology, tradition and culture.

Champaign County is proud to offer vibrant, yet diverse attractions while maintaining friendly, small-town hospitality. The community is rich in culture and full of activities.

Literally a “crossroads,” Champaign County lies halfway between the Windy city of Chicago and St. Louis. East or westbound travelers fi nd Champaign halfway between Indianapolis and Peoria.

Nearly 200,000 people call the Champaign-Urbana area home. Add more than 44,000 University of Illinois students from at least 125 different nations, along with a distinguished faculty and staff, and you see the diversity of a population that makes Champaign one of the most sophisticated counties in Illinois. Champaign-Urbana is consistently recognized as one of the “most-wired” communities in the nation.

Champaign and Urbana both offer vibrant downtown entertainment districts, with a dynamic live-music scene. The UI campus is split nearly down the middle by the twin cities, with each community offering many different outstanding dining opportunities.

Four distinct seasons provide much of the fl avor of Champaign. The summer months provide many outdoor activity opportunities with hiking, canoeing and camping locations nearby. With the fall comes a beautiful display of changing leaf color and the always-brisk weather for the college football season. Snow activities are the name of the game in the winter, as well as Fighting Illini basketball and other indoor sports. When spring rolls around, the community shakes off the winter chill and continues to enjoy fi ne cuisine, entertainment and intellectual stimulation.


UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS FACTS

QUICK FACTS

Location .................................. Urbana-Champaign, IL

(832 miles from Dallas)

Founded ........................................................................ 1867

Enrollment .............................................................. 44,942

Nickname .................................................... Fighting Illini

Colors ....................................................Orange and Blue

Chancellor ..................................................... Phyllis Wise

Athletics ....................................Director Mike Thomas

Head Coach ............................................. Tim Beckman

Third season .............................................................. 12-24

Media Relations .................Kent Brown, Derek Neal

[email protected] ........................ 217/493-9795

[email protected] ............................. 309/241-0804

www.illinois.edu .....................www.fi ghtingillini.comNOTE - Illinois has an 1-4 record for games in the “Lone Star” state with the only win at the 2010 Texas Bowl game (38-14) in Houston over Baylor. The Illini have dropped regular-sea-son games at SMU (26-7, 1966), Texas A&M (43-13, 1975) and at Houston (31-13, 1992). Illinois lost a 6-3 decision to UCLA in

the 1991 Sun Bowl.

2014 Results .......... 6-6, 3-5, T5th Big Ten West

A30 ...................Youngstown State ............... W 28-17

S6 .......................Western Kentucky ..............W 42-34

S13 ..........................at Washington .....................L 19-44

S20 ........................... Texas State ......................W 42-35

S27 ............................at Nebraska ........................L 14-45

O4 ..................................Purdue ............................ L 27-38

O11 ............................at Wisconsin ......................L 28-38

O25 ............................ Minnesota .......................W 28-24

N1 ............................. at Ohio State ....................... L 14-55

N15 ................................... Iowa ................................L 14-30

N22 ............................Penn State ........................W 16-14

N29 ......................at Northwestern ................ W 47-33

D26 ............vs. La Tech at ZHODB .... 12 p.m. CT

Illini Bowl Record (8-9-0)Bowl Date Opponent Result Coach Bowl MVP

Rose Bowl Jan. 1, 1947 UCLA W 45-14 Ray Eliot Buddy Young/Julius Rykovich

Rose Bowl Jan. 1, 1952 Stanford W 40-7 Eliot Bill Tate

Rose Bowl Jan. 1, 1964 Washington W 17-7 Pete Elliott Jim Grabowski

Liberty Bowl Dec. 29, 1982 Alabama L 15-21 Mike White None

Rose Bowl Jan. 2, 1984 UCLA L 9-45 White None

Peach Bowl Dec. 31, 1985 Army L 29-31 White None

All-American Bowl Dec. 29, 1988 Florida L 10-14 John Mackovic None

Citrus Bowl Jan. 1, 1990 Virginia W 31-21 Mackovic Jeff George

Hall of Fame Bowl Jan. 1, 1991 Clemson L 0-30 Mackovic none

John Hancock Bowl Dec. 31, 1991 UCLA L 3-6 Mackovic None

Holiday Bowl Dec. 30, 1992 Hawaii L 17-27 Lou Tepper None

Liberty Bowl Dec. 31, 1994 East Carolina W 30-0 Tepper Jimmy Johnson

MicronPC.com Bowl Dec. 30, 1999 Virginia W 63-21 Ron Turner Kurt Kittner

Sugar Bowl Jan. 1, 2002 LSU L 34-47 Turner None

Rose Bowl Jan. 1, 2008 USC L 17-49 Ron Zook None

Texas Bowl Dec. 29, 2010 Baylor W 38-14 Zook Mikel Leshoure

Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl Dec. 31, 2011 UCLA W 20-14 Zook Nathan Scheelhaase/Terry Hawthorne

Robert Easter President

Phyllis WiseChancellor

Mike Thomas Director of Athletics

Maria Ochoa Woods

Senior Associate Director of

Athletics, SWA


39

The Nickname - The term “Fighting Illini” was used beginning in 1921 when Memorial Stadium was being constructed to honor alumni, staff, and students who died during World War I. The term “Fighting Illini” was seemingly being linked to military service. The 200 columns that sup-port Memorial Stadium honor Illinois the men and women who gave their lives during WWI. Orange & Blue - The offi cial colors of the University of Illinois were established in 1894. Today, they serve as a tie to the geographic location of the university, representing the sun rising into the blue Midwest sky. The color blue is authoritative and powerful, and navy specif-ically suggests loyalty and integrity. Orange is associated with the characteristics of creativity, determination and success, and will be consis-tent throughout game day uniforms and sideline apparel. The Block I - Founded in 1910. Block I is one of the oldest student supports sections in the nation. In 1926, the Block began performing its trademark “Card Stunts” during games, a tradi-tion that continues to this day during halftime of each and every home football game. Grange Rock - The Illinois football players touch the Grange Rock to honor the greatest football player of all time - Harold “Red” Grange. The rock, which came from the same quarry that produced the stadium’s granite columns, sits at the north end of Zuppke Field inside Memorial Stadium. The Marching Illini - For over a century, the Na-tion’s Premier College Marching Band has cap-tivated audiences across the nation with spec-tacular performances and innovative concepts. The unique style of the Marching Illini represents

a combination of time-honored traditions and exciting innovations. Whether performing in historic Memorial Stadium or around the coun-try, the Marching Illini has held a level of national distinction and reputation for excellence that makes them The Best Band In The Land. All members of the Marching Illini are chosen by a music and marching audition, and represent every academic discipline on campus. They are a very select and close-knit organization made up of Illinois’ fi nest and most dedicated students. The Marching Illini was awarded the prestigious Louis Sudler Intercollegiate Marching Band Trophy in 1983, the nation’s highest and most coveted award for college and university marching bands. The Illinettes - As the offi cial dance team of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the Illinettes represent the entire State of Illinois as some of the most visible ambassadors for the University. The proud tradition of the Illinettes is carried on by a 28-member precision dance team that specializes in pom, jazz, and hip hop and performs at all Illinois home football and men’s and women’s basketball games. In addi-tion to spectacular performances before Memo-rial Stadium and State Farm Center crowds, the Illinettes perform annually at the Chicago United Center, the St. Louis Scottrade Center, Soldier Field and a Chicago Bears halftime Show as well as additional performances with the Nation’s Premier College Marching Band - the Marching Illini! Oskee Wow Wow - The offi cial fi ght song of the University of Illinois, the song was written in 1911 by two Illinois students, Howard Green and Har-old Hill. The school had recently discovered that its offi cial school song, Illinois Loyalty, was not well suited to rousing a crowd during a game.

