Northwestern University Athletics
Postgame notes after Illinois game
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
October 3, 1998
GAME NOTES
October 3, 1998 -- Illinois at Northwestern
Illinois 13, NU 10
1. Asim Pleas made his third interception of the season, returning it 11 yards and giving him 100 return yards this season. Pleas has eight interceptions for 141 yards and two TDs in his career.
2. Muhammad Abdullah made his first career interception, stopping a 1st quarter NU drive and returning it 18 yards. Abdullah made his first career start vs. Iowa at free safety.
3. On his first return to his native Chicagoland, true freshman Rocky Harvey from Dunbar H.S. led the Illini in rushing, returned kicks and punts. He made his first career interception on a fake NU punt in the third quarter. He also caught a 4th quarter TD pass. Harvey enjoyed the second 100-yard rushing day of his career. He entered the game ranked third in the Big Ten in rushing at 122 yards per game.
4. Illinois had three interceptions for the first time since picking off three Ryan Leaf passes vs. Washington State (9/20/97).
5. After catching 0 passes in the first four games, junior Lenny Willis has caught five passes for 87 yards. Willis led the Illini with four catches for 100 yards vs. Iowa and added a team-leading nine catches for 187 yards vs.Northwestern. Willis led the Illini with 33 catches for 354 yards last year, but was bothered with a sore leg during training camp.
6. Quarterback Kurt Kittner threw his first career TD pass and the first TD pass for Illinois this season.
7. Illinois snapped a 15-game Big Ten losing streak dating back to a 46-43 overtime win over Indiana Oct. 5, 1996. Illinois snapped a 13-game road winless streak dating back to a 26-7 win over Iowa Nov. 4, 1995. Illinois was 0-12-1 (tie, 3-3, Wisconsin Nov. 25, 1995)
8. Today's victory was the first Big Ten victory for Ron Turner.
9. Today marked the 26th consecutive game that D'Wayne Bates has caught a pass. That is a new Northwestern record.
10. Bates now has 2,582 career yards receiving. That adds to his school record. He needs 59 yards to move into ninth place in Big Ten history in receiving yards.
11. Bates now has 162 career catches. That places him 10th in Big Ten history. Today he surpassed NU's Lee Gissendaner (156), Illinois' John Wright (159), and Michigan's Anthony Carter (161) in career catches.
