EVANSTON - Illinois offensive coordinator Mike Locksley confirmed that he had interviewed for the head coaching job at Clemson but declined to comment further on his pursuit of another job.

Rumors also have circulated that Syracuse is interested in talking to Locksley about its opening. He wouldn't say after the loss to Northwestern if he has been contacted.

"This is about the seniors," he said. "My future doesn't matter. It's all about those guys in the locker room. I have a job to do here at Illinois. That's my goal. We have to get out on the road recruiting and find a way to get things corrected that we've struggled with the last three or four weeks."

Locksley doubles as the quarterback coach at Illinois. He was given a contract extension through 2012 and a raise to $500,000 after the team played in the Rose Bowl.

After receiving considerable publicity last season for resurrecting the Illini offense, he was interviewed for the job at West Virginia.

The Clemson job opened at midseason when Tommy Bowden was let go. Locksley interviewed for the job in Detroit when the Illini were there to play Western Michigan.

"I'm not going to get into dealing with my personal stuff," he said when pressed on the Syracuse opening. "I'm not going to take any more questions about my future because I work for the University of Illinois. It's my job. I have to find a way to get Illinois going. I have to find a way to get the offense going. ? It's my job to get it fixed, and that's what I plan to do."

Wilson suspended

Linebacker Martez Wilson did not make the trip with the team Saturday after being suspended for breaking team rules, Zook said. He is the third player to be suspended for the same offense in recent weeks, but Zook has never elaborated details.

"They have to do the things necessary for us to be successful. It makes no difference who you are," Zook said. "Those are things that hurt a team. We have to have everyone on the same page. Hopefully he'll learn from that."

McDonald ties mark

Center Ryan McDonald finished his career by making his 48th consecutive start Saturday, equaling the school record held by Tim Simpson. It is the fourth-longest active streak in the country.

"It was a pretty wild ride," he said. "It's just been a true blessing to play as many games as I did. Hopefully there's a couple more in my future, but you never know."

Miller leads Big Ten

Linebacker Brit Miller finished as the Big Ten's leader in tackles after recording eight against Northwestern. The senior had 132 for the season and averaged 11 per game.