OS-KEE-WOW-WOW Old Princeton yells her Tiger,

Wisconsin, her Varsity And they give the same old

Rah, Rah, Rah, At each University,

But the yell that always thrills me

And fi lls my heart with joy, Is the good old Oskee-Wow-Wow,

That they yell at Illinois.

Os-kee-Wow-Wow, Illinois,

Our eyes are all on you. Oskee-Wow-Wow,

Illinois, Wave your Orange and your Blue.

Rah! Rah!

When the team trots out before you, Every man stand up and yell,

Back the team to victory, Os-kee-Wow-Wow.

Illinois.

ILLINOIS LOYALTY We’re loyal to you, Illinois,

We’re “Orange and Blue,” Illinois, We’ll back you to stand ‘gainst the best

in the land, For we know you have sand, Illinois, Rah!

Rah!

So crack out that ball, Illinois, We’re backing you all, Illinois,

Our team is our fame protector, On! boys, for we expect a victory from

you, Illinois!

Che-he! Che-ha! Che-ha-ha-ha! Go Illini, Go!

Che-he! Che-ha! Che-ha-ha-ha! Go Illini, Go!

Illinois! Illinois! Illinois!

Fling out that dear old fl ag of Orange and Blue,

Lead on our sons and daughters fi ghting for you;

Like men of old, on giants placing reliance, shouting defi ance,

Oskee-Wow-Wow!

Amid the broad green fi elds that nourish our land,

For honest Labor and for Learning we stand,

And unto thee we pledge our heart and hand,

Dear Alma Mater, Illinois!

HAIL TO THE ORANGE Hail to the Orange,

Hail to the Blue, Hail Alma Mater,

Ever so true! We love no other

So let our motto be Victory, Illinois! Varsity!

FIGHTING ILLINI DID YOU KNOWS!


UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS ATHLETICS

The Division of Intercollegiate Athletics was chartered in 1892 as a not-for-profi t corporation of the State of Illinois. It was charged with overseeing and conducting the University’s intercollegiate athletics programs and associated support services, and operated as a separate entity. After the state legislature voted in June 1989 to bring UI athletics within the University proper, the DIA assumed the functions and responsibilities of the former Athletic Association. The DIA began operations offi cially July 1, 1989, and now, more than a 125 years after University of Illinois athletics began, the mission is still to achieve excellence both in the classroom and in sport competition. The DIA does not receive state tax dollars and over the years has been able to fully fund the NCAA maximum allowable number of athletic scholarships for student-athletes in each of its sports programs, as well as to hire excellent coaches, and maintain and upgrade its facilities, staying on par with the best major collegiate programs across the nation. The DIA sponsors 21 varsity teams and is a charter member of the nation’s premier league, the Big Ten Conference, and the National Collegiate Athletics Association. Since its inception as an athletics department in 1890, the Fighting Illini have won 20 NCAA Championships, fi ve football national championships and 241 Big Ten Titles. Fighting Illini athletes have won 27 Olympic medals while competing for 14 countries in 24 Olympics. Notable University of Illinois athletics alumni include Harold “Red” Grange, Dick Butkus, Ray Nitschke, Lou Boudreau, George Halas and Jerry Colangelo. The Illinois football program has a long and storied tradition that includes 16 members of the College Football Hall of Fame, 25 consensus All-Americans, six members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, 21 NFL fi rst-round draft picks, fi ve national championships, 15 Big Ten championships and 18 bowl appearances.

Retired Football NumbersDick Butkus, linebacker, No. 50; Harold “Red” Grange, halfback, No. 77

Consensus All-Americans - Ralph Chapman, guard, 1914; Perry Graves, end, 1914; Bart Macomber, halfback, 1915; John Depler, center, 1918; Charles Carney, end, 1920; Jim McMillen, guard, 1923; Harold “Red” Grange, halfback, 1923, 1924 and 1925; Bernie Shively, guard, 1926; Alex Agase, guard, 1946; Johnny Karras, halfback, 1951; J. C. Caroline, halfback, 1953; Bill Burrell, guard, 1959; Dick Butkus, center, 1963 and 1964 ; Jim Grabowski, fullback, 1965; David Williams, wide receiver, 1984 and 1985; Moe Gardner, nose tackle, 1989 and 1990; Dana Howard, linebacker, 1994; Kevin Hardy, linebacker, 1995; J Leman, linebacker, 2007 ; Whitney Mercilus, defensive end, 2011

Academic All-Americans - Bob Lenzini, defensive tackle, 1952; Jim Grabowski, fullback, 1964 and 1965; John Wright, end, 1966; Jim Rucks, defensive end, 1970; Bob Bucklin, defensive end, 1971; Dan Gregus, defensive lineman, 1980, 1981 and 1982; Mike Hopkins, defensive back, 1991; John Wright Jr., wide receiver, 1992; Brett Larsen, punter, 1994; Josh Whitman, tight end, 1999 and 2000; Ryan McDonald, offensive lineman, 2007 and 2008.

Dick Butkus Award - Dana Howard, 1994, Kevin Hardy, 1995.

Ted Hendricks Award - Whitney Mercilus, defensive end, 2011.

Academic All-American Hall of Fame - Jim Grabowski, fullback, inducted 1993.

College Football Hall of Fame - Alex Agase, guard (1941-1942, 1946), 1963 induction; Bob Blackman, coach (1971-1976), 1987; Al Brosky (safety, 1950-1952), 1998; Dick Butkus, center/linebacker (1962-1964), 1983; Chuck Carney, end (1918-1921), 1966; J.C. Caroline, halfback (1953-1954), 1980; Pete Elliott, coach (1960-66), 1994; Jim Grabowski, fullback (1963-1965), 1995; Red Grange, halfback (1923-1925), 1951; Ed Hall, coach (1892-1893), 1951; Bart Macomber, halfback (1914-1916), 1972; Bernie Shively, guard (1924-1926), 1982; David Williams, wide receiver (1983-1985), 2005; George Woodruff, coach, (1903), 1963; Claude “Buddy” Young, halfback (1944, 1946), 1968; Bob Zuppke, coach (1913-1941), 1951.


