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

September 1, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

The Illini methodically pasted Western Illinois in a 52-3 domination that went about as well as expected. They were good, but not perfect. Here is a recap of the weekend thoughts from Friday night and Saturday:

Hank Beatty was a record setter on punt return and was also 5 for 5 on targets and catches. He is the slot security blanket for Luke Altmyer and has some suddenness to his game to make people miss. Breaking a Red Grange record is impressive,

Mike Cagley, Co-Host Sports Spectacular September 1, 2025 The […]

Illinois played a dozen defensive linemen in Friday’s night 52-3 rout of Western Illinois and this snap count strategy may be a season-long plan to keep its ‘300 pound club’ players fresh.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

August 31, 2025

Illini ‘300 Pound Club’ Snap Count of Defensive Linemen vs. Western Illinois in Week 1
DL - James Thompson Jr. (*starter*) - 24
DL - Tomiwa Durojaiye (*starter*) - 24
DL - Jeremiah Warren - 13
DL - Eli Coenen - 13
DL - Pat Farrell - 12
DL - Carter Hewitt - 9
DL - Cameron Brooks - 3

NT - Curt Neal (*starter*) - 19
NT - Gentle Hunt - 17
NT - Angelo McCollum - 16
NT - Demetrius John - 5
NT - Isaiah White - 2

CHAMPAIGN — The new exclusive club inside the Illinois football locker room is one you have to get on a scale to be a part of - the 300-pound club.

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema has a specific snap-count plan for the defensive players on his roster that weigh 300 pounds or more and that would, of course, exclusively cover the young men in the positional room of Illini defensive line coach Terrance Jamison.

IlliniGuys.com discusses specific details of the 52-3 season-opening win over Western Illinois.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

August 31, 2025

CHAMPAIGN — In almost every way, the 52-3 victory for Illinois over a clearly overmatched Football Championship Subdivision program served as a prep work for the quickly upcoming future of the 2025 season. 

The most obvious prepwork on Friday night was an evaluation of how the Illinois rushing offense would/could operate when there’s no mystery that a run call has come in from Illini offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. to the helmet of third-year starting quarterback Luke Altmyer. 

Near the end of preseason camp this month, Lunney Jr. once again reiterated a major identity of this program will be how well they can run the football similarly to how they developed that element of the offense. 

“The key to every offense, ours is not different, is about being able to physically dominate and change the line-of-scrimmage when everybody in the stadium, including the defense, knows you’re going to run the ball,” Lunney Jr. said in preseason camp. “Great teams run the ball even when the defense loads up to stop it. The fact is that is still how you normally close games.” 

It’s hard to imagine the Illini debut of transfer portal addition wide receiver Justin Bowick could have gone much better than Friday night.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

August 30, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN — After being asked what he likes about new wide receiver Justin Bowick, Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer essentially read the details of roster specifications.

“You just said it, right? He’s 6-foot-5, 210 pounds of really good weight and runs like a deer out there,” Altmyer said. “You can see that I was able to throw it up to him in the back of the end zone and he can just pluck it out of the air like he’s been doing it his whole life.”

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

August 30, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Meanstreets' X page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The state of Illinois has long been a hotbed for boys' high school basketball. From playground courts to packed gyms, the state has produced some of the greatest names to ever play in college and later wear an NBA uniform. Now, another potential star is on the horizon.

Brady Pettigrew, a 6-2, 170-pound combo guard from Bolingbrook, is already considered one of the nation’s elite recruits. Only a sophomore, Pettigrew has earned five-star status and is ranked as the No. 15 recruit in the country according to ESPN.

August 30, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN — IlliniGuys.com’s Matthew Stevens is handing out his Illini Report Card, assessing Illinois’ performance in several areas.

Here are the grades coming out of the Illini’s' season-opening win over Western Illinois:

Run Offense

The 52-3 victory over Western Illinois served as nothing more than a dress rehearsal for games where this team will be more harshly evaluated. But that reality doesn’t take away from Illinois being 1-0.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

August 30, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN — And now the 2025 season can unofficially start.

Yes, Illinois will have a 1-0 overall record when they take their show on the road next weekend to Duke. However, yes, basically the same amount of questions involving practically the same topics still exists following the 52-3 dress rehearsal victory over Western Illinois - a developing Football Championship Subdivision program.

Please don’t get me wrong, dress rehearsals (when you can figure out how to schedule them properly certainly serve a valid purpose and this four-hour run through is no different.

For a program where history likely needs to be forgotten than relied upon, beginning a season in the win column should obviously never be taken for granted. Bret Bielema’s 29th victory as he begins his fifth season as the Illinois head football coach is the perfect way for him to begin the summer’s final holiday weekend into a fall season.

