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A 14-play, 83-yard touchdown drive ending with 27 seconds remaining gave Wisconsin its first and only lead of the afternoon as Illinois dropped the Homecoming game 25-21 to the Badgers. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

October 21, 2023

CHAMPAIGN — Illinois led for 59 minutes and 33 seconds, but a game-winning drive led by Wisconsin redshirt freshman quarterback Braedyn Locke helped the Badgers steal a road victory. 

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

October 21, 2023

Saturday on the gridiron, there is an all-important football game taking place at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois, at 2:30 p.m. between the Fighting Illini and Wisconsin Badgers.

Seth Coleman had three sacks at Maryland last weekend and can cite the play of the lineman around him for that career-high performance. 

Wisconsin at Illinois

Date/Time/Place: Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023: 2:30 p.m. CST, Memorial Stadium, Champaign

Surface: Field Turf

Capacity: 60,670

Records: Illinois 3-4, 1-3 in Big Ten; Wisconsin 4-2, 2-1 in Big Ten

Betting Line: Wisconsin by 3

Series notes: Wisconsin leads the all-time series 44-39-7. Illinois leads 22-19-3 in games located in Champaign. Illinois won 34-10 at Wisconsin last season in which Paul Chryst was fired the following day and current Illinois senior football analyst Jim Leonhard was promoted to the interim head coach. 

TV: FS1; Eric Collins (play-by-play) and Devin Gardner (color 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, SiriusXM (137/195), SiriusXM App, and at FightingIllini.com.

By Matt Stevens/IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

October 21, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN — Similarly to an emergency road sign you’ll see during highway construction, the message to Illinois pass rushers is a four-line commandment: Stay In Your Lane. 

In the 27-24 upset win at Maryland on Saturday, Seth Coleman went from sackless in the 2023 season to a career-high three because his defensive line pals filtered Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa right to his 6-foot-5, 240-pound frame. 

Even without the presence of injured defensive lineman Keith Randolph, Illinois (3-4, 1-3 in Big Ten) was able to constantly move and affect the pocket on Tagovailoa to the tune of 15 quarterback pressures, 11 quarterback hurries and Coleman’s three sacks in 44 total dropbacks. 

With eight Illinois players recording multiple assists and six different players bringing the ball past midcourt, Brad Underwood’s squad is undertaking a massive recharacterization of a critical positional group.  

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

October 20, 2023

CHAMPAIGN — The concept of point guard is about to change in a big way at Illinois. 

By IlliniGuys Staff October 20, 2023 (Cover photo courtesy […]

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

October 20, 2023

I will say it for you, Illinois fans, it is basketball season. Illinois fans love their hoops; tonight, the Illini take on Ottawa University out of Kansas. Assistant Athletic Director-Basketball Joey Biggs is a graduate of there.

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

October 20, 2023

Illinois head football coach Bret Bielema planned his recruiting schedule perfectly. Back in early September, Illinois hosted several recruits, when it played Penn State, ranked seventh in the county.

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

October 18, 2023

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

The Illini are now a couple of weeks into practices and there is a definite optimism. Not the usual false bravado of every team, but a feeling that this team can be very good if things click. The first exhibition is only a couple of days away, so Let's take a look at what we see from the roster right now. Of course, we are always watching when we can and gathering info from a variety of sources on practices.

First of all, we will have a game preview for the exhibition, but make no mistake, I don't think we will see the best Illinois team.

Mike Farrell, IlliniGuys & Big Sports Radio National Football Recruiting Expert

October 20, 2023

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

In this edition of the Farrell Files Illinois, I’ll look at a key visitor for the weekend, a look at a few other committed players they are still targeting and a recent decommitment still in play?

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

October 19, 2023

Illini quarterback Trey Petty spoke with IlliniGuys to update his recruitment. The 6-foot tall, 3-star signal caller from Starkville, Mississippi, did commit to the Illini in May of this year. 

IlliniGuys.com attempts a verbal diary on the 4th-and-1 conversion for a 2-yard touchdown by Kaden Feagin near the end of the first half of the upset victory at Maryland. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

October 18, 2023

CHAMPAIGN — While staring at another fourth-and-short conversion near the goal line, Bret Bielema simply said trust in his coaches was what led him to go for the end zone. 

Steve Sturm, IlliniGuys Football Analyst

October 18, 2023

Barry Lunney gets my game ball for this week.

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

October 18, 2023

The Michigan State Spartans football program lost their head football coach–Mel Tucker was relieved of his duties. Football recruits typically are very loyal to the head coach of a program. But, as one can see, the Spartans no longer have a head coach. 

For the first time since November 1999, Illinois women’s […]

Mike Cagley, Co-Host Sports Spectacular and Big Sports Radio […]