Sept. 1: Appalachian State Mountaineers Sept. 8: USF Bulls Sept. 15: Iowa State Cyclones Sept. 22: Kentucky Wildcats Sept. 29: Kansas State Wildcats Oct. 6: Stanford Cardinal Oct. 13: Oregon State Beavers Oct. 20: Vanderbilt Commodores Oct. 27: Kansas Jayhawks Nov. 3: Navy Midshipmen Nov. 10: Illinois Fighting Illini Nov. 17: Indiana Hoosiers Nov. 24: Missouri Tigers
Football Writers Association of America Nov. 12, 2007
For Immediate Release
Contact: Ted Gangi
214-909-9314
Fighting Illini stun No. 1 Ohio State in Columbus
ILLINOIS IS TOSTITOS FIESTA
BOWL NATIONAL TEAM OF THE WEEK

DALLAS (FWAA) – With their 28-21 win at Ohio State, the Illinois Fighting Illini (8-3) are the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week for games of the weekend of Nov. 10.

Juice Williams threw four touchdown passes as Illinois ended Ohio State's 28-game regular-season winning streak and a streak of 20 straight Big Ten wins.

Illinois, which is now 8-3 after finishing the 2006 season at 2-10, defeated a top-ranked team for the first time since 1956 and the first time ever on the road.

"I know 'shock the world' is overused," Illini linebacker J Leman said. "It is pretty shocking to most people, but not to the guys in the locker room."

Other Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Bowl National Team of the Week nominees for the weekend of Nov. 10 included:

Nebraska (5-6): The Huskers rebounded from a 76-39 loss to Kansas by crushing Kansas State, 73-31.

Virginia (9-2): The Cavaliers handed Miami its worst-ever home shutout loss, 48-0, in its final game at the Orange Bowl. It was also the first time Miami had been held scoreless at home since 1974.

The FWAA has named a national team of the week since the 2002 season. This is the third season that the award has been sponsored by the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

Select members of the FWAA board of directors decide the weekly honor. Each Monday during the 2007 college football season, the FWAA will name the Tostitos Bowl National Team of the Week through Nov. 26.

Since 1971, the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl has hosted six games that have decided the college football national championship, including three Bowl Championship Series title games. Last season, the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl presented three post-season games, including the Insight Bowl and the BCS title game. This season the game will be played on Jan. 2, 2008 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

For more information on the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week, go to www.footballwriters.com or www.fiestabowl.org.

2007 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Teams of the Week
Weekend of Sept. 1: Appalachian State Mountaineers
Weekend of Sept. 8: USF Bulls
Weekend of Sept. 15: Iowa State Cyclones
Weekend of Sept. 22: Kentucky Wildcats
Weekend of Sept. 29: Kansas State Wildcats
Weekend of Oct. 6: Stanford Cardinal
Weekend of Oct. 13: Oregon State Beavers
Weekend of Oct. 20: Vanderbilt Commodores
Weekend of Oct. 27: Kansas Jayhawks
Weekend of Nov. 3: Navy Midshipmen
Weekend of Nov. 10: Illinois Fighting Illini
Weekend of Nov. 17: Indiana Hoosiers
Weekend of Nov. 24: Missouri Tigers