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Illinois head coach Bret Bielema wants Robby Discher’s aggressive special teams play to mix with his philosophy of all three phases playing complimentary football. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

February 16, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Matt Stevens/IlliniGuys)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- After stressing how to effectively not lose games with its special teams, Robby Discher might be arriving into Bret Bielema’s Illinois rebuild at the perfect time. 

Discher, who arrived in Champaign last week a day after accepting the special teams coordinator and tight end coach job, immediately brings his aggressive nature and reputation to his special teams unit that could help the Illini in the third year of Bielema’s leadership. 

IlliniGuys co-founders Mike Cagley and Brad Sturdy talked with the "IlliniGal" - Adalia McKenzie - about Sunday's loss at Maryland.

Adalia's analysis is an IlliniGuys exclusive which you will only find on IlliniGuys.com as we are proud to include Illini women's basketball in our coverage.

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema announces the title promotion of defensive line coach Terrance Jamison to co-defensive coordinator. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 15, 2023

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The title promotion for an Illinois football assistant coach that head coach Bret Bielema promised earlier this month has become official. 

Mike Cagley, Co-Host IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular February 15, 2023 […]

Mike Farrell, IlliniGuys National Football Recruiting Expert

February 15, 2023

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

In this edition of the Farrell Files Illinois, I’ll look at the new coaching hire and rank the RB classes in the Big Ten for the 2023 class.

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Zacharie Perrin leaves the Illini program just over two […]

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

February 14, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Scott Clause/USA Today Network)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois has found Ben Miller’s on-field replacement as the program’s special team’s coordinator and tight ends coach.

The Illinois athletics department confirmed the hiring of Robby Discher as special teams coordinator/tight ends coach.

“We are very excited to have Robby and his family join us here at the University of Illinois,” Illini head coach Bret Bielema said in the university news release. "He will touch our program in many different ways working with our tight ends, specialists, and coordinating our special teams overall. He has proven to have success in every place he has been. I am excited to see and feel his impact here in our program.”

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

February 14, 2023

IlliniGuys caught up with

Illinois offers all-purpose athlete Ronnie Royal

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting

Feb. 13, 2023

Defensive backs coach Antonio Fenelus is in his first season at Illinois, but he has hit the ground running as he recently offered four-star recruit Ronnie Royal III.

The 5-foot-9, 170 pound talent from Gulf Shores, Alabama is an all-purpose athlete who can play several positions on offense and defense due to his explosive speed and athleticism.

EDITOR'S NOTE: IlliniGuys co-founder Larry Smith has covered sports from the local to the international level for 35 years, including 12 Final Fours and six NBA Finals.  He is the creator of the Dirty Dozen, an office pool selection matrix that is 12-0 in its existence.)

By Larry Smith/IlliniGuys Staff

February 13, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy USA Today Sports)

One of the most thrilling college basketball regular seasons I can remember is quickly coming to a conclusion.  Four weeks from today, we will be discussing first round matchups, who got snubbed, which ACC team that the all-ACC ESPN studio crew incorrectly thinks got robbed, and who ya got in your Final Four.

It's the time of year that the nerd in me rises to the surface.  I do my own 68-team field twice a week.  I begin to research my Dirty Dozen to see which favorites are doomed and will not win the national title (more on that at another time).  When the 80 index cards go on the wall of my "war room" in about two weeks, my family is warned...Dad is just in his zone and we'll see him again in a couple of weeks.

Here are some quick thoughts after another crazy weekend:

In a 82-71 loss, No. 8 Maryland got 29 points off the Illinois’ 25 turnovers. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 12, 2023

Illinois head coach Shauna Green isn’t interested in hearing the argument that her team’s second-half breakdown has plenty to do with the absence of Genesis Bryant. 

Key Walk-Ons - Joep Engbers, Henry Engel, Patrick Mahoney, Nick True, Johnny Schmitt and Ronan Poynton

Steve Sturm, IlliniGuys Football Analyst

February 12, 2023

I know I'm not alone in always holding a special place for walk-ons, and especially those guys who had full scholarship offers at other programs. 

The near 10-minute stretch where Rutgers didn’t score in a 69-60 home victory for Illinois was catapulted by the defensive strengths of Coleman Hawkins. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

February 11, 2023

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The boos from the Orange Krush student section every time Sam Mulcahy touched the basketball weren’t at all phasing the confidence of the Rutgers’ senior guard. 

By IlliniGuys Staff

February 11, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - For most of Saturday afternoon, 24th ranked Rutgers could smell its first ever victory in Champaign.  But Illinois stepped up its defense in the second half to come away with a 69-60 win at State Farm Center

The Scarlet Knights took a 47-41 lead on a pair of Caleb McConnell free throws with 15:03 remaining.  But Illinois (17-7, 8-5 in Big Ten) held them without a field goal for the next 10:05 to spur a 19-0 run and take the lead for good.