No. 12 Illinois makes it an easy 18-0 all-time […]

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

August 29, 2025

WESTERN ILLINOIS AT ILLINOIS

Date/Time/Place: Friday, Aug. 29, 2025: 6:30 p.m. CST, Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Ill.

Surface: Field Turf

Capacity: 60,670

Series notes: Illinois leads the season series 3-0 with the last meeting being a 34-14 win in 2018. Illinois opens the season at Memorial Stadium for the fifth straight season and the 14th time in the last 15 seasons (2020 at Wisconsin).

TV: Peacock; Paul Burmeister (play-by-play), Phil Simms (color analyst) and Zora Stephenson (sideline reporter)

Radio (Illinois): Brian Barnhart (play-by-play), Carey Davis (analyst), Michael Martin (sideline), and Steve Kelly (pre/half/post). The broadcast can be heard live on TuneIn online radio, SiriusXM, the SiriusXM App, and at FightingIllini.com/live.

CHAMPAIGN — So, you want to play the gunner position on the punt team, huh?

Well, here is your assignment: First, run as fast as you can for a 40-45 yard sprint where you can physically either outrun or outphysical your 1-on-1 matchup on the outside. Next, have the instincts while you’re going full speed to get near the opposing team’s returner while keeping your head up the whole time as to observing the invisible circle the rules provide for the returner to make the catch of the punt. Finally, you have to essentially love the idea of physical contact because if win your 1-on-1 battle and time the play up correctly and there’s no fair catch signal, your hit/tackle could be the most violent collision on the field on that given day because of the amount of speed generated from your 40-yard sprint.

“I get it. Trust me, I get it.

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

August 29, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

The Illini are hosting a reunion of the 2005 Final Four team, the first time they have had this group back on campus since that magical run that captivated a nation. There are numerous reasons for a delay in honoring what was the greatest season in Illini basketball history. We can debate 89, 05, 01, 24, 84 until we’re blue in the face, but the reality is that the 2005 team made it to the national title game as the top ranked team and went 37-2. No other team has done that.

That was during my first year providing coverage of Illini basketball, but it was a different role and a different world that we lived in back then. Postgame, these guys would come out to meet with their families and the lower bowl fans would line up to grab autographs and interact with them. They were literally rock stars on campus. This was planned; they started having security and a rope to keep the masses at bay, but it was also something that started out organically. Post game dinners with players' families were common. These guys were accessible.

That accessibility paired with their personalities made them special. Well, in addition to their basketball talents, of course. Imagine what Dee Brown would grab in NIL today? There was a vibe around this group, beginning with a run in 2004 to win the Big Ten prior to that magical 2005 run.

For me, it was also much different. In both 2005 and 2006, there were many times I had to

August 29, 2025 The new season is here and […]

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema says only Xanai Scott currently on pace to play more than the four-game threshold in 2025 season to preclude a redshirt year.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

August 28, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN — Basically every Division I college football team adheres to a injury prevention protocol during preseason camp practices that requires a lack of full-contact tackling during the month-long preparation. Illinois was no different in August 2025. It is this fact that what scares Illinois defensive coordinator as they approach a season-opening contest against Western Illinois on Friday night (6:30 p.m. CST, Peacock).

“We’ve got to do the best we can at limiting the damage because they have explosive players and the number one thing a defensive coach is going to say bothers him about a Week 1 game is tackling because we just don’t do much of it in the preseason and in college football there’s no preseason games to get you used to four hours of tackle-to-the-ground action,” Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry said. “Nobody does full tackle scrimmaging in the preseason for as long as everybody is going to play a game this weekend.”

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

August 28, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy player's X page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Peoria pipeline is beginning to run strong once more, as East Peoria forward Quinton Kitt made another trip to Champaign today to visit Illinois. The 6-foot-6 power forward returned to campus after receiving an offer from the Illini earlier this summer.

IlliniGuys caught up with the three-star prospect to get his thoughts on how this visit compared to his first. Peoria boys basketball has been kind to the Illini historically, though currently the only Peoria native suiting up in Champaign is guard Aaliyah Guyton on the women’s side. Illinois is hoping Kitt, a 2027 recruit, could be next.

“I thought the visit went pretty good.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

August 28, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy player's X page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – For the past four years, much of the attention in college athletics has centered on the transfer portal. While it continues to play an important role in roster building, there is a noticeable shift back toward recruiting and developing high school talent. Illinois is no exception. This year’s roster features several experienced transfers, but one freshman in particular is already creating buzz among those around the program.

Keaton Wagler arrived at Illinois this summer with a strong resume.