Inside The Huskies

Washington-Illinois Kickoff Set For What Should Be A Wet One

These teams haven't met in 11 seasons, since Chris Petersen was a first year Husky coach.
Dan Raley|
Huskies linebacker Shaq Thompson (7) shakes hands with an Illinois opponent in 2014 after a two-touchdown defensive outing.
Huskies linebacker Shaq Thompson (7) shakes hands with an Illinois opponent in 2014 after a two-touchdown defensive outing. | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

While the weather is changing to something a little more challenging, Washington and Illinois at least will play next Saturday's Big Ten football game at a decent hour, kicking off at 12:30 p.m. in Husky Stadium.

Bring your umbrellas though -- seven-day weather forecasts for Seattle indicate the game will be played with a 60 percent chance of rain.

For the squeamish, the Big Ten Network will televise the contest.

Both teams enter the match-up with the same records (5-2 overall, 2-2 Big Ten) in what should be a fairly competitive outing.

While the Huskies emerge from a 24-7 weekend loss at Michigan, the Illini return to action from a bye week.

Both teams hold the distinction of losing to top-ranked Ohio State at home, with Illinois comng up short 34-16 in Champagne to the Buckeyes on Oct. 11 and the UW dropping a 24-6 decision to them on Sept. 27.

The Huskies have won seven of 11 games in the series against Illinois, including the past four outings, but the teams have met just twice over the past 52 years.

The last match-up came in 2014, when Chris Petersen was a first-year coach, and the UW took a 44-19 decision at Husky Stadium.

Shaq Thompson was a junior linebacker at his defensive playmaking best that day for the Huskies when he returned an interception 36 yards for a touchdown and a fumble 52 yards for a score, both coming in the first half.

Eleven years later, he's still playing football for the Buffalo Bills,

The UW also beat Illinois in 2013, in Steve Sarkisian's final season as the Husky coach, winning 34-24 at Soldier Field in Chicago. Bishop Sankey rushed for 208 yards and scored rushing and receiving touchdowns.

Huskies quarterback Sonny Sixkiller calls the signals during his 1971 game against Illinois.
Huskies quarterback Sonny Sixkiller calls the signals during his 1971 game against Illinois. | Malcolm Emmons-Imagn Images

These teams played twice during the Sonny Sixkiller era, with the Huskies taking a 52-14 victory in Champagne, Illinois, in 1971 and a 31-11 win in Seattle in 1972.

In 1964, the teams met with the most on the line in the series -- facing each other in the Rose Bowl and the Illini emerged with 17-7 victory.

Illinois was led by legendary linebacker Dick Butkus in that Pasadena match-up, while the Huskies lost starting quarterback Bill Douglas to a knee injury after he led them to a 7-0 lead.

All-America running back Hugh McElhenny was the central focus of UW teams that played the first games of the series against Illinois in 1950 and 1951, losing tough ones each time, 20-13 on the road and 27-20 at home.

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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