4141

Tim Beckman is in his third season leading the University of Illinois football program. In 2014, Beckman led the Fighting Illini to bowl eligibility, earning the sixth, bowl-clinching win

at in-state rival Northwestern on the fi nal week of the season. Illinois has improved from two wins to four wins to six wins in his fi rst three years as head coach.

Under Beckman’s leadership, the Illini have excelled in the classroom. A total of 42 players earned degrees in Beckman’s fi rst two seasons and a record number of football student-athletes posted at least a 3.0 grade-point-average in three-consecutive semesters. The cumulative team grade-point average his risen exponentially since Beckman’s arrival, going from 2.70 in fall 2012, to 2.87 in spring 2013 to 3.07 in fall 2013.

Prior to Illinois, Beckman spent three years as head coach at Toledo. He

engineered an impressive turnaround in his three years at the helm after inheriting a team that went 3-9 in 2008. The Rockets improved to 5-7 in 2009 before going 8-5 with a 7-1 record in the MAC and a berth in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl in 2010. Toledo posted an 8-4 record in 2011, including another 7-1 MAC record, a share of the MAC West Division title and a berth in the Military Bowl.

Beckman earned his master’s degree in education at Auburn while serving as a graduate assistant coach. He started his collegiate playing career at Kentucky before transferring to Findlay. A 1988 graduate of Findlay, Beckman majored in physical education and lettered in 1984 and 1985. Prior to that, he attended Forest Park High School in Beaumont, Texas, for two years before completing high school at Berea (Ohio) High School near Cleveland.

The son of longtime college and NFL coach Dave Beckman, Tim is a native of Berea, Ohio. He and his wife, Kim, also a Findlay graduate, have three children: Tyler, Lindsay and Alex.

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS HEAD COACHTIM BECKMAN


UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS COACHING STAFF

Tim BeckmanHead Coach

Tim BanksDefensive

Coordinator/Secondary

Tom BrattanOffensive Line

Bill CubitOffensive

Coordinator/Quarterbacks

Mike BellamyWide Receivers

Greg ColbyDefensive Line

Alex GoleshRunning Backs/

Tight EndsRecruiting

Coordinator

Tim SalemSpecial Teams Coordinator

Al SeamonsonOutside Linebackers

Mike WardInside Linebackers

Aaron HillmanStrength &

Conditioning Coach


4343

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI

53 • Nick Allegretti Offensive Lineman

96 • Rob Bain Defensive Lineman

15 • Aaron Bailey Quarterback

25 • Sean Arowolaju Defensive Back

8 • Geronimo AllisonWide Receiver

9 • Martize Barr Wide Receiver

2 • V’Angelo Bentley Defensive Back

10 • B.J. Bello Linebacker

3 • Taylor Barton Defensive Back

81 • Raphael Barr Wide Receiver

16 • Man Berg Quarterback

8 • Dillan Cazley Defensive Back

92 • Abe Cajuste Defensive Lineman

55 • Chris Boles Offensive Lineman

78 • Harry Black Offensive Lineman

23 • Devin Church Running Back

47 • Tim Clary Tight End

99 • Jarrod Clements Defensive Lineman

42 • Ralph Cooper Linebacker

Defensive BackV’Angelo Bentley


5 • James Crawford STAR

3 • Jon Davis Tight End

68 • Simon Cvijanovic Offensive Lineman

70 • Peter Cvijanovic Offensive Lineman

7 • Chayce Crouch Quarterback

7 • Caleb Day Defensive Back

64 • Steve Dumezich Offensive Lineman

18 • Mike Dudek Wide Receiver

26 • Cedric Doxy Defensive Back

67 • Christian DiLauro Offensive Lineman

28 Jaylen Dunlap Defensive Back

6 • Josh Ferguson Running Back

20 • Clayton Fejedelem Defensive Back

39 • Nathan Echard Linebacker

18 • Justin DuVernois Punter

14 • Eric Finney STAR

13 • Ryan Frain Placekicker/Punter

98 • Joe Fotu Defensive Lineman

25 • Kendrick Foster Running Back

75 • Patrick Flavin Offensive Lineman

82 • Kameron Fry Wide Receiver

19 • Justin Hardee Wide Receiver

33 • Zepheniah Grimes STAR

88 • Zach Grant Wide Receiver

46 • Jason Goldsmith STAR



4545


38 • Samuel Harlib Defensive Back

52 • Alex Hill Offensive Lineman

74 • Michael Heitz Offensive Lineman

89 • Dallas Hinkhouse Tight End

95 • Jake Howe Defensive Lineman/

Fullback

54 • Zach Hirth Long Snapper

30 • Julian Hylton Defensive Back

69 • Ted Karras Offensive Lineman

83 • Trevor Kanteman Tight End

97 • Paul James III Defensive Lineman

32 • Chris James Defensive Back

4 • Darwyn Kelly Defensive Back

11 • Matt LaCosse Tight End

41 • Nick Kyburz Punter

37 • Davontay Kwaaning Defensive Back

84 • Kenny Knight Wide Receiver

15 • Jevaris Little Defensive Back

66 • Scott McDowell Offensive Lineman

56 • Michael Martin Long Snapper

12 • Wes Lunt Quarterback

29 • Nelson Lugo STAR

Offensive LinemanMichael Heitz


45 • Henry McGrew Linebacker

29 • T.J. Moss Running Back

24 • Darius Mosely Defensive Back

43 • Mason Monheim Linebacker

48 • Chase McLaughlin Placekicker

16 • Marchie Murdock Wide Receiver

30 • Jim Nudera Tight End

31 • Nick North Defensive Back

58 • Kenny Nelson Defensive Lineman

52 • T.J. Neal Jr. Linebacker

73 • Chris O’Connor Offensive Lineman

6 • Carroll Phillips Linebacker

21 • Zane Petty Defensive Back

94 • Tito Odenigbo Defensive Lineman

4 • Reilly O’Toole Quarterback

31 • Leslie Poole Wide Receiver

85• Brandon Roberts Defensive Lineman

36 • Austin Roberts Linebacker

38 • David Reisner Placekicker

93 • Teko Powell Defensive Lineman

57 • Austin Schmidt Offensive Lineman

71 • Joe Spencer Offensive Lineman

27 • Eaton Spence Defensive Back

91 • Dawuane Smoot LEO


2 • Tyrin Stone-Davis Wide Receiver


47


9 • Earnest Thomas III STAR

44 • Austin Teitsma Defensive Lineman

13 • Dionte Taylor Wide Receiver

34 • Mike Svetina Linebacker

83 • Brennen VanMieghem Placekicker

86 • Malik Turner Wide Receiver

40 • Ryan Tucker Punter

26 • Cameron Tucker Running Back

22 • LaKeith Walls Linebacker

87 • Tyler White Tight End

35 • Sean White Linebacker

55 • Tré Watson Linebacker

17 • Jihad Ward Defensive Lineman

90 • DeJazz Woods LEO

80 • Jeremey Whitlow Wide Receiver

17• Taylor Zalewski Placekicker

5 • Donovonn Young Running Back

Defensive LinemanJihad Ward


UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS STATISTICS

Score by quarters 1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT TotalIllinois 85 57 63 114 319Opponents 88 123 103 93 407

