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A crowd of more than 60,000 is expected for Illinois’ home opener Saturday against Illinois State, exceeding the turnout of 58,810 that saw the Illini take No. 2-ranked Ohio State into overtime before losing 23-16 last season. The tongue-in-cheek reaction of Illinois State coach Denver Johnson: “I guess we’re a bigger draw than Ohio State.” . . .

Coach Ron Turner went into the Missouri game expecting senior fullback Carey Davis to run eight or 10 plays. Davis had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Aug. 25, but was on the field for 41 plays and finished with a career-high 10 receptions for 66 yards.

“Once I had the surgery, I felt so much better than before,” Davis said. “The knee felt a little stiff Sunday, but I iced it down.”