Did you know?

Thirty-one years ago - Sept. 6, 1995 - Baltimore shortstop Cal Ripken Jr., completing a 13-plus-season journey unmatched by any major leaguer, played against the California Angels in his record 2,131st consecutive game and then took center stage in one of the most emotional and genuine baseball celebrations of all time. Ripken passed the 56-year-old endurance record of New York Yankees great Lou Gehrig. What followed was a 22-minute lovefest that captured the hearts of 46,272 fans at Baltimore's Camden Yards.

This Week in

Illini and Spartan History

ILLINI HISTORY - On Sept. 6, 1980, new coach Mike White made a successful Illini debut, defeating visiting Northwestern, 35-9. Held scoreless in the first half, Illinois exploded in the last two quarters, getting rushing touchdowns from Mike Holmes, quarterback Dave Wilson, Mike Murphy, Greg Foster and Lance Hofer. It was UI's first home-field victory in nearly three seasons.

SPARTAN HISTORY - On Sept. 7, 1987, Michigan State's Spartan Stadium hosted its first night game ever, defeating Southern Cal, 27-7. The highlight of Labor Day night's "Great American Football Celebration" was a halftime performance by country music star Lee Greenwood and a spectacular fireworks display.

Shep's Sports Crosswords

An exclusive new feature of SportsLLL.com, Shep's Sports Crosswords is a fun way to challenge your sports trivia knowledge. It takes only about five minutes to play. We'll post a new puzzle each week. This week's sports crossword puzzle is about college football . Click below to play! Can't solve 'em all? Click here!