1942 Illinois Fighting Illini football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1942
| team = Illinois Fighting Illini
| sport = football
| image = 1942 Illinois Fighting Illini football team.jpg
| image_size = 285
| conference = Big Ten Conference
| short_conf = Big Ten
| record = 6–4
| conf_record = 3–2
| head_coach = Ray Eliot
| hc_year = 1st
| mvp = Elmer Engel
| captain = Jimmy Smith
| stadium = Memorial Stadium
}}
{{1942 Big Ten Conference football standings}}
The 1942 Illinois Fighting Illini football team was an American football team that represented the University of Illinois during the 1942 Big Ten Conference football season. In their first season under head coach Ray Eliot, the Illini compiled a 6–4 record and finished in a tie for third place in the Big Ten Conference.{{cite web|title=1942 Illinois Schedule and Results|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=SR/College Football|access-date=December 16, 2015|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/schools/illinois/1942-schedule.html}} End Elmer Engel was selected as the team's most valuable player.{{cite web|title=Fighting Illini Football Record Book|publisher=University of Illinois|year=2015|access-date=December 28, 2016|page=155|url=http://sidearm.sites.s3.amazonaws.com/fightingillini.com/documents/2015/8/3/3_History_7_30.pdf}}
Illinois was ranked at No. 11 (out of 590 college and military teams) in the final rankings under the Litkenhous Difference by Score System for 1942.{{cite news|title=Litkenhous Rates Georgia No. 1, Ohio State No. 2|newspaper=Twin City Sentinel|author=Dr. E. E. Litkenhous|date=December 16, 1942|page=10|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123106326/litkenhous-rates-georgia-no-1-ohio/|via=Newspapers.com}}
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| rankyear = 1942
| poll = AP
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 26
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| opponent = South Dakota
| site_stadium = Memorial Stadium
| site_cityst = Champaign, IL
| score = 46–0
| attend = 7,500
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 3
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| opponent = {{cfb link|year=1942|team=Butler Bulldogs|title=Butler}}
| site_stadium = Memorial Stadium
| site_cityst = Champaign, IL
| score = 67–0
| attend = 10,000
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 10
| w/l = w
| opponent = Minnesota
| site_stadium = Memorial Stadium
| site_cityst = Champaign, IL
| score = 20–13
| attend = 24,276
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 17
| w/l = w
| away = y
| rank = 5
| opponent = Iowa
| opprank = 19
| site_stadium = Iowa Stadium
| site_cityst = Iowa City, IA
| score = 12–7
| attend = 25,600
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 24
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| rank = 5
| opponent = Notre Dame
| opprank = 8
| site_stadium = Memorial Stadium
| site_cityst = Champaign, IL
| score = 14–21
| attend = 43,476
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 31
| w/l = l
| away = y
| rank = 12
| opponent = Michigan
| opprank = 13
| site_stadium = Michigan Stadium
| site_cityst = Ann Arbor, MI
| gamename = rivalry
| score = 14–28
| attend = 33,826
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 7
| w/l = w
| away = y
| rank = 20
| opponent = Northwestern
| site_stadium = Dyche Stadium
| site_cityst = Evanston, IL
| gamename = rivalry
| score = 14–7
| attend = 35,300
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 14
| w/l = l
| neutral = y
| rank = 13
| opponent = Ohio State
| opprank = 10
| site_stadium = Cleveland Stadium
| site_cityst = Cleveland, OH
| gamename = Illibuck Trophy
| score = 20–44
| attend = 68,586
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 21
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| opponent = Great Lakes Navy
| site_stadium = Memorial Stadium
| site_cityst = Champaign, IL
| score = 0–6
| attend = 10,856
| source = {{cite news|title=Sweiger Score Tips Illini, 6-0|newspaper=Minneapolis Sunday Tribune and Star Journal|date=November 22, 1942|page=29|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/17890343/sweiger_score_tips_illini_60/|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 28
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| away = y
| opponent = Camp Grant
| site_stadium = Camp Grant
| site_cityst = Rockford, IL
| score = 20–0
| attend = 5,000
}}
}}
Rankings
{{see also|1942 college football rankings}}
{{Ranking movements
| poll1title = AP
| poll1firstweek = 1
| poll1lastweek = 8
| poll1_1=5 {{small|(18)}}
| poll1_2=5 {{small|(1)}}
| poll1_3=12
| poll1_4=20
| poll1_5=13
| poll1_6=NR
| poll1_7=NR
| poll1_8=NR
}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Illinois Fighting Illini football navbox}}