Coach Bob Blackman came to Illinois from Dartmouth, where he'd had a successful head coaching tenure spanning more than a decade, to turn the Illini football program around in 1971. Under Blackman, the Illini compiled a record of 29–36–1. In 1971, the Illini compiled a 5–6 record and finished in a three-way tie for third place in the Big Ten Conference. The team's offensive leaders were quarterback Mike Wells with 1,007 passing yards, running back John Wilson with 543 rushing yards, and wide receiver Garvin Roberson with 372 receiving yards. Punter/halfback Terry Masar was selected as the team's most valuable player.