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(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. 

(From Illinois Sports Information Office)   CHAMPAIGN, Ill.– The Naismith […]

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema says he sees his job to help provide defensive coordinator Aaron Henry with as much information, knowledge and assistance as the Illini host Rutgers this weekend.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

October 27, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — It’s fairly clear that instead of taking away, limiting or restricting Aaron Henry’s responsibilities, Bret Bielema feels like his role is to help the Illinois defensive play-caller with more information.

In his weekly media conference inside Gies Memorial Stadium Monday afternoon, Bielema suggested his plan was to do scouting of Rutgers’ offense and provide guidance to his defensive staff so Henry can find better results in this final month of the 2025 season. Instead of firing, stripping him of play-caller duties or performing an act of punishment or consequence, Henry needs to be helped from his boss.

“I want to empower him,” Bielema said of his third-year defensive coordinator. “I want to empower him to show that I believe in him. Everybody is asking me what’s wrong and that’s (the media’s) job. I’m not throwing stones, that’s what you’re supposed to do. That’s your job. My job is to empower him so that the last four games of this season and most important, this week versus Rutgers is of good and not bad.

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

October 27, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

That one hurt. It hurt Saturday and it hurt again as I re-watched it yesterday in preparation for this article. For me personally, the thing that hurt the most is that the Illini were outcoached on the defensive side. We all know Washington defensive coordinator - and former Illinois defensive signal caller - Ryan Walters has our number and that it was going to be tough sledding defensively. However, what hurt the most was the degree to which Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch schooled Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry and head coach Bret Bielema. Fisch is a solid offensive coach, but he put on an absolute clinic in spacing on Saturday, and the Illini failed to adjust.

Here's what I mean. We saw concepts like this throughout the day Saturday. Layered routes that have three parallel receivers arriving in the same horizontal spots like a ladder at the same time. Illinois only rushes four on this play, yet it's hard to find an Illinois defender who is actually near a Husky receiver. Not only that, but Washington's best receiver barely has a defender in the picture with him. I tend to think either Torrie Cox or Tanner Heckel had a blown assignment here because both crashed down on Demond Williams Jr. as he rolled out, but as we saw all day, Washington had wide open receivers all day.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

October 27, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Kedric Prince/IlliniGuys)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Illinois men’s basketball program continues to work hard on the recruiting trail. This time, the focus is squarely on the frontcourt. Head coach Brad Underwood and his staff are looking to secure a big man, and it appears they’re down to the wire with a pair of highly touted prospects.

Luigi Suigo, a 7-foot-3, 240-pound center from Italy, has reportedly narrowed his list to Illinois, Northwestern, Notre Dame, and Purdue. However, sources believe the decision will likely come down to a two-team race between the Illini and Boilermakers.

By Kedric Prince – IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst October […]

The Illinois defense and game management get failing marks in 17-point loss in Seattle.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

The four-hour plane ride from Seattle likely won’t be long enough for Bret Bielema and the Illinois coaching staff to come up with answers to why the No. 23 Illini allowed another opponent to score, convert third-down situations and do whatever they wanted when Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. had the football in his hands.

To make matters worse, Illinois (5-3, 2-3 in Big Ten Conference) also found itself playing from behind most of this 60-minute affair causing quarterback Luke Altmyer to surrender two turnovers that secured another disappointing road loss, which ended all hope of Illinois being in a 2025 College Football Playoff discussion.

More importantly, Bielema - a former defensive coordinator and defensive line coach - was left without answers to why his 2025 defensive unit failed to provide much resistance against a Big Ten opponent.

Run Offense
Illinois clearly spent the bye week

Following the 42-25 loss at Washington, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema said he doesn’t believe it would be prudent for him to inherit defensive play-calling duties on game day.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

October 25, 2025

SEATTLE — While acknowledging the obvious of several answers needing to be found in his defense, Bret Bielema doesn’t believe him taking over play-calling duties is one of them.

Following the 42-25 loss at Washington, the Illinois fifth-year head coach said Saturday he doesn’t believe it would be prudent for him to inherit defensive play-calling duties from coordinator Aaron Henry on game day.

“There’s so many things that go on in my daily journal (and) I know there are some guys out there that can (call plays as a head coach) but I just think that gives a little bit of mixed messages to the players,” Bielema said.

Whether that change is a what or a whom, something has to be different about what Illinois is doing on the defensive side of the football. And Bret Bielema knows it.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

(Cover photo courtesy Matt Stevens/IlliniGuys)

October 25, 2025

SEATTLE — Illinois has finally reached its first rubicon game in the last two seasons where its faulty defense absolutely cost them a game.

Before, during or after the four-hour flight home to Champaign, Bret Bielema will have to look at his beloved son he never had, Aaron Henry, and be forced to reconcile with the fact that if the defense could have played about 15-20 percent better, Illinois would’ve won.

Before today, the best argument to be made on Henry’s behalf was likely that the Illini’s record would’ve still been 5-2 if the defense had found just a couple more stops in the 60-minute contest. The results at No. 2 Indiana and versus No. 1 Ohio State in Champaign would’ve likely come up the same - loss - even if Henry’s defense had stood tall.

This is certainly not the case today in Seattle.

By IlliniGuys Staff (Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics) SEATTLE, […]