Illinois wearing Gray Ghost uniforms. against Gophers

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Debuting Oct. 25. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Illini?src=hash">#Illini</a> Gray Ghost uniforms.

More to come ... <a href="http://t.co/sjFOuBJBH9">pic.twitter.com/sjFOuBJBH9</a></p>— Illinois Football (@IlliniFootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/IlliniFootball/status/522114130116091904">October 14, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 



Are they all going to wear 77, just to confuse everyone into thinking Red Grange is out there?
 

What the sh*t?

So.....are they gonna ship the Governor's Bell to Champagne that weekend in case we win?
 


Some good responses to that tweet.

@SBK1124: @IlliniFootball Let's try and win a few before going all Oregon in the uniform department.
 


So, will we for sure still wear our whites? Or will they think our maroon or gold will be a better contrast?
 




Also is that a white guy in some sort of digital black face? WTH is going on down in Champaign?
 


Ski U Mah Gopher said:
Are they all going to wear 77, just to confuse everyone into thinking Red Grange is out there?
Click to expand...

My step-father, who went to Illinois, always spoke of the legend of Red Grange. Something like played Ohio St, 5 touches, 5 touchdowns. Something like that.

Must have been Michigan. From Wikipedia:

Grange vaulted to national prominence as a result of his performance in the October 18, 1924, game against Michigan. This was the grand opening game for the new Memorial Stadium, built as a memorial to University of Illinois students and alumni who had served in World War I.[5] The Michigan Wolverines were going for the National Championship. Illinois players knew they had a difficult job ahead of them if they expected to win. He returned the opening kickoff for a 95-yard touchdown and scored three more touchdowns on runs of 67, 56 and 44 yards in the first twelve minutes.[8] On his next carry, he ran 56 yards for yet another touchdown. He scored the three touchdowns in less than seven minutes against the powerful Michigan defense. Before the game was over, Grange ran back another kickoff for yet another touchdown. He scored five touchdowns in all. Illinois won the game by a lopsided score of 39 to 14.
 

Sparlimb said:
My step-father, who went to Illinois, always spoke of the legend of Red Grange. Something like played Ohio St, 5 touches, 5 touchdowns. Something like that.

Must have been Michigan. From Wikipedia:

Grange vaulted to national prominence as a result of his performance in the October 18, 1924, game against Michigan. This was the grand opening game for the new Memorial Stadium, built as a memorial to University of Illinois students and alumni who had served in World War I.[5] The Michigan Wolverines were going for the National Championship. Illinois players knew they had a difficult job ahead of them if they expected to win. He returned the opening kickoff for a 95-yard touchdown and scored three more touchdowns on runs of 67, 56 and 44 yards in the first twelve minutes.[8] On his next carry, he ran 56 yards for yet another touchdown. He scored the three touchdowns in less than seven minutes against the powerful Michigan defense. Before the game was over, Grange ran back another kickoff for yet another touchdown. He scored five touchdowns in all. Illinois won the game by a lopsided score of 39 to 14.
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And Minnesota beat the snot out of him in our Memorial Stadium dedication.
 



Don't care about the uniforms. Do care that the Gophers, again, are scheduled as the Homecoming opponent. Hope that changes in the future too.
 

Why oh why did they chose the Gray Ghost? And not the Galloping Ghost? They may intend to honor Red Grange, but they got too clever by half.
 

Gray and Orange always look so good together. Wonder if they'll have a gray out. Would look awful. If you are going to use third colors, pick something that goes with your primary. Orange and Gray is awful. Just like we should never go with the maroon pants and highlight yellow jerseys.
 

Fun fact: The first ever Big Ten game at old Memorial Stadium on the U of M campus in 1924 was against Illinois and the "mighty" Red Grange................MINNESOTA WON handily! :p

Edit: Ha! And I am 0 for 2 on this little Illinois uniform ditty. Looks like highwayman already included this same information nugget as well.
 

Gray Ghost? Am I missing something here? Those are fugly as hell. Do these have some relevance to the program?
 

I actually think they look alright on their own, as far as the colors and designs, but the problem is that they look like they'd be a Penn State alternate. Like they'd be perfectly fine if Illinois's colors were blue and gray, but they're blue and orange, and looking at this I can't clearly tell that this is an Illinois uniform I guess.
 

Illinois game scares me. Their homecoming, and off they are off the week before. Might be their last stand before the coach gets his walking papers. Beat Purdon't first I suppose.
 

supadupafly said:
Fun fact: The first ever Big Ten game at old Memorial Stadium on the U of M campus in 1924 was against Illinois and the "mighty" Red Grange................MINNESOTA WON handily! :p

Edit: Ha! And I am 0 for 2 on this little Illinois uniform ditty. Looks like highwayman already included this same information nugget as well.
Click to expand...

No, Minnesota's first Big Ten game in Memorial Stadium was Homecoming against Michigan on November 1, 1924, a game we lost 13-0.
 




These are pretty spooky indeed. If it's foggy, I could see the Illini players disappearing occasionally on the field.
 

Maybe they're wearing the Gray Ghost uniforms because they don't have 'a ghost of a chance of winning'!
 

nsmike said:
Maybe they're wearing the Gray Ghost uniforms because they don't have 'a ghost of a chance of winning'!
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Or their season is already dead perhaps?
 

Sparlimb said:
Gray and Orange always look so good together. Wonder if they'll have a gray out. Would look awful. If you are going to use third colors, pick something that goes with your primary. Orange and Gray is awful. Just like we should never go with the maroon pants and highlight yellow jerseys.
Click to expand...

I believe their bleachers are gray so you might be on to something.
 

The game inspired Grantland Rice to write the following poetic description:
A streak of fire, a breath of flame
Eluding all who reach and clutch;
A gray ghost thrown into the game
That rival hands may never touch;
A rubber bounding, blasting soul
Whose destination is the goal — Red Grange of Illinois!
However, it was Chicago sportswriter Warren Brown who nicknamed Grange "The Galloping Ghost."

So there is the Gray Ghost reference. Unless they are referencing that movie with Dennis Quade where he played a RB nicknamed the "Gray Ghost." I think it was called "Everybody's All-American."

And one more thought - sports writing in the roaring 20's - Grantland Rice
Sports writing in the 2010's - Jim Souhan. I think we're getting the short end of the stick.
 

What did Illinois's uniforms look like in Red Grange's day?
 

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