[3][4] Illinois was led by co-captains Dick Butkus and George Donnelly, Jim Grabowski, Lynn Stewart, and Archie Sutton on their way to a 17–7 victory over the Huskies, led by Junior Coffey.
[3] The game was scoreless until the second quarter; Washington scored first, following an Illinois fumble at its own 27-yard line.
[5] In the third quarter, after George Donnelly's first interception of the game, Illinois took control as Jim Warren scored a touchdown for the Illini on a two-yard run.
Sophomore Grabowski rushed for 125 yards and was named the game's Most Valuable Player.
[6] The opposing running backs were both drafted by the Green Bay Packers, Coffey in 1965, and Grabowski in 1966.