1948 Illinois Fighting Illini football team

{{Infobox college sports team season

| year = 1948

| team = Illinois Fighting Illini

| sport = football

| image = 1948 Illinois Fighting Illini football team.jpg

| image_size = 285

| conference = Big Nine Conference

| short_conf = Big Nine

| record = 3–6

| conf_record = 2–5

| head_coach = Ray Eliot

| hc_year = 7th

| mvp = Jim Valek

| captain = Herb Siegert

| stadium = Memorial Stadium

}}

The 1948 Illinois Fighting Illini football team was an American football team that represented the University of Illinois during the 1948 Big Nine Conference football season. In their seventh year under head coach Ray Eliot, the Illini compiled a 3–6 record and finished in eighth place in the Big Ten Conference.{{cite web|title=1948 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/1948-schedule.html}} End James Valek 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. 23 in the final Litkenhous Difference by Score System ratings for 1948.{{cite news|title=Michigan, Irish Finish 1-2 in Litkenhous Ratings|newspaper=Wilmington Morning News|date=December 15, 1948|page=32|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123192904/michigan-irish-finish-1-2-in/|via=Newspapers.com}}

Schedule

{{CFB schedule

| poll = AP

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = September 25

| w/l = w

| nonconf = y

| opponent = Kansas State

| site_stadium = Memorial Stadium

| site_cityst = Champaign, IL

| score = 40–0

| attend = 29,593

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 2

| w/l = l

| away = y

| opponent = Wisconsin

| site_stadium = Camp Randall Stadium

| site_cityst = Madison, WI

| score = 16–20

| attend = 45,000

| source = {{cite news|title=Badgers Tally in Last 3 Minutes to Shade Illini: Self Climaxes Thriller With 2 Yard Plunge|newspaper=The Pantagraph|date=October 3, 1948|page=14|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/7989554/badgers_tally_in_last_3_minutes_to/|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 9

| w/l = l

| nonconf = y

| opponent = Army

| opprank = 5

| site_stadium = Memorial Stadium

| site_cityst = Champaign, IL

| score = 21–26

| attend = 71,119

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 16

| w/l = l

| away = y

| opponent = Minnesota

| opprank = 11

| site_stadium = Memorial Stadium

| site_cityst = Minneapolis, MN

| score = 0–6

| attend = 62,066

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 23

| w/l = w

| opponent = Purdue

| site_stadium = Memorial Stadium

| site_cityst = Champaign, IL

| gamename = rivalry

| score = 10–6

| attend = 56,451

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = October 30

| w/l = l

| away = y

| opponent = Michigan

| opprank = 1

| site_stadium = Michigan Stadium

| site_cityst = Ann Arbor, MI

| gamename = rivalry

| score = 20–28

| attend = 85,872

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 6

| w/l = w

| opponent = Iowa

| site_stadium = Memorial Stadium

| site_cityst = Champaign, IL

| score = 14–0

| attend = 41,502

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 13

| w/l = l

| opponent = Ohio State

| site_stadium = Memorial Stadium

| site_cityst = Champaign, IL

| gamename = Illibuck Trophy

| score = 7–34

| attend = 65,732

| source = {{cite news |title=Buckeyes Roll Over Illini |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/111518177/wisconsin-state-journal/ |access-date=October 17, 2022 |work=Wisconsin State Journal |agency=United Press |date=November 14, 1948 |page=38 |via=Newspapers.com}}

}}

|{{CFB schedule entry

| date = November 20

| w/l = l

| away = y

| opponent = Northwestern

| opprank = 7

| site_stadium = Dyche Stadium

| site_cityst = Evanston, IL

| gamename = rivalry

| score = 7–20

| attend = 47,000

}}

References

Illinois

Category:Illinois Fighting Illini football seasons

Illinois Fighting Illini football