TEAM STATISTICS ILLINI OPPONENTSSCORING 319 407• Per Game 26.6 33.9FIRST DOWNS 222 276• Rushing 78 146• Passing 117 110• Penalty 27 20RUSHING YARDAGE 1,405 2,995• Yards gained 1,733 3,285• Yards lost 328 290• Attempts 380 586• Per Rush 3.7 5.1• Per Game 117.1 249.6• TDs 15 28PASSING YARDAGE 2,918 2,577• Comp-Att-Int 259-423-11 200-342-7• Per Pass 6.9 7.5• Per Catch 11.3 12.9• Per Game 243.2 214.8• TDs 24 19TOTAL OFFENSE 4,323 5,572• Total Plays 803 928• Per Play 5.4 6.0• Per Game 360.2 464.3KICK RETURNS: #-Yards 37-712 23-553• Per Return 19.2 24.0PUNT RETURNS: #-Yards 21-191 20-163• Per Return 9.1 8.1INT RETURNS: #-Yards 7-203 11-203• Per Return 29.0 18.5FUMBLES-LOST 16-9 20-11PENALTIES-Yards 70-601 64-550• Per Game 50.1 45.8PUNTS-Yards 73-3,228 57-2,242• Per Punt 44.2 39.3• Net punt average 40.3 34.2KICKOFFS-Yards 60-3,655 74-4,344• Per Kick 60.0 58.7• Net kick average 38.0 37.6TIME OF POSSESSION 27:06 32:543RD-DOWN Conv. 64/171, 37% 82/188, 44%4TH-DOWN Conv 4/11, 36% 14/26, 54%SACKS BY-Yards 21-130 31-196TOUCHDOWNS SCORED 43 51FIELD GOALS 7-13 15-20ON-SIDE KICKS 2-3 0-3RED-ZONE SCORES (35-47) 74% (43-48) 90%RED-ZONE TDs (28-47) 60% (38-48) 69%PATs (38-41) 93% (48-48) 100%

SCORING TD PointsJosh Ferguson 10 60Mike Dudek 6 30Donovonn Young, Geronimo Allison 5 30EMatt LaCosse, Martize Barr 3 18Jon Davis, V’Angelo Bentley 2 12Seven players 1 6Place-kicking - David Reisner 5 for 9 FGs (Long 33), 22 of 24 EXPs, 37 points; taylor Zalewski, 2 for 4 FGs (Long 36), 16 of 17 EXPs, 22 points.

FUMBLE RETURNS No. Yards TDV’Angelo Bentley 2 18 1Clayton Fejedelem 1 16 0Carroll Phillips 1 3 0Jihad Ward 1 0 0

RUSHING Rushes Net Avg TD LongJosh Ferguson 139 685 4.9 8 75Donovonn Young 88 361 4.1 5 21Reilly O’Toole 77 261 3.4 1 28Aaron Bailey 32 120 3.8 1 29Jon Davis 10 28 42.8 1 7Mike Dudek 5 23 4.6 0 27Devin Churst 9 13 1.4 0 7Wes Lunt 16 -80 -5.0 0 5

PASSING Effi ciency Cmp-Att-Int Pct Yards TD LongWes Lunt 143.5 149-233-3 63.9 1,729 14 62Reilly O’Toole 120.8 98-167-7 58.7 1,049 9 58Aaron Bailey 101.1 11-22-1 50.0 118 1 24Mike Dudek 284.8 1-1-0 100.0 22 0 22

RECEIVING No. Yards Avg TD LongMike Dudek 69 965 14.0 6 56Josh Ferguson 44 373 8.5 2 42Geronimo Allison 37 526 14.2 5 60Donovonn Young 20 94 4.7 0 24Martize Barr 19 249 13.1 3 30Malik Turner 19 172 9.1 1 20Justin Hardee 18 230 12.8 1 62Matt LaCosse 14 117 8.4 3 30Jon Davis 13 137 910.5 2 25Devin Church 3 21 7.0 0 20Tyler White 2 17 8.5 1 13Marchie Murdock 1 17 17.0 0 17

PUNT RETURNS No. Yards Avg TD LongV’Angelo Bentley 12 123 10.2 0 40Darius Mosely 7 49 7.0 0 14Mike Dudek 1 4 4.0 0 4

INTERCEPTIONS No. Yards Avg TD LongMason Monheim 2 52 26.0 1 49Taylor Barton 1 77 77.0 1 77V’Angelo Bentley 1 45 45.0 1 45Eaton Spence 1 15 15.0 0 15T. J. Neal Jr 1 14 14.0 0 14Earnest Thomas 1 0 0.0 0 0

KICK RETURNS No. Yards Avg TD LongV’Angelo Bentley 29 626 21.6 0 67Darius Mosely 4 43 10.8 0 18Tyler White 2 26 13.0 0 17Tim Clary 1 11 11.0 0 11Matt LaCosse 1 6 6.0 0 6

PUNTING No Avg Long TB FC I20 50+ BlockedJustin DuVernois 72 44.4 74 6 16 19 19 0Ryan Frain 1 34.0 34 0 1 0 0 0

Leading Tacklers UT-AT=Totals Tackles for Loss SacksMason Monheim 42-66=108 6.5-16 1-4Zane Petty 46-58=104 1.5-3 0-0Taylor Barton 42-54=96 0.5-1 0-0T. J. Neal Jr. 27-66=93 5.5-15 0-0Earnest Thomas 32-23=55 9.5-39 4.5-25Eaton Spence 27-27=54 1-1 0-0Austin Teitsma 25-27=52 9.5-23 3-12Clayton Fejedelem 25-23=48 1-2 0-0Jihad Ward 18-30=48 7.5-44 3-30V’Angelo Bentley 19-25=44 3.5-7 0-0Dawuane Smoot 15-14=29 6-26 2.5-18Dejazz Woods 7-22=29 4-14 2-11Darius Mosely 18-10=28 2-9 0-0Rob Bain 12-14=26 3-8 0-0Ralph Cooper 7-18=25 0.5-1 0-0Jarrod Clements 10-14=24 6-13 2-7Eric Finney 4-15=19 1-1 0-0LaKeith Walls 10-7-17 1-9 1-9Caleb Day 11-4=15 1-1 0-0


49

PREMIER ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONSThe Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC) is an academic consortium of all 14 Big Ten universities and the University of Chicago, which is widely considered to be the model for effective and voluntary collaboration among top research universities.

