RE: Barnhardt, believe Turpin still on the horn that season. But Brian announced the game at OSU as Turp stayed back to call home basketball game vs Gonzaga on Friday of that weekend.
My freshman year at UI so obviously holds a soft spot. Not quite the age of knowing all ins and outs of the team yet, but it was sounded like quite a group off the field from your tall tales. Was still getting my footing in town. To close the season, went to said Gonzaga BB game Friday night then Saturday morning drove to Madison to meet my best friend from high school and see UM/UW. Watched ILL game in his dorm, listened to part of first half on radio traveling up. If Wisconsin won, game vs NU was going to be televised on ESPN and we could clinch outright. Wisconsin tough, but underachieving. Tie game late, Michigan punting to pin UW and force OT, ball hits foot of Wisconsin gunner, Bell, Epstein comes in and hits chip shot game winner.
Drove down for Thanksgiving game with my old man, in control most of the way, up 34-14 at one point, winds vicious from the south. Cats mounted a big rally, and Kustok had a man open for a potentially deep touchdown but missed. Get a call Friday night from same friend at UW, uncle has tickets to OSU/UM game. Make the trek to the Big House for the 2nd time that year, OSU gets it done paving the way to the start of their 2002 championship run.
Was a funny season, because we started 0-1 after the Michigan game and needed to run the table along with them losing 2. MSU gets the miracle win in East Lansing on the last play to Duckett giving us a ray of hope. Iowa and Wisconsin, both ample opportunities to beat UM, but ultimately fail. However, Ohio State saves the day and sends us to New Orleans.
Bittersweet IMO to have to go to New Orleans instead of Pasadena. Would have carried much more lore to this day. Made it right to the Zooker's in '07.
Favorite moment of 2001 season, down 1. Kittner rolls left, hardly ever moved/left pocket, finds Lloyd on 3rd and 10 down the left sideline for about 30 getting us deep out of our own territory. Harvey TD run to seal the game sent 70k+ into a frenzy. Last big crowd, full house before the remodel chopped off 10k seats. Lot more fun back then with only 11 teams in the Big Ten.
Barnhart did games that year filling in for Turpin.....remember it cause he would always talk about the 2001 season 'as his first'....various events he would speak at I was around during his early years....Turpin's on air argument with Bardo after that NCAA tourney loss to UofA when all those fouls were called on Illini...basically the end for a very nice man....HA...yes ILL. got a lot of breaks 2001...always need them...hey no mention of the Sugar Bowl....🤣two of my favorite Sugar Bowl stories...linebacker out with his buddies meet some cute girls at the bar....linebacker invites them back to his room to 'party'...one girl asks, 'why r U down here?' he tells them, 'with Illinois we are playing in the Sugar Bowl'....girl says, 'my dad is a coach for your team'....needless to say....other starting defensive end partying all night after game misses team bus to airport....runs out to catch a cab in his flip flops t-shirt and shorts after he sees bus pull away....pays cab driver 50 bucks to 'beat' the bus....player standing outside the airport when bus pulls up...Turner not happy at all with that one...later during full contact practice 2003....same player tears up his knee again after getting cut blocked...end of Illini career.
After the loss in the NCAA tourney to UofA....elite 8 IIRC....Turpin went all in critical of all the foul calls (Luther Olson basically called that game for the refs IMO) and being the arrogant asshole/contrarian Bardo is....interrupted Turpin, 'wasn't what lost Illinois the game Jim'....Turpin Tate and Guenther 3 biggest Illini fans I ever met....Turpin wasn't having any of it and got snappy with Bardo....cut away for a break and after Turpin just wrapped it up...Bardo would do shit like that all the time why few could stand him....just being an asshole to be an asshole....
The IHSA State Finals were in MS in 2001 - that's why the Illini played on Thanksgiving. I got a pass from the best wife and was able to attend. Her parents were over for Thanksgiving and I got the pass.
I loved the Thursday - Saturday schedules of BT Hoops back in the day.
hey at least I remembered it was on Thanksgiving😂my favorite IHSA weekend memory...2007 state finals go over to the football offices to watch the games with the staff....they could go on the field after each game and talk to coaches/players....anyway...for some reason walked right past security into the football offices....they gave me a pass to get on the field....Security on the field wouldn't let Zook on cause he forgot his pass in the football offices...came out of the tunnel and....had to go back up and get his pass...eye roll
Brad "Thibs" Underwood would never get Wagler rest. Opted not to do it during multiple blowouts already even tho it was evident it was necessary. Wagler's legs are dead right now. Short on all his shots
RE: Barnhardt, believe Turpin still on the horn that season. But Brian announced the game at OSU as Turp stayed back to call home basketball game vs Gonzaga on Friday of that weekend.
