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1965 Illinois Fighting Illini football team
| 1965 Illinois Fighting Illini football |
|---|
| Big Ten Conference |
| 6–4 (4–3 Big Ten) |
| Pete Elliott (6th season) |
| Jim Grabowski |
| Jim Grabowski |
| Don Hansen |
| Memorial Stadium |
The 1965 Illinois Fighting Illini football team represented the University of Illinois as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 1965 Big Ten season. In their sixth season under head coach Pete Elliott, the Fighting Illini compiled a 6–4 (4–3 in conference games), finished in fifth place in the Big Ten, and outscored opponents 235 to 118.
Fullback Jim Grabowski led the Big Ten with 252 rushing carries and 1,258 rushing yards. He won the Chicago Tribune Silver Football as the most valuable player in the Big Ten and was a consensus pick for the 1965 All-America team. Grabowski, linebacker Don Hansen, and defensive back Ron Acks received first-team honors on the 1965 All-Big Ten Conference football team.
The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Fred Custardo (1,124 passing yards, 52.9% completion percentage) and wide receiver John Wright (47 receptions for 755 yards).
The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 18 | Oregon State* | Memorial StadiumChampaign, IL | L 10–12 | 34,149 | |
| September 25 | SMU* | Memorial StadiumChampaign, IL | W 42–0 | 45,175 | |
| October 2 | at No. 9 Michigan State | Spartan StadiumEast Lansing, MI | L 12–22 | 71,237 | |
| October 9 | at Ohio State | Ohio StadiumColumbus, OH (Illibuck) | L 14–28 | 83,712 | |
| October 16 | Indiana | Memorial StadiumChampaign, IL (rivalry) | W 34–13 | 61,257 | |
| October 23 | Duke* | Memorial StadiumChampaign, IL | W 28–14 | 47,077 | |
| October 30 | No. 6 Purdue | Memorial StadiumChampaign, IL (rivalry) | W 21–0 | 59,507 | |
| November 6 | Michigan | Memorial StadiumChampaign, IL (rivalry) | L 3–23 | 50,136 | |
| November 13 | at Wisconsin | Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI | W 51–0 | 55,192 | |
| November 20 | at Northwestern | Dyche StadiumEvanston, IL (rivalry) | W 20–6 | 41,348 | |
| *Non-conference gameRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameSource: |
- Jim Grabowski (fullback)
- Chicago Tribune Silver Football
- Consensus All-American
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 | Column 4 | Column 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Round | Pick | Position | Club |
| Jim Grabowski | 1 | 9 | Running back | Green Bay Packers |
| Don Hansen | 3 | 42 | Linebacker | Minnesota Vikings |
| Ron Acks | 4 | 57 | Defensive end | Minnesota Vikings |
| Sam Price | 16 | 240 | Defensive end | New York Giants |
| Gary Eickman | 17 | 254 | Defensive end | New York Giants |
| Kai Anderson | 18 | 268 | Defensive end | New York Giants |
| Dale Greco | 18 | 270 | Defensive tackle | Minnesota Vikings |
- Jim Grabowski was also the first pick overall in the 1966 American Football League draft. He was the first ever draft pick of the Miami Dolphins.
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