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

November 27, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

The Illini fell to Northwestern on Saturday to finish out what was a truly disappointing 5-7 season for them. Bret Bielema said famously that he didn't come here to go 5-7, and yet two of his 3 seasons have been just that. The season was more disappointing when you look at the teams they faced. The Illini went 0-4 against first year Big Ten coaches and after a 7-1 start a year ago have wins over Northwestern, Toledo, Florida Atlantic, Minnesota, Maryland and Indiana….

Indiana fired Tom Allen, Northwestern let Pat Fitzgerald go, PJ Fleck is on the hot seat at Minnesota and FAU had a 1st year head coach. How many schools had a schedule with 5 first year coaches on it and still couldn’t make a bowl game?....

Buffalo native Gretchen Dolan posts a career-high 11 points […]

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting

November 26, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Today, Shauna Green's Fighting Illini return to action vs. her alma mater Canisius with some special guests in the house. 

Potential McDonald's All-American candidate Berry Wallace of Pickerington Central High School in Ohio and 6-foot-6 center Hayven Smith from Lincoln-Way East are both signed to play for Illinois next year and will make the trip for this afternoon's game.

The other visitor who will be in attendance is Anthony Kyle, the trainer for top 10 recruit Divine Bourrage from Davenport, Iowa.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting

November 26, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy MaxPreps)

This weekend Illinois is hosting a number of recruits on campus for football. It is the last home game of the season, which means this will be the last time to show potential recruits what the game day experience is like. 

One target who is extremely interested in Illinois is Emoni Smith, a 6-foot-1, 160-pound athlete from Galloway (Westland), Ohio. He is listed as an athlete, but he is being recruited by Illinois as a safety. 

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema just produced by his own previous assessment an unacceptable result in a year where upward progress was needed and required. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

November 25, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN — Bret Bielema famously has repeated that he didn’t come to Champaign to go 5-7. Well, congratulations to everybody involved because we’ve all officially reached the rubicon here on the corner of 1st Street and Kirby Avenue. 

Year Three of the Bielema Era will always be recognized as the season that ended with five wins and seven losses. Certainly nothing more and undoubtedly something less than what was expected. 

It is a habit of a journalist to record the head football coach at his word when he says things into a microphone knowing he’s being recorded for future use - like when he speaks on pay-for-play philosophy and player injuries. Or when he, like Bielema did Saturday night, refer to on-field referee decisions as the vulgar term for cow feces. 

By IlliniGuys Staff November 25, 2023 (Cover photo courtesy […]

IlliniGuys Staff

November 25, 2023

Coming into the training camp, Illinois was expected by many to win 7+ games and continue the upward trajectory that started in 2022.

November 25, 2023 The Illini are trying to rebound […]

By IlliniGuys Staff November 24, 2023 (Cover photo courtesy […]

IlliniGuys Staff November 24, 2023 ILLINOIS (4-1) vs. Western […]

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

November 24, 2023

The Illinois football program is starting to build its depth with quality scholarship players, but now their preferred walk-on room is starting to grow as well.

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

November 24, 2023

Transfer portal season is about to heat up!

Illinois safety Clayton Bush wants you to believe Iowa’s game-winning 30-yard touchdown run is his responsibility to fill up but Illini defensive coordinator Aaron Henry knows that’s not entirely true.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

November 23, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

The word that comes to mind with all the coaches inside the Smith Family Football Complex when discussing Clayton Bush is accountability. 

The graduate transfer safety from Western Kentucky and Southern Illinois said in August before the beginning of the 2023 season that he was looking for a “a coaching staff with no bullcrap to tell me the truth and hold me accountable for how things are done” and the 23-year-old certainly did that when he met with local media following the 15-13 loss to No. 16 Iowa on Saturday. 

“It’s my fault. I missed my gap,” Bush said following a game where he had eight tackles and according to Pro Football Focus data three ‘stops’ which are described as the player for why the play was a failure for the offense. “Iowa is a program that does things the correct way so often that they feast on when you mess up. Well, I messed up and it cost us.” 

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

November 23, 2023

Illini basketball recruit Jeremiah Fears trimmed his long list of schools to 10. Not totally shocked but the Fighting Illini made that cut.

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

November 22, 2023

The Illinois men's basketball team is starting to embark on the class of 2025. Assistant coach Geoff Alexander appears to be excited at the direction of the Illinois program, especially next year's class, and he is confident with the in-roads they have made over the past several years.