My freshman year at UI so obviously holds a soft spot. Not quite the age of knowing all ins and outs of the team yet, but it was sounded like quite a group off the field from your tall tales. Was still getting my footing in town. To close the season, went to said Gonzaga BB game Friday night then Saturday morning drove to Madison to meet my best friend from high school and see UM/UW. Watched ILL game in his dorm, listened to part of first half on radio traveling up. If Wisconsin won, game vs NU was going to be televised on ESPN and we could clinch outright. Wisconsin tough, but underachieving. Tie game late, Michigan punting to pin UW and force OT, ball hits foot of Wisconsin gunner, Bell, Epstein comes in and hits chip shot game winner.
Drove down for Thanksgiving game with my old man, in control most of the way, up 34-14 at one point, winds vicious from the south. Cats mounted a big rally, and Kustok had a man open for a potentially deep touchdown but missed. Get a call Friday night from same friend at UW, uncle has tickets to OSU/UM game. Make the trek to the Big House for the 2nd time that year, OSU gets it done paving the way to the start of their 2002 championship run.
Was a funny season, because we started 0-1 after the Michigan game and needed to run the table along with them losing 2. MSU gets the miracle win in East Lansing on the last play to Duckett giving us a ray of hope. Iowa and Wisconsin, both ample opportunities to beat UM, but ultimately fail. However, Ohio State saves the day and sends us to New Orleans.
Bittersweet IMO to have to go to New Orleans instead of Pasadena. Would have carried much more lore to this day. Made it right to the Zooker's in '07.
Favorite moment of 2001 season, down 1. Kittner rolls left, hardly ever moved/left pocket, finds Lloyd on 3rd and 10 down the left sideline for about 30 getting us deep out of our own territory. Harvey TD run to seal the game sent 70k+ into a frenzy. Last big crowd, full house before the remodel chopped off 10k seats. Lot more fun back then with only 11 teams in the Big Ten.
Barnhart did games that year filling in for Turpin.....remember it cause he would always talk about the 2001 season 'as his first'....various events he would speak at I was around during his early years....Turpin's on air argument with Bardo after that NCAA tourney loss to UofA when all those fouls were called on Illini...basically the end for a very nice man....HA...yes ILL. got a lot of breaks 2001...always need them...hey no mention of the Sugar Bowl....🤣two of my favorite Sugar Bowl stories...linebacker out with his buddies meet some cute girls at the bar....linebacker invites them back to his room to 'party'...one girl asks, 'why r U down here?' he tells them, 'with Illinois we are playing in the Sugar Bowl'....girl says, 'my dad is a coach for your team'....needless to say....other starting defensive end partying all night after game misses team bus to airport....runs out to catch a cab in his flip flops t-shirt and shorts after he sees bus pull away....pays cab driver 50 bucks to 'beat' the bus....player standing outside the airport when bus pulls up...Turner not happy at all with that one...later during full contact practice 2003....same player tears up his knee again after getting cut blocked...end of Illini career.
Ooh, tell us more about Bardo and Turpin?? Did not r know any of this.
After the loss in the NCAA tourney to UofA....elite 8 IIRC....Turpin went all in critical of all the foul calls (Luther Olson basically called that game for the refs IMO) and being the arrogant asshole/contrarian Bardo is....interrupted Turpin, 'wasn't what lost Illinois the game Jim'....Turpin Tate and Guenther 3 biggest Illini fans I ever met....Turpin wasn't having any of it and got snappy with Bardo....cut away for a break and after Turpin just wrapped it up...Bardo would do shit like that all the time why few could stand him....just being an asshole to be an asshole....
The IHSA State Finals were in MS in 2001 - that's why the Illini played on Thanksgiving. I got a pass from the best wife and was able to attend. Her parents were over for Thanksgiving and I got the pass.
I loved the Thursday - Saturday schedules of BT Hoops back in the day.
hey at least I remembered it was on Thanksgiving😂my favorite IHSA weekend memory...2007 state finals go over to the football offices to watch the games with the staff....they could go on the field after each game and talk to coaches/players....anyway...for some reason walked right past security into the football offices....they gave me a pass to get on the field....Security on the field wouldn't let Zook on cause he forgot his pass in the football offices...came out of the tunnel and....had to go back up and get his pass...eye roll
That's fabulous!!!
Brad "Thibs" Underwood would never get Wagler rest. Opted not to do it during multiple blowouts already even tho it was evident it was necessary. Wagler's legs are dead right now. Short on all his shots