1951 Illinois Fighting Illini football team

1951 Illinois Fighting Illini football
Big Ten champion
Rose Bowl, W 40–7 vs. Stanford
Conference	Big Ten Conference
Ranking
AP	#4
1951 record	9–0–1 (5–0–1 Big Ten)
Head coach	Ray Eliot (10th year)
Home stadium	Memorial Stadium

1951 Big Ten football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
#4 Illinois $	5	–	0	–	1			9	–	0	–	1
Purdue	4	–	1	–	0			5	–	4	–	0
#8 Wisconsin	5	–	1	–	1			7	–	1	–	1
Michigan	4	–	2	–	0			4	–	5	–	0
Ohio State	2	–	2	–	2			4	–	3	–	2
Northwestern	2	–	4	–	0			5	–	4	–	0
Minnesota	1	–	4	–	1			2	–	6	–	1
Indiana	1	–	5	–	0			2	–	7	–	0
Iowa	0	–	5	–	1			2	–	5	–	2
$ – Conference champion Rankings from AP Poll

The 1951 Illinois Fighting Illini football team was an American football team that represented the University of Illinois during the 1951 college football season. In their 10th year under head coach Ray Eliot, the Illini compiled a 9–0–1 record, finished in first place in the Big Ten Conference, was ranked #4 in the final AP Poll, and defeated Stanford in the 1952 Rose Bowl. The lone setback was a scoreless tie with Ohio State.

Halfback Johnny Karras was a consensus first-team pick on the 1951 College Football All-America Team.

Players

• Chuck Boerio - center (1st-team All-America pick by NEA; 1st-team All-Big Ten pick by AP)
• Al Brosky - halfback (1st-team All-America pick by AP and Football Writers)
• Johnny Karras - halfback (consensus 1st-team All-American; 1st-team All-Big Ten pick by AP and UP)
• Rex Smith - end (1st-team All-Big Ten pick by AP)
• Chuck Studley - tackle (1st-team All-Big Ten pick by AP and UP)
• Chuck Ulrich - tackle (1st-team All-America pick by INS; 1st-team All-Big Ten pick by AP and UP)