Every CIC institution ranks among the top 86 universities in the nation according to the 2013 Academic Ranking of World Universities, including six in the top 25.

The Big Ten leads all conferences with nearly 1,600 Academic All-Americans, including 40 in the last academic year. In 2012, CIC institutions had over $10 billion in funded research, $4 billion more than any other conference.

A HISTORY OF ATHLETIC SUCCESSDuring the 2013-14 season, current Big Ten institutions claimed seven national championships: Maryland women’s lacrosse; Michigan men’s gymnastics; Ohio State open pistol and women’s rowing, and Penn State fencing, volleyball and wrestling.

Over the last 10 years, current Big Ten institutions have won national titles in 18 different sports, including basketball, bowling, cross country, fencing, fi eld hockey, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, indoor track and fi eld, lacrosse, pistol, rowing, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, synchronized swimming, volleyball and wrestling.

BROAD-BASED PROGRAMMINGThe Big Ten administers nearly $200 million in direct fi nancial aid to almost 9,500 student-athletes for more than 11,000 participation opportunities on 350 teams in 42 different sports.

The Big Ten sponsors 28 offi cial conference sports, 14 for men and 14 for women, including the debut of lacrosse this academic year.

The Big Ten leads the nation in total student-athletes and participation opportunities and sponsors more offi cial sports than all conferences other than the Ivy League.

Almost 1,400 Big Ten student-athletes and coaches have participated in the Olympics, winning at least 480 medals, including nearly 250 gold.

PASSIONATE FOLLOWINGThe Big Ten leads all conferences with 5.7 million alumni and more than 520,000 students.

Each year more than 10 million patrons attend Big Ten home contests, as the conference leads the nation in attendance for men’s basketball, hockey, volleyball and wrestling.

LEADERS IN INNOVATIONTook part in the nation’s fi rst bowl game, winning the 1902 Rose Bowl Game, and signed an exclusive contract with the Tournament of Roses in 1946, making it the fi rst bowl with permanent conference affi liations.

Awarded the fi rst Big Ten Medal of Honor in 1915, honoring outstanding senior student-athletes who demonstrated excellence in academics and athletics.Formed the Big Ten Advisory Commission in 1972, enlisting former student-athletes to serve as liaisons to the NCAA’s Diversity and Inclusion Department, the Big Ten Student-Athlete Advisory Commission and other organizations.

Became the fi rst conference to voluntarily adopt male and femaleparticipation goals after launching

its Gender Equity Action Plan in 1992.

Implemented the fi rst collegiate football system of instant replay in 2004, which the NCAA approved for use among all conferences in 2006.

Launched the Big Ten Network (BTN) in 2007, the fi rst nationalconference-owned television network.

Began partnering with the Ivy League to study the effects of head injuries in sports in 2012.Accepted Johns Hopkins University as the conference’s fi rst sportaffi liate member in 2013, allowing the debut of men’s lacrosse as anoffi cial conference sport.

EXTENSIVE TELEVISION EXPOSUREThrough the Big Ten’s media agreements with BTN, ABC/ESPN, CBS, FOX and NBC Sports Network, more than 1,200 Big Ten events are produced and distributed nationally on an annual basis.

BTN is in 60 million households across the United States and Canada.

The network is carried by all major cable, satellite and telco providersand is also available via BTN2Go on smartphones, tablets and theinternet.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENTFor the last 25 years, through the Big Ten’s SCORE (Success Comes Out of Reading Everyday) program, the conference has partnered with Chicago elementary schools to improve reading performance.

Surrounding the Big Ten Football Championship Game and Big TenBasketball Tournaments, the conference holds numerous community initiatives, such as the Big Ten Career Expo, SaturDAY of Service, Offi ciating and Youth Football Clinics and various fund-raising efforts, including the Think Pink promotions benefi tting the Pink Ribbon Connection at previous women’s basketball tournaments.

BIG LIFE. BIG STAGE. BIG TEN.

James E. DelanyCommissioner

Since its inception in 1896, the pursuit and attainment of academic excellence has been a priority for every Big Ten member institution. But maintaining the conference’s status as one of the preeminent athletic conferences in the country also endures as an important component of the Big Ten student-athlete experience. Striking that balance between academics and athletics is integral to the Big Ten’s identity. Recognized as one of intercollegiate sports’ most successful undertakings, the Big Ten strives for success from its student-athletes not only on the fi eld and in the classroom, but around the world as well.


®


51

ABOUT COTTON BOWL STADUIM

The Cotton Bowl Stadium (www.cottonbowlstadium.com) is one of the most storied and historic sporting venues in the country where more than 600 football games have been played.

Originally built in 1921, a 15,000 seat wooden stadium was used to host football games played in Fair Park and during the Texas State Fair. In the spring of 1930, ground was broken on the Fair Park Stadium and was completed in time to host numerous high school and college football games that fall.

In addition to football, the stadium was also used to host pageants and large-scale public events. In 1936, the stadium was renamed to the Cotton Bowl Stadium in anticipation of the fi rst Cotton Bowl Classic to be held New Year’s Day in 1937 between TCU and Marquette.

In 1948 and 1949, upper decks were constructed on both the east and west sides, raising the total seating capacity to 67,000. In 1960, Cotton Bowl Stadium became the home fi eld for the expansion team Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League, and continued to host their games until they moved to Texas Stadium in 1971.

Additional improvements and upgrades were made to the stadium during the late 1960’s and 1970’s. In additional to football, over the years, the Cotton Bowl Stadium has hosted many concerts including Elvis Presley in 1956 and the fi rst Texas World Music Festival in 1978, as well as major league soccer including the FIFA World Cup matches.

In 2008, work was completed on a multi-million dollar renovation to Cotton Bowl Stadium. It included new seating, turf, facilities, concessions, restrooms, a state-of-the-art high defi nition video board, and an all new sound system. Currently the stadium has a seating capacity of 92,100 and is second to only the Rose Bowl Stadium in hosting more collegiate bowl games than any other football arena in history.

