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By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting

September 6, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

One of Illinois head coach Brad Underwood's favorite buzzwords is “Elite.” What Underwood has done in just six years at Illinois has put together an elite group of assistant coaches.

The future of any collegiate program is how well teams can recruit. During Underwood's short time at Illinois, he has put together some of the best staffs in the game.  Twice!

llinois offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. will not hear of anybody saying his boss, Bret Bielema, is tying his hands with his scheme. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

September 6, 2022

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Barry Lunney Jr. didn’t need much time at all to shoot down any implication that his boss is micromanaging his offensive scheme. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Beat Reporter

September 5, 2022

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois freshman wide receiver Shawn Miller

Illinois had two plays to get two yards to seal the Big Ten Conference opener at Indiana and couldn’t punch it. We examine what happened to allow Illinois to get stuffed. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

September 5, 2022

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- One yard. 

For the rest of time as we know it, any record book will show Illinois lost its 2022 Big Ten Conference opener at Indiana by three and while that is true, points is not entirely the most accurate measuring stick to use in this endeavor. 

Illinois lost Friday night by three…as in feet. The Illini (1-1, 0-1 in Big Ten) failed to get three yards (and based on the spot of the ball it was probably less than a yard) on a fourth-and-goal situation where Barry Lunney Jr.’s offense could’ve taken an eight-point lead and all but guaranteed itself a 2-0 start to the 2022 campaign. 

However, Chase Brown was stuffed for a three-yard loss and managed to just total one yard on the three goal-to-go carries he was given on a night where finished with 199 yards on 36 carries and a 5.5 yard-per-carry average against Indiana’s undersized defensive front. 

Let’s take a look at how Illinois failed to put this game away and left Illini head coach Bret Bielema so frustrated leaving Bloomington with his first career loss to Indiana. 

Mike Farrell, IlliniGuys National Football Recruiting Expert

September 5, 2022

(Mike Farrell also has his own website: https://mikefarrellsports.com/)

This isn’t how it was supposed to go.

y Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting

September 4, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy the Brummel family)

Belay Brummel is another Illinois prep who Illinois is looking to possibly add to the class of 2023.

Brummel is listed as a 6-foot-1, 180-pound quarterback from Wheaton Academy in Chicago, a preparatory school.

Head coach Bret Bielema, in his second year at the helm, said, "Great programs develop depth, being able to recognize talented players that fit what you're doing. If you look at the successful programs all across the country that's what they have."

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting 

September 4, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Nashville Tennessean)

It's Labor Day weekend and that means we are this much closer to the first official day of college basketball practice. 

It does not matter if you are a Big Ten fan or not, the conference and its rich history deserve your respect. Some of the best players to ever play the game came from the Big Ten. 

Illinois head coach Brad Underwood said once, "The coaching in this league is tough; you better bring it night in and night out or you will get beat."

For example, last year the Nebraska Cornhuskers finished the season in conference play at 4-14 and went on the road to beat first-place Wisconsin - which finished at 15-5 - 74-73 with two of their best players out of action.

Now comes a new group of talented freshmen who will be expected to continue to keep the bar at the top when it comes to recruiting. 

Mike Cagley, IlliniGuy September 4, 2022 The loss to […]

With Illinois losing another game in frustrating fashion, Bret Bielema now has a week to prepare his Illini squad for the most important 60 minutes of what will be his 15th game as head coach.

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

September 3, 2022

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- It’s now official.

Illinois finds nearly every way to give away a conference road game Friday night and on the final drive of the drive, Indiana finally accepts the gift of a 23-20 victory. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

September 3, 2022

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Bret Bielema has previously expressed a long-standing theory that more games at this level are lost and then outright won. 

The roster of players that Bielema is employed to coach vigorously proved that point in their Big Ten Conference opener Friday night in a 23-20 loss at Indiana. 

On a night where Illinois outgained the host Hoosiers for the entire evening, Bielema’s squad had penalties, special teams mistakes, dropped passes and defensive secondary lapses that led to instant points and life for an Indiana team desperately looking to respond from a 2-10 campaign last season. 

“I’ve been in this business long enough that in order to win, you got to stop yourself from losing and I think as a head coach and us as coaches, we have to do a better job of emphasizing the things we did that were self-inflicting,” Bielema said after the loss. “I could literally go through the game from offense and defense all the nonsense things we did that we have to clean up.” 

Illinois falls 23-20 in an instant classic in Bloomington

Zain Bando, IlliniGuys Contributor

September 3, 2022 

I settled in to watch Illinois (1-0) take on Indiana (0-0) in Bloomington for the most important game of the regular season to-date.

September 2, 2022 The Illini travel to Bloomington, IN […]

With two new coordinators and several transfers coming in on both sides of the football, Indiana is hoping a plan of secrecy will work to its advantage against a veteran Illini squad. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

September 2, 2022

Game Preview: Indiana at Illinois

Date/Time/Place: Friday, Sept. 2, 2022: 7 p.m. CST, Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana

Surface: Field Turf

Capacity: 52,656

Records: Illinois 1-0; Indiana 0-0

Betting Line: Indiana by 1.5.

Series notes: Illinois leads the all-time series 44-24-3 but has lost each of the last three times the teams have played and is 15-15-3. Illinois head coach Bret Bielema is 7-0 all-time vs. Indiana dating back to his time as the Wisconsin head coach. Illinois has won three of the four games that have served as season openers for IU. The two teams are meeting for the first time since 2017 and the first time in Bloomington since 2013.

TV: FS1; Tim Brando (PBP), Spencer Tillman (analyst)

Radio (Illinois): Brian Barnhart (PBP), Martin O'Donnell (analysis), Michael Martin (sidelines) & Steve Kelly (Pre/HT/Post) » The broadcast can be heard live on TuneIn online radio, Sirius/ XM satellite radio & SiriusXM Internet and at FightingIllini.com.

Mike Farrell, IlliniGuys National Football Recruiting Expert

September 2, 2022

(Mike Farrell also has his own website: https://mikefarrellsports.com/)

I finish my look at the positional classes in the Big Ten looking at how Illinois stacks up at defensive back in 2023.

After not being sacked against Wyoming, Illinois quarterback Tommy DeVito said his body had never felt as fresh following a game.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

September 1, 2022

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Tommy DeVito might be in line for a rather large dinner bill in his near future. 

When asked if Illinois’ new starting quarterback might owe the offensive line a nice meal after keeping him sack free during the 38-6 win over Wyoming on Saturday, left tackle Julian Pearl certainly liked the idea.

“I think if we keep this up a steak would be nice,” Pearl said. “And he’s got that NIL quarterback money coming his way if he plays well so I think he’s good for it.” 

For the first time in DeVito’s college career as a starting quarterback, he was not sacked in a game after being sacked in each of his 14 career starts against Football Bowl Subdivision competition. And the former Syracuse star quarterback was likely the first one in the Champaign-Urbana area to know that stat.