University of Illinois - Illio Yearbook (Urbana Champaign, IL)

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• •••• ' •■...• ' . .:•; %•■■■•■ -.■■ ' ••■■ ' •• ' ■ ffl P As the game progressed, our hopes diminished. The worried eyes of the cheerleader followed the plays closely, as one of the Fighting lllini was tackled once again. An interception by the rival team provoked an agonizing scream of disgust on the part of a loyal band member. The injury-ridden team was plagued by the loss of another valuable player. The halftime break was a source of much relief to both the fans and the players. 11K ,

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i i The Fighting lllini had their worst football season since 1953 when they also compiled a winless season. Very few times were the lllini even ahead at the halftime, and the fans shared their discouragement. In spite of the repeated losses, the lllini believed every game was a new beginning, and if the No. 1 position could not be attained they would do everything in their power to stop someone else. And so it was: the cheer- leaders kept cheering, Chief llliniwek kept dancing, Block I keptflashing, and the lllini kept marching. Coach Valek ' s squad tallied 106 points against 397 for their opponents. Dave Jack- son, Bob Bess, Doug Dieken, and Steve Livas each scored three touchdowns for eighteen points apiece. In rushing, Jackson netted 465 yards. Junior Darrell Robin- son rushed 446 yards in 112 carries for an average of 3.9. Bess carried 66 times for a net gain of 286 and an average of 4.3. In passing, sophomore quarterback Steve Livas completed 42 of 131 attempts for 705 yards and one touchdown. Lange hit 25 of 56 attempts for a gain of 396 yards and 4 touch- downs. Leading receiver was Dieken with 29 receptions for a total of 486 yards and three scores. LINOIS VISITORS