Most Rushing Yards342, Roosevelt Leaks, Texas vs. SMU (37 attempts), 1973 - RS

Longest Runs97, Derrick Cullors, TCU vs. SMU, 1992 - RS97, Norman Bradford, Grambling State vs. Prairie View A&M, 1992 - RS

Passing Yards532, Case Keenum, Houston vs. Penn State (45-69-3 TD), 2012 - HODB

Longest Pass Play (t-touchdown pass)97t, Major Applewhite to Wayne Magarity, Texas vs. Oklahoma, 1998 - RS

Most Total Offense Yards542, Case Keenum, Houston vs. Penn State (532 P, 10 R), 2012 - HODB

Most Receptions12, Justin Johnson, Houston vs. Penn State, 2012 - HODB

Most Yards on Receptions228, Patrick Edwards, Houston vs. Penn St., 2012 (10 receptions) - HODB

Most Points Scored36, Quentin Griffi n, Oklahoma vs. Texas, 2000 (6 TDs) - RS

Most Field Goals Made4, Daniel Hernandez, SMU vs. TCU, 1996 - RS4, Mike Vachon, Oklahoma vs. Texas, 1966 - RS

Longest Field Goal64, Russell Erxleben, Texas vs. Oklahoma, 1977 - RS

Longest Interception Return100, Putt Choate, SMU vs. Tulane, 1977 - RS100, Charles Jackson, SMU vs. Rice, 1957 - RS100, Tirey Wilemon, SMU vs. Navy, 1959 - RS

Longest Punts84, Kyle Rote, SMU vs. Oregon, 1949 - CB

Longest Punt Return95, Bohn Hilliard, Texas vs. Oklahoma, 1932 - RS

Longest Kickoff Return100, Fozzy Whittaker, Texas vs. Oklahoma, 2011 - RS100, Jerry LeVias, SMU vs. Baylor, 1966 - RS100, Kyle Rote, SMU vs. Texas A&M, 1949 - RS

Longest Fumble Return67, Rodrique Wright, Texas vs. Oklahoma, 2005 - RS

Cotton Bowl Stadium College Records (Through Oct. 11, 2014)Individual (RS - regular-season; CB - Cotton Bowl Classic; HODB - Heart of Dallas Bowl)


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53

ZAXBY’S HEART OF DALLAS BOWL

ZAXBY’S HEART OF DALLAS BOWL RESULTSJanuary 1, 2011 ..........................Texas Tech (Big 12) 45, Northwestern (Big Ten) 38 ....................................40,121January 2, 2012 ..................Houston (Conference USA) 30, Penn State (Big Ten) 14 ..............................46,817January 1, 2013 .......................... Oklahoma State (Big 12) 58, Purdue (Big Ten) 14 .....................................48,313January 1, 2014 North Texas (Conference USA) 36, UNLV (Mountain West) 14 ...................... 38,380

ZAXBY’S HEART OF DALLAS BOWL MOST VALUABLE PLAYERS2011 ....................... QB Taylor Potts, Texas Tech - completed 43 of 56 passes for 369 yards and four TDs2012 ..................... QB Case Keenum, Houston - completed 45 of 69 passes for 532 yards and three TDs2013 ............... QB Clint Chelf, Oklahoma State - completed 17 of 22 passes for 197 yards and three TDs2014 ...........QB Derek Thompson, North Texas - completed 21 of 30 passes for 256 yards and two TDs

2011 MVPTaylor PottsTexas Tech

2012 MVPCase Keenum

Houston

2013 MVPClint Chelf

Oklahoma State

2014 MVPDerek Thompson,

North Texas

ZAXBY’S HEART OF DALLAS BOWL COACHESTommy Tuberville, Texas Tech .......................................... 2011 ....................................Pat Fitzgerald, NorthwesternTony Levine, Houston ...........................................................2012 ............................................. Tom Bradley, Penn StateMike Gundy, Oklahoma State ...........................................2013............................................... Patrick Higgins, PurdueDan McCarney, North Texas ..............................................2014 ..........................................................Bob Hauck, UNLV

ZAXBY’S HEART OF DALLAS BOWL WEATHER & OPENING KICKOFFDate Opponents Temperature at Kickoff Visibility Opening KO Return2011 Northwestern vs. Texas Tech 33°F Clear Northwestern, 19 yards2012 Penn State vs. Houston 47°F Clear Houston, 22 yards2013 Purdue vs. Oklahoma State 42°F Cloudy Oklahoma State, 14 yards2014 UNLV vs. North Texas 46°F Clear & Sunny North Texas, touchback

Tommy TubervilleTexas Tech 2011

Tony Levine Houston 2012

Mike GundyOklahoma State 2013

Dan McCarneyNorth Texas 2014


Doctors on the medical staff practice independently and are not employees or agents of the hospital. © 2014

1-877-THR-WELL I TexasHealth.org/Dallas

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and dedication inspire us – and everyone in our community. Thanks. And keep up the good work.

At their best when you need them most.


RUSHES - 20, Brandin Bryd, North Texas vs. UNLV (52 yards), 2014RUSHING - 126, Eric Stephens, Texas Tech vs. Northwestern (14 rushes), 2011RUSHING TDs - 2, Kain Colter, Northwestern vs. Texas Tech, 2011; Brelan Chancellor, North Texas vs. UNLV, 2014LONGEST RUSH - 86, Eric Stephens, Texas Tech, 2011

PASSING ATTEMPTS - 69, Case Keenum, Houston vs. Penn State (45 completions, 532 yards), 2012COMPLETIONS - 45, Case Keenum, Houston vs. Penn State (69 attempts, 532 yards), 2012COMPLETION PERCENTAGE (Min. 10 comp.) - 77.3, Clint Chelf, Oklahoma State vs. Purdue (17 of 22), 2013PASSING YARDS GAINED - 532, Case Keenum, Houston vs. Penn State (45 of 69), 2012TD PASSES - 4, Taylor Watts, Texas Tech vs. Northwestern (43 of 56, 1 interception), 2011PASSES HAD INTERCEPTED - 3, Rob Bolden, Penn State vs. Houston (7 of 26), 2012LONGEST PASS PLAY - 75, Case Keenum to Patrick Edwards, Houston vs. Penn State, 2012

TOTAL PLAYS - 76, Case Keenum, Houston vs. Penn State (69 passes, 7 rushes), 2012TOTAL YARDS GAINED - 542, Case Keenum, Houston vs. Penn State (532 pass, 10 rush), 2012TD RESPONSIBILITY - 5, Taylor Potts, Texas Tech vs. Northwestern (4 passing, 1 rushing), 2011

PASSES CAUGHT - 12, Justin Johnson, Houston vs. Penn State (148 yards), 2012RECEIVING YARDS - 228, Patrick Edwards, Houston vs. Penn State (10 receptions), 2012TD RECEPTIONS - 2, Lyle Leong, Texas Tech vs. Northwestern, 2011; Patrick Edwards, Houston vs. Penn State, 2012

ALL-PURPOSE YARDS - 234, Patrick Edwards, Houston vs. Penn State (228 receiving, 6 punt return), 2012

MOST POINTS & POINTS SCORED BY KICKING - 15, Quinn Sharp, Oklahoma State vs. Purdue (6 XP, 3 FG), 2012MOST TOUCHDOWNS - 2, Lyle Leong, Texas Tech vs. Northwestern; Kain Colter, Northwestern vs. Texas Tech, 2011; Patrick Edwards, Houston vs. Penn State, 2012’ Brelan Chancellor, North Texas vs. UNLV, 2014FIELD GOAL ATTEMPTS - 5, Matt Hogan, Houston vs. Penn State (3 made), 2012FIELD GOALS MADE - 3, Matt Hogan, Houston vs. Penn State (5 attempted), 2012, Quinn Sharp, Oklahoma State vs. Purdue (3 attempted), 2013LONGEST FIELD GOALS MADE - 50, Matt Hogan, Houston vs. Penn State, 2012LONGEST FIELD GOAL ATTEMPTED - 52, Nolan Kohorst, UNLV vs. North Texas, 2014PAT MADE & ATTEMPTED - 6, Matt Williams, Texas Tech vs. Northwestern, 2012; Quinn Sharp, Oklahoma State vs. Purdue, 2013

