Football

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGIXDtrZZZs    

Nobody at Illinois hired Bret Bielema to win pretty, high-scoring blowouts in November and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

November 20, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The first words out of Bret Bielema’s mouth after a 24-6 victory in conference play was the performance wasn’t clean.

Of course, it wasn’t. Because sometimes when the calendar flips to November and Bret Bielema is your head coach, you just have to get in the mud and get a little dirty to feel a lot of satisfaction in the Big Ten Conference. Nobody knows more about dirty wins than Mr. Bielema himself. Winning games like this is why he was hired to Champaign-Urbana.

“What (Bielema) is building and what this team is building is just an awesome thing to be a part of. The gratitude to have a little small piece in that,” said Illinois linebacker Dylan Rosiek, who is playing with an undisclosed injury that Bielema will only say Rosiek will need offseason surgery to fully repair. “I was just walking around, looking at the lights and everything. It was just like, what a tremendous opportunity that I've been blessed to be a part of. Coming into the program, where it was, and even just the atmosphere today, when you showed up in 2022, that was not what you got.”

IlliniGuys.com uses a short film review this week to show how Illinois offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. is using Hank Beatty as a decoy.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

November 19, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Hank Beatty led all Illinois receivers in targets, receptions and play snaps in the 24-6 win over Maryland. However, it is the plays where the fourth-year leader didn’t touch the football where Illini offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. and third-year starting quarterback Luke Altmyer both learned more about the Terrapins defensive plan on Saturday.

After leading 14-6 through 30 minutes of play, Illinois could’ve come out of the halftime locker room and force-fed the football to its leading receiver throughout the 2025 season. Instead of doing that and potentially falling into another turnover or more, Lunney used his creativity as a play-caller and play installer to use the 5-foot-11, 185-pound receiver as a decoy to encode what defensive front and coverage Maryland was using in the second half.

The result was Hudson Clement having a career day on Saturday and Illinois (7-3, 4-3 in Big Ten Conference) being able to use its most prolific receiver as what Lunney called on Monday “eye candy”.

The Illinois head coach is bringing a ‘been there, […]

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

November 18, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Illinois won a second straight workmanlike game on Saturday with a 24-6 win over a struggling Maryland team. It wasn't sexy. And it didn't create any highlights that you'll remember forever, but it was a solid win over a Maryland team that wasn't to be trifled with. Illinois held a dangerous Maryland offense to six points and 293 yards, which is 20 points and 50 yards under Maryland's averages. To me the defense was the star of the show, but since I'm limited to highlights that are in the public domain, I can't give you the play by play excellence that Illinois showed today. However, this 4th down play late in the game was pretty representative of the great work that Aaron Henry and his crew turned in today.

Maryland quarterback Malik Washington was a top 50 prospect last year and the 5th rated QB in the nation. And, despite what you might conclude after watching him today, he's had a very good freshman year in the Big Ten. However, Illinois kept him in the pocket and didn't let him get anything easy all day, and when Washington has to stay still and fit his throws into tight windows, he fails. Illinois keeps it simple on this play. They only rush three and keep their defenders in the middle of the field to clog the passing lanes. Washington could have handled the situation better rather than rushing the throw, but that's exactly what Illinois is banking on with this defense. This play was a microcosm of the day. Excellent work by the Illini defense.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

November 18, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. —During Illinois’ most recent bye week on Nov. 8, the staff hit the recruiting trail hard. That effort paid off today as the Illