Illinois Rivalry Anecdotes NEEDED

[ChappyCat]

Hey Wildcats! I am looking for some interesting NU-UI anecdotes from the fans/students' perspectives. Stories, ribbings, pranks- whatever you wanna share. Either post them here OR email me at nufbhistorian@gmail.com. Thanks everyone! Go Cats!

- Chappy

 

[zbag51]

I went to NU and my cousin went to U of I. I had been out of the state for a few years, but moved back to Chicagoland in 2015; my cousin has lived in Chicago for several years as well. We go to several NU games together every year, and he always come up when we play the Illini in Evanston. The year I moved back we started a bet, $100 to whoever wins the LOL hat. Needless to say, I’ve gotten the better end of that bet!

 

[ChappyCat]

I should add- this is for my book on the 1995 Football season, but in the chapter of the Illinois game I want to sprinkle in some fun rivalry stories between the two teams- doesn’t even have to be from that particular season.

 

[its_the_sauce]

I assume this one is a given....

 

[MRCat95]

I dug up the pithiest yet most comprehensive story/anecdote I could locate, so here goes...

Illinois Sucks

 

[GECat2]

Illinois is Northwestern's toilet paper.

 

[MotownMedilldo]

1992 OT win at Memorial Stadium. Lenny Williams led an epic comeback.

 

[phatcat]

Bo Cisek
Beckman knocked on his ass
Watching Colter and Mark destroy them in 2012
Getting the news in Germany in 2000 that we'd beaten them 61-23
444 yards rushing in 2003

 

[EvanstonCat]

Hey Wildcats! I am looking for some interesting NU-UI anecdotes from the fans/students' perspectives. Stories, ribbings, pranks- whatever you wanna share. Either post them here OR email me at nufbhistorian@gmail.com. Thanks everyone! Go Cats!

- Chappy

We call them LoLlinois

That’s all you need to know.

 

[BarefootCat]

In the 100+ year history, how often have both teams been ranked for the game? Not very often...

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Having the orange and blue clad depart Ryan Field mid third quarter in the 61-23 game that could have been a lot worse.

 

[Zootcat]

Back in 1983, during NU’s NIT B-ball season (Jim Stack et al), I had a bet with a relative on the NU/ Illini B-ball game. He actually had the gall to send me a typed letter/memo the day before the game, asking me to pay in advance of “the presumed U of I victory,” because he was going to have “a very busy day tomorrow.”

I was at Kellogg that year. My relative wrote the letter as though it was a business memo, and “cc’d” Kellogg’s Dean, Don Jacobs, suggesting perhaps stronger training in Finance would be a good idea (my relative also had an MBA from the University of Chicago).

So, in the 37 years since, whenever I see him, I’ve greeted him with “58-55!” which is the score by which we won that game!

 

[Williesfan]

Beckmann’s crabwalk nuff said

 

[NUCat320]

NU finished the miserable 2001 season on Thanksgiving in Champaign. I was there with WNUR. They served up real-deal Thanksgiving in the press box at ~9 am, which was pretty sweet.

Anyway, we generally went on air an hour before kickoff, and arrived about three hours before. Consequently, I got the chance to see the band go through their pre-pregame rehearsal. As the band was marching across the field, there was this out-of-uniform dude running and jumping and generally convulsing about like a drunk gymnast. It was very confusing.

When the on-field pageantry began, I realized that that was The Chief. It was only upon that recognition that I truly realized how absurd The Chief was.

 

[Gladeskat]

NU vs Illinois, 2003. Wright rushed for 251 yards, Herron for 163 yards, no passing in the second half (lone pass nullified by an Illini penalty). Our OL was laughing while pushing them around like children.

Hopefully, we can bring back that dominant running attack with the new OL talent coming into the program.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

NU vs Illinois, 2003. Wright rushed for 251 yards, Herron for 163 yards, no passing in the second half (lone pass nullified by an Illini penalty). Our OL was laughing while pushing them around like children.

Hopefully, we can bring back that dominant running attack with the new OL talent coming into the program.

Already did in 2019.

 

[Gladeskat]

Already did in 2019.

No.

 

[WaveJumper]

1992 OT win at Memorial Stadium. Lenny Williams led an epic comeback.

Williams to Gissandaner - how sweet - awesome endzone catch!

Gissandaner became a scout for the Packers and worked with my nephew.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

No.

378-14.

 

[Gladeskat]

378-14.

Not enough yards.

 

[iskaboo]

This is one of my favourites.

 

[ricko654321]

This is one of my favourites.

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The replay of the TD throw after is hilarious. It looks like we had 2-3 different receivers open who could have caught that ball. But, that said, have to think something in that play design or execution got screwed up...