Memory Lane: Illini roll at '99 bowl

EACH WEEK, WE’LL TAKE A LOOK BACK AT A MEMORABLE MOMENT IN ILLINI HISTORY, THANKS TO THE WORDS OF LOREN TATE AND THE MEMORIES OF JIM TURPIN.

Dec. 31, 1999

HEADLINE: Here's the kicker: It will only get better

By Loren Tate

Ron Turner’s Illini wasted money on their bowl trip to Miami.
They paid for air flight, lodging and meals for something they absolutely didn’t need: a punter.
While senior Neil Rackers wore his right shoe thin with 11 kickoffs and nine extra points, these incredible Illini didn’t officially use their ace punter, Steve Fitts, all evening.
OK, you noticed, the red-haired Fitts came in with intent to punt in the first quarter but Virginia jumped offside … and he did stay busy holding for extra points.
But this was an offensive outburst for the ages. Considering the opponent and circumstances, it was probably the most impressive outpouring of points in Illini history … coming right after Lon Kruger’s basketball team put up 107 against Loyola.
That’s 107 points by those teams in one day. What other school can say that?
The wonder is that Kurt Kitner & Co. didn’t score more than 63 because Virginia never came close to stopping them.  This was strictly the men vs. the boys, Illinois entering as an underdog (barley) for the ninth time in 12 games and making a Mockery of the oddsmakers for the fifth time, 63-12.
That’s 178 points in the last four games, these Illini finishing as the highest-scoring team in school history.

Fun time had by all

Everyone got in his licks.
Kittner fired two TD passes to set the school record of 24, ran a bootleg for another and caught a TD pass from Brandon Lloyd on the latest Turner trickery. Receivers found gaping holes in the Virginia secondary, Rocky Harvey and Steve Havard combined for 194 yards rushing, and happy Miamian Jameel Cook demonstrated that Ohio State linebackers aren’t the only ones who can’t cover him in the flat.
They made it look so easy.
And these 63 points came despite two awful officiating calls that would have been reversed by NFL replays … a goal-line Cavalier interception on which the ball clearly caromed off the turf, and a spectacular punt return by Lloyd that was nullified because the official didn’t recognize an Illini rusher was blocked into marginal contact with the Virginia punter.
Like the Illini rally at Michigan, nobody saw this one coming. Virginia had tied for second behind Florida State in the ACC and had beaten Georgia Tech and Maryland in a three-game streak at the end of the season.
Illinois asserted itself with a 71-yard opening march, Kittner scoring on one of several UI touchdowns on which the Illini ball carrier skated unchallenged into the end zone. It was 42-7 at halftime, a stunned coach George Welsh suggesting “that was as bad a half as our team has had in many years.”
From that point, it was just a case of finishing it off, and in trying to bring some meaning to an 8-4 season in which the Illini fell at Indiana and were abused by Michigan State, Minnesota and Penn State.

Bright future ahead

The only conclusion is this is a program on the upswing, a program with hot, young athletes and a pro-style aerial attack with a flair for the unexpected. Most of all, it is a program now under the firm control of an alert, professional leader.
Though we must remind ourselves that Illinois received the Big Ten’s lowest-rung bowl berth as the seventh pick, the future looks bright because Turner has virtually his entire offensive unit back in 2000 while Penn State must rebuild its powerhouse defense, Minnesota has serious graduation losses, Wisconsin must reload without Ron Dayne, and it isn’t clear whether Ohio State will regain its once-lofty perch.
What we see in the Big Ten is a league that has become dominant across the board but might not have a clear-cut national title contender in 2000. In other words, Illinois could be back in the loop and ready to look Michigan and Ohio State directly in the eye when they come seeking revenge next season in Champaign.
These Illini did everything in their power Thursday to send that message, to demonstrate that the turnaround is real. Enjoy the rush and don’t hold back on the New Year’s celebration. That’s only the third bowl victory for Illinois in 36 years.

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