University of North Carolina Athletics
Carolina Visits Illinois Saturday At 7:30
September 10, 2016 | Football
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. --- A week after dropping its season opener against Georgia in a neutral site game in Atlanta, North Carolina plays its second straight game away from home when the Tar Heels travel to Champaign to face Illinois of the Big Ten Conference. This marks the first time Carolina has opened a season with two consecutive games on the road (or neutral site) since 2001. Saturday's game will kickoff at 7:42 ET on the Big Ten Network.
AT A GLANCE
Records: North Carolina 0-1, Illinois 1-0
Rankings: Neither team is ranked.
TV: BTN (click for channel info). Eric Collins (play-by-play), J Lehman (analyst) and Rick Pizzo (sideline) have the call.
Radio: Tar Heel Sports Network (click to listen), a division of Learfield Communications. Jones Angell (play-by-play), William Henderson (analyst) and Lee Pace (sideline) have the call.
On The Web: GoHeels.com | UNC Notes | FightingIllini.com | Illinois Notes
Twitter: @TarHeelFootball, @CoachFedora | @IlliniFootball
CAROLINA-ILLINOIS SERIES NOTES/CONNECTIONS
• Carolina has won all three previous meetings with Illinois, including last year's 48-14 win in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels also had a road win in 1971 (27-0) and a home victory in 1987 (34-14).
• Carolina head strength and conditioning coach Lou Hernandez worked at Illinois from 2005-11 under head coach Ron Zook. Hernandez helped train five first-round NFL Draft picks in Champaign, including Rashard Mendenhall, Vontae Davis, Corey Liuget, Whitney Mercilus and A.J. Jenkins.
• North Carolina Senior Associate Athletic Director Vince Ille, a football administrator, worked 14 years at Illinois before coming to Chapel Hill in 2012.
LAST SEASON'S MATCHUP • UNC 48, ILLINOIS 14
• Marquise Williams (three TD passes, 105 rushing yards) led a big offensive performance for the Tar Heels, who routed cruised to a 48-14 win over a Power Five non-conference opponent. The defense surrendered just one touchdown through the first three quarters, Ryan Switzer had two big punt returns and kicker Nick Weiler hit two field goals.
• Switzer had a 71-yard return early in the second quarter to set up a short field goal, then broke free for an 85-yard touchdown in the fourth. The junior finished with 168 punt-return yards to set a UNC single-game record that had stood since 1951, and he also made a 34-yard scoring catch late in the third.
• Elijah Hood ran for 129 yards and a touchdown, giving the Tar Heels two 100-yard rushers in the same game for the first time since 2010.
• UNC led 20-7 at halftime, then scored 28 straight points to turn the game into a rout. Illinois' first drive stalled at the UNC 2 before ending with a fourth-down incompletion. And after Ferguson's 1-yard score in the second, Illinois didn't find the end zone until a meaningless touchdown in the final minute.
• Quinshad Davis had a 9-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter, setting the school's career TD receiving mark with 22.
• QB Mitch Trubisky entered the game in the fourth quarter and completed both pass attempts for 14 yards.
