Let's ignore the Mike Thomas news for a moment, shall we? Let's just pretend that Illinois isn't a complete dumpster fire for like five minutes.
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On Monday morning, the Big Ten Conference announced that Fighting Illini running back Ke'Shawn Vaughn has been named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week. Vaughn recorded 203 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns in a victory over Purdue on Saturday; he carried the ball 16 times for 180 yards (an average of 11.3 yards per carry), including a 78-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Vaughn is the first member of the Illini to win the award since Mikey Dudek (September 8th, 2014).