USC vs Illinois football record, history between Trojans, Fighting Illini
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USC vs Illinois football record, history between Trojans, Fighting Illini
No. 22 USC (4-0) and No. 23 Illinois (3-1) meet in Champaign, Illinois, on Sept. 27. The Trojans hold an 11-2 all-time series lead over the Fighting Illini, including a 6-0 record inChampaign. The last meeting between the two programs was the 2008 Rose Bowl, which USC won 49-17. Illinois’ last victory in the series came in 1989 with a 14-13 win in Los Angeles. The game will mark the 14th matchup between the programs, which includes the 2008Rose Bowl. However, this will be just the third meeting since 1996 between Illinois and USC, and the first time in 17 years the two teams have met in a home-and-home series. The Illini are looking to bounce back from a 63-10 loss to Indiana last week.
The last meeting between the two programs was the 2008 Rose Bowl, which USC won 49-17.
Illinois’ last victory in the series came in 1989 with a 14-13 win in Los Angeles.
In Year 2 of the expanded Big Ten Conference, college football fans are being treated to some matchups they would not normally see.
One of the matchups taking place Sept. 27 will be a top-25 matchup between No. 22 USC (4-0) and No. 23 Illinois (3-1) from Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois, marking the first meeting in 17 years.
The game between the Trojans and the Fighting Illini is not a new one. The matchup will mark the 14th matchup between the programs, which includes the 2008 Rose Bowl. However, this will be just the third meeting since 1996.
Lincoln Riley and USC will look to jump out to a 5-0 start for the first time since 2023, when it opened the season 6-0. The Trojans opened Big Ten play with a 45-31 win over Michigan State last weekend. Illinois is looking to bounce back from a 63-10 loss to Indiana last week.
Here’s a look at the series history between USC and Illinois:
USC-Illinois series history
Saturday, Sept. 27’s meeting between USC and Illinois will mark the 14th all-time meeting between both programs, and the first since the 2008 Rose Bowl. The Trojans earned a 49-17 win over the Fighting Illini on Jan. 1, 2007.
This trip marks the first trip for USC to Champaign since Sept. 7, 1996. The Trojans hold a 6-0 advantage over the Fighting Illini on the road.
USC record vs Illinois
USC record vs. Illinois: USC leads 11-2
USC leads 11-2 USC’s last win in series: 2007 (49-17)
2007 (49-17) Illinois’ last win in series: 1989 (14-13)
Illinois won the first matchup between the two programs on Oct. 12, 1935, 19-0 in Los Angeles. However, the Trojans won the next nine meetings between 1936 and 1986. The team’s played home-and-home games in 1935-36, 1939-40, 1961-62, 1971-72 and 1985-86.
The Fighting Illini’s last win in the series was a 14-13 win on Sept. 4, 1989, in Los Angeles. Unlike the other matchups, that was a one-off in Los Angeles. USC earned a 55-3 win over Illinois in Champaign on Sept. 7, 1996.
2008 Rose Bowl: USC vs Illinois
The 2008 Rose Bowl, played on Jan. 1, 2008, between USC and Illinois, featured 1,078 yards of total offense combined, in USC’s 49-17 victory. The 49 points set the then-record for most points in a Rose Bowl game.
USC jumped out to a 21-0 lead before Illinois finally got on the board. Trojan quarterback John David Booty threw for 255 yards and three touchdowns, while Joe McKnight had 127 rushing yards and a touchdown and Stafon Johnson had nine rushes for 105 yards.
Rey Maualuga and Cary Harris each intercepted Illinois QB Juice Williams, while the Trojans’ defense sacked Williams five times. Illinois freshman running back Rashard Mendenhall finished with 17 rushes for 155 yards and a touchdown.
USC vs Illinois football game results
Here’s a game-by-game breakdown of how past USC vs. Illinois games have played out: