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American college football season
The 1976 Illinois Fighting Illini football team was an American football team that represented the University of Illinois in the 1976 Big Ten Conference football season . In their sixth year under head coach Bob Blackman , the Illini compiled a 5–6 record and finished in a four-way tie for third place in the Big Ten Conference .[ 1]
The team's offensive leaders were quarterback Kurt Steger with 1,243 passing yards, running back James Coleman with 687 rushing yards, and wide receiver Eric Rouse with 326 receiving yards.[ 2] Offensive tackle Jerry Finis and linebacker Scott Studwell were selected as the team's most valuable players.[ 3]
Date Opponent Rank Site Result Attendance Source September 11 Iowa W 24–649,515
September 18 at No. 6 Missouri * W 31–663,486
September 25 Baylor * No. 14 Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL L 19–3444,481
October 2 Texas A&M * Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL L 7–1467,543
October 9 at Minnesota L 14–2952,606
October 16 at Purdue W 21–1766,716
October 23 Michigan State Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL L 23–3152,860
October 30 Wisconsin Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL W 31–2554,121
November 6 at No. 8 Ohio State L 10–4287,654
November 13 at No. 4 Michigan L 7–38104,107 [ 4] [ 5]
November 20 Northwestern Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL (rivalry ) W 48–634,500
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
1976 Illinois Fighting Illini football team roster
Players
Coaches
Offense
Defense
Special teams
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible
Injured
Redshirt
Roster
Venues Bowls & rivalries Culture & lore People Seasons National championship seasons in bold