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Following 35-13 victory over Rutgers Saturday, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema got to execute a post-game move he may enjoy more than any other - the ‘I told you so’.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

November 1, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Matt Stevens/IlliniGuys)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Short of hearing his daughter’s laugh or seeing his wife’s proud smile, the one thing Bret Bielema may love more than anything else is what he did in the post-game media conference on Saturday afternoon.

The winning head football coach at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign got to strut up to the ‘block I logo’ podium inside Gies Memorial Stadium and say the two things he treasures more than anything else.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk6aG4t0QDo    

By IlliniGuys Staff November 1, 2025 (Cover photo courtesy […]

The last two-game losing streak for Illinois came on a frustrating home loss to Minnesota following a cross-country trip for a road loss at then-No. 1 Oregon in 2024. 

RUTGERS at ILLINOIS

Records: Rutgers 4-4, 1-4 in Big Ten Conference; Illinois 5-3, 2-3 in Big Ten Conference

Date/Time/Place: Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025: 11 a.m. CST, Gies Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Ill.

Surface: FieldTurf

Capacity: 60,670

Series notes: Illinois leads the all-time series 6-3 but the two teams are tied over four games in Champaign with Rutgers winning the last matchup in Illinois during 2021, which was Bret Bielema’s first season with the Illini. The last meeting was a 38-31 victory last season for the Illini in Piscataway, N.J. where the final play of the game was a walk-off touchdown pass from Luke Altmyer to Pat Bryant. 

TV: NBC; Paul Burmeister (play-by-play); Jason Garrett (color analyst) and Zora Stephenson (sideline reporter)

Radio (Illinois): Brian Barnhart (play-by-play), Carey Davis (analyst), Michael Martin (sideline), and Steve Kelly (pre/half/post).  The broadcast can be heard live on TuneIn online radio, SiriusXM 85, the SiriusXM App, and at FightingIllini.com/live.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

November 1, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The feeling Bret Bielema had after his team’s 17-point loss in Seattle was one he was very much familiar with. 

Following Illinois’ 42-25 loss at Washington, the Illini head coach’s mind instantly went to the program’s last two-game losing streak where they came off a long Pacific Northwest trip to then-No. 1 Oregon only to fall 25-17 in Champaign-Urbana to Minnesota the following the weekend. 

In that frustrating and confusing eight-point loss as a home favorite, Bielema

November 1, 2025 The Illini face Rutgers at home […]

By Brad Sturdy - IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst & Co-Host, IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular

October 31, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

The Illinois women played their final exhibition on Thursday night against Division III Maryville. This is a Saints team that can really shoot it from deep and are coming off an upset of Missouri earlier this week. But Illinois rolled to a 79-60 win behind 22 points and 13 rebounds from freshman Cearah Parchment as they outclassed the Saints with their size and quickness. Gretchen Dolan added 17 points and Berry Wallace had 11.

Illinois now prepares to host SEMO in their regular season opener on Tuesday at the State Farm Center. Here’s a look at what we learned.

The Freshmen are the Real Deal -

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

October 31, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Eleven Warriors)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — IlliniGuys has learned that the Illinois men’s basketball team is pursuing a commitment from Marcus Johnson, a 6-foot-2, 175-pound point guard from Garfield Heights (Ohio) in the class of 2026.

This recruitment has generated plenty of buzz. Johnson, who originally committed to Ohio State, reopened his recruitment earlier this week, sources told IlliniGuys.

Right away, Illinois was among the first schools to reach out to Johnson, along with Cincinnati, Arkansas, Tennessee, Indiana, Michigan, Louisville, USC, and South Carolina.

(From Illinois Sports Information Office)   WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. […]

By IlliniGuys Staff October 30, 2025 (Cover photo courtesy […]

(From Illinois Sports Information Office) (Cover photo courtesy player's […]

Both Illinois head coach Bret Bielema and defensive coordinator Aaron Henry have acknowledged the struggle of reacting to the injury of All-Big Ten defensive back Xavier Scott.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

October 30, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Just because it’s been a month and a half since Xavier Scott was laying on the Memorial Stadium in pain doesn’t mean the coaches and players have effectively figured out an answer to replace the All-Big Ten defensive back.

In the fourth quarter of what was a 38-0 lead over Western Michigan, Scott’s pass deflection near the home sideline caused Scott, a Phil Steele All-America honorable mention selection, to awkwardly fall on his ankle and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy Preseason Watch List needed to be carried off the field by Illinois training staff personnel.

Bielema told local media days after the injury that Scott was getting multiple opinions on his ankle.

Illinois head coach Shauna Green confirmed Wednesday Iowa transfer guard Aaliyah Guyton will be inactive for the exhibition game on Thursday night against Division II Maryville.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

October 29, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois fans eager to see Aaliyah Guyton in an Illinois jersey will simply need to wait to a little longer.

Illini fourth-year head coach Shauna Green confirmed to local media Wednesday at State Farm Center that the transfer guard from University of Iowa via Peoria, Ill., will be inactive due to coaching staff being cautious with a recent undisclosed preseason injury to the 5-foot-7 guard.

Green said Wednesday she wasn’t concern with Guyton’s injury being a lingering problem but an exhibition game against Division II Maryville isn’t high enough of a priority to risk further damage to a player expected to be an instant contributor to a fully remade backcourt.

“She’ll be fine. She’ll be back,” Green said. “

By Kedric Prince Staff Writer

October 29, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The term “Twin Towers” will often be used when the Illinois men’s basketball team takes the court this season. Why? Because Illinois will have two seven-footers on the floor at the same time.

Tomislav Ivisic stands 7-foot-1, and Zvonimir checks in at 7-foot-2. In a recent interview with the media, Illinois head basketball coach Brad Underwood addressed the excitement surrounding the Ivisic twins. “Yes, before you guys asked, we have looked at both of the twins together a good amount. I think that’s something we can see at different times. We’ve even looked at sliding Zvonimir some to a perimeter spot because of his ability to shoot it and space the floor.”

Zvonimir, from Vodice, Croatia, began his college basketball career at Kentucky before transferring to Arkansas. Now, he’ll suit up alongside his brother Tomislav in Champaign.

(From Illinois Sports Information Office) CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Fighting Illini […]

Why communication (from a coach to coach, coach to players and players to players standpoint) was a major breakdown in Illinois suffering its third loss of the 2025 season at Washington. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

October 28, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illnois Athletics)

SEATTLE — Being able to communicate is a highly vital skill. It’s why at most universities there’s usually a communication studies department and that expertise is a designed major at most highly-rated universities.

The common reason public relations firms can charge as much as they do is their ability to communicate a potential situation in a way that is best for the company that hires them while having an unbiased take on how to handle any crisis or celebration from a written, verbal and visual standpoint.

The essential art of communication applies to sports in a very consequential way. Whether it’s communication between coaches and players throughout a preparation or a players communication within each other either before the play or in the moment of the play, relaying information in a clear, concise and fast way can mean the difference between success and failure. 

This is why after surrendering 449 total yards, touchdowns in six of eight drives and being on the wrong end of nine for 12 in third-down situations, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema kept repeating “we have to evaluate of what we’re asking the players out there to do”. What is Bielema saw being relayed to the players either from him, Bielema’s assistant coaches and/or the Illini players teammates is something Bielema is seeing as a major problem when he flipped on the film of its 42-25 loss at Washington this past weekend.