MOST PUNTS - 9, Anthony Fera, Penn State vs. Houston (374 yards), 2012YARDS PUNTED - 374, Anthony Fera, Penn State vs. Houston, (9 punts), 2012PUNTING AVERAGE (Min. 3 punts) - 52.7, Quinn Sharp, Oklahoma State vs. Purdue (3 punts), 2013LONGEST PUNT - 65, Quinn Sharp, Oklahoma State vs. Purdue, 2013

MOST PUNT RETURNS - 2, Josh Steward, Oklahoma State vs. Purdue (73 yards), 2013; Keith Whitely, UNLV vs. North Texas (1), 2014; Brelan Chancellor, North Texas vs. UNLV (16), 2014YARDS RETURNS - 73, Josh Steward, Oklahoma State vs. Purdue (2 returns), 2013LONG PUNT RETURNS - 64, Josh Steward, Oklahoma State vs. Purdue (2 returns), 2013

MOST KICKOFF RETURNS - 5, Venric Mark, Northwestern vs. Texas Tech (108 yards), 2011YARDS RETURNED - 108, Venric Mark, Northwestern vs. Texas Tech (108 yards), 2011LONG KICKOFF RETURNS - 49, Marcus Sullivan, UNLV vs. North Texas, 2014

MOST INTERCEPTIONS - 2, Nick Saenz, Houston vs. Penn State (2 yards), 2012YARDS RETURNED - 39, Jordan Mabin, Northwestern vs. Texas State (1 return), 2011INTERCEPTIONS FOR TOUCHDOWNS - 1, Jordan Mabin, Northwestern vs. Texas State (39 yards), 2011LONGEST INTERCEPTION RETURNS - 39, Jordan Mabin, Northwestern vs. Texas State (TD), 2011

LONGEST FUMBLE RECOVERY RETURN - 37, Daytawion Lowe, Oklahoma State vs. Purdue (TD), 2013FORCED FUMBLES - 2, Brodick Brown, Oklahoma State vs. Purdue (2 yards), 2013

MOST TOTAL TACKLES - 15, Quentin Davie, Northwestern vs. Texas Tech (3 solo), 2011MOST UNASSISTED TACKLES - 8, James Jones, North Texas vs. UNLV, 2014MOST TACKLES BY LOSS – 2.5, Zachary Orr, North Texas vs. UNLV (14 yards), 2014MOST QB SACKS - 2, Tyler Johnson, Oklahoma State vs. Purdue (6 yards), 2013PASSES BROKEN UP - 2, D. J. Hayden, Houston vs. Penn State, D’Anton Lynn, Penn State vs. Houston, 2012; James Jones, North Texas vs. UNLV, 2014QUARTERBACK HURRIES - 2, Eric Latimore, Penn State vs. Houston, 2012; Tim Hasson, UNLV vs. North Texas, 2014

ZAXBY’S HEART OF DALLAS BOWL INDIVIDUAL RECORDS


57

MOST RUSHES - 50, Northwestern vs. Texas Tech (229 yards), 2011YARDS GAINED RUSHING - 229, Northwestern vs. Texas Tech (50 attempts), 2011RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS - 3, Northwestern vs. Texas Tech, 2011, North Texas vs. UNLV, 2014

PASSING ATTEMPTS - 69, Houston vs. Penn State (45 comp., 532 yards), 2012COMPLETIONS - 45, Houston vs. Penn State (69 att., 532 yards), 2012PASSING YARDS - 532, Houston vs. Penn State (45 of 69), 2012PASSING TOUCHDOWNS - 5, Oklahoma State vs. Purdue, 2013

TOTAL OFFENSIVE PLAYS - 85, Texas Tech vs. Northwestern (552 yards), 2011, Houston vs. Penn State (600 yards), 2012TOTAL OFFENSIVE YARDS - 600, Houston vs. Penn State (85 plays), 2012TOTAL YARDS PER PLAY - 7.06, Houston vs. Penn State (85 for 600), 2012

TOTAL FIRST DOWNS - 34, Texas Tech vs. Northwestern, 2011FIRST DOWNS RUSHING - 11, Oklahoma State vs. Purdue, 2013FIRST DOWNS PASSING - 22, Texas Tech vs. Northwestern, 2011FIRST DOWNS PENALTY - 3, Oklahoma State vs. Purdue, 2013

MOST PUNTS - 9, Penn State vs. Houston (374 yards), 2012YARDS PUNTED - 374, Penn State vs. Houston, (9 punts), 2012PUNTING AVERAGE (Min. 3 punts) - 52.7, Oklahoma State vs. Purdue (3 punts), 2013

PUNT RETURNS - 3, Penn State vs. Houston (47 yards), 2012PUNT RETURN YARDS - 73, Oklahoma State vs. Purdue (2 returns), 2013PUNT RETURN AVERAGE - 36.5, Oklahoma State vs. Purdue (2 for 73), 2013

KICKOFF RETURNS - 7, Texas Tech vs. Northwestern (143 yards), 2011; Purdue vs. Oklahoma State (160 yards), 2012KICKOFF RETURN YARDS - 160, Purdue vs. Oklahoma (7 returns), 2012KICKOFF RETURN AVERAGE - 24.7, Houston vs. Penn State (3 for 74), 2011

MOST POINTS SCORED - 58, Oklahoma State vs. Purdue, 2013MOST POINTS SCORED, QUARTER - 22, North Texas vs. UNLV, 2014MOST POINTS SCORED, HALF - 32, Northwestern vs. Texas Tech, 2011MOST TOUCHDOWNS - 6, Texas Tech vs. Northwestern, 2011, Oklahoma State vs. Purdue, 2012MOST FIELD GOALS - 3, Houston vs. Penn State, 2012, Oklahoma State vs. Purdue, 2013

FEWEST POINTS ALLOWED - 14, by Houston vs. Penn St., 2012, by Oklahoma St. vs. Purdue, 2013; by North Texas vs. UNLV, 2014FEWEST RUSHING YARDS ALLOWED - 66, by North Texas vs. UNLV, 2014FEWEST PASSING YARDS ALLOWED - 137, by Houston vs. Penn State, 2012FEWEST TOTAL YARDS ALLOWED - 262, by North Texas vs. UNLV, 2014

MOST FUMBLES GAINED - 3, by Oklahoma State vs. Purdue, 2013MOST INTERCEPTIONS - 3, by Houston vs. Penn State, 2012MOST TURNOVERS GAINED - 5, by Oklahoma State vs. Purdue, 2013

MOST PENALTIES - 7, Northwestern vs. Texas Tech, 2011, Oklahoma State vs. Purdue, 2013MOST PENALTY YARDS - 62, Oklahoma State vs. Purdue, 2013FEWEST PENALTIES - 2, UNLV vs. North Texas (20 yards), 2014

TIME OF POSSESSION - 35:16, North Texas vs. UNLV, 2014

LONGEST SCORING DRIVE - 95 yards, UNLV vs. North Texas (eight plays, 3:00), 2014SHORTEST SCORING DRIVE - 28 yards, UNLV vs. North Texas (eight plays, 2:04, fi eld goal), 2014LONGEST NON-SCORING DRIVE - 57 yards, Purdue vs. Oklahoma State (10 plays, 3:55, missed fi eld goal), 2013

ZAXBY’S HEART OF DALLAS BOWL TEAM RECORDS

Derek Thompson of North Texas rushing against UNLV in the 2014 game

Mike Gundy and his Oklahoma State Cowboys with the 2013 Heart of Dallas Bowl trophy

Referee Terry Leyden with the fi rst coin toss in the 2011 game


2011 - Taylor Potts threw four touchdown passes and scored another on a trick play, and Eric Stephens ran 86 yards for a TD to carry Texas Tech to a 45-38 victory over Northwestern. The Red Raiders (8-5) led by 22 points early in the second half, and then had to sweat it out. The Wildcats (7-6) got within a touchdown twice in the fourth quarter, with freshmen quarterbacks Evan Watkins and Kain Colter combining to lead three straight touchdown drives and Jordan Maybin returning an interception 39 yards for a score with 5:37 left. The game wasn’t decided until the fi nal play, a heave by Watkins that was intercepted. It turned out to be quite a contest - 927 yards of total offense and an inspired comeback by the Wildcats. There were all sorts of oddities and game-changing plays, from a fl ubbed hold on an extra-point kick to Tech coach Tommy Tuberville trying an onside kick while leading 38-17 late in the third quarter. Soon, Northwestern was within 38-31. Potts held them off, though, going 43 of 56 for

369 yards. He ran twice for 19 yards, 13 coming when he threw the ball to Austin Zouzalik on the right side of the fi eld and Zouzalik threw it back to him. Potts scored easily behind a convoy of blockers. The throwback was ruled a lateral, so it went down as a rushing play.

2012 - Case Keenum fi nished his record-setting career with another performance for the history books. The sixth-year senior threw for 532 yards and three touchdowns, leading Houston to 30-14 victory over Penn State in a bowl game featuring two na-tionally-ranked schools. The Cougars (13-1) fi nished with a school record for victories and made Tony Levine a winner in his debut as Houston coach. Levine took over when Kevin Sumlin left to take the Texas A&M job after the regular season. Keenum came into the game as the NCAA’s career leader in yards passing and touchdowns passes, then set a bowl record with 227 yards passing in the fi rst quarter. The Nittany Lions (9-4) were picked apart by Keenum. Penn State was allowing 162 yards passing per game, but Keenum threw for more than double that by halftime. The Cougars raced out to a 17-0 lead in the fi rst quarter behind Keenum’s record-setting period. Keenum worked the spread offense to perfection; with fi ve different Cougars catching at least fi ve balls. Patrick Edwards, one of the country’s leading receivers, had 228 yards and two scores in the last game of his collegiate career. Justin Johnson had 12 catches for 148 yards. Keenum is the ninth player in bowl history to pass for at least 500 yards.

2013 - Six plays. That’s all it took to turn a potentially close game into a blowout in the 2013 Heart of Dallas Bowl. All six of those plays went in favor of Oklahoma State, and the Cowboys took full advantage, jumping out to a 28-0 halftime lead on the way to a 58-14 victory over Purdue. Had those six plays gone in favor of Purdue instead of OSU, the Boilermakers actually could have led at halftime or at least been close. Any chance the Boilermakers had of getting back into the game quickly disappeared in the second half. On the third play of the half, Justin Gilbert forced a Purdue fumble and Daytaw-ion Lowe picked up the ball and returned it 37 yards for a touchdown and a 35-0 OSU lead 51 seconds into the second half. For the game, Purdue committed six fumbles, lost three of them and threw two interceptions. Those fi ve turnovers led directly to 24 OSU points. The Cowboys’ defense, which had allowed a total of 92 points in their fi nal two games of the regular season losses, gave up only seven points before the Boilermakers picked up a late touchdown with less than three minutes left in the game. Clint Chelf

was named the game’s most valuable player after completing 17-of-22 passes for 197 yards and three touch-downs.

2014 - Derek Thompson threw for 256 yards and two touchdowns, Brelan Chancellor scored twice and North Texas dominated the second half of a 36-14 victory over UNLV in the Heart of Dallas Bowl. North Texas (9-4) pulled away from a 7-7 halftime tie for its fi rst bowl win since New Orleans in 2002. UNLV (7-6) drove 95 yards for a touchdown on its opening possession but didn’t score again until the Mean Green were up 28-7 in the fourth quarter. The Rebels lost in the postseason for the fi rst time in the school’s fourth bowl game and fi rst since 2000. Both of Chancellor’s touchdown runs came in the fourth quarter. He also keyed the go-ahead scoring drive in the third with some nifty footwork on a fi rst-down catch. Chancellor had 121 yards combined - 74 receiving and 47 rush-ing, including the scoring runs of 3 and 15 yards. Thompson threw a tiebreaking 7-yard touchdown pass to Drew Miller in the third quarter and put the Mean Green up 28-7 with a 34-yard scoring toss to Darnell Smith. Tim Cornett, UNLV’s career rushing leader, was held to 33 yards as quarterback Caleb Herring, who threw for 196 yards and two touchdowns. Herring’s second scoring toss was a 13-yarder to Jerry Rice Jr., the fi rst career touchdown for the son of Hall of Famer Jerry Rice in his fi nal college game. UNT came in with one of the nation’s top scoring defenses and forced seven straight scoreless UNLV possessions. The Rebels punted the fi rst three times they had the ball after halftime, and the Mean Green scored after each one. The Mean Green, playing in their fi rst bowl game since a 2004 New Orleans Bowl loss to South-ern Miss, sacked Herring fi ve times. UNLV jumped in front in the fi rst quarter on Marcus Sullivan’s 9-yard TD reception. Devante Davis set up the score with a 29-yard grab, and fi nished with 10 catches for 96 yards. The Rebels then had a chance to grab control, but Keith Whitely muffed a punt and Zed Evans recovered for North Texas at the UNLV 42. Antoinne Jimmerson had the tying score on a run from inside the 1.

ZAXBY’S AND HEART OF DALLAS BOWL RECAPS


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