In that magical bygone day, when the 1953 Illinoins football team unleashed J.C. Caroline and Mickey Bates on unsuspecting foes, the UI traveled overland for 275.7 yards per game.
Caroline led the nation in rushing, and that 275-yard figure stands today as the UI single-season school record. In 63 years since, just eight Illini teams averaged 200 yards on the ground, and the 2016 mark of 140.5 was tops in the last five seasons.
So, that 1953 offensive line must have been one of the best in UI history. Had to. But let's see: How would 185-pound Herb Borman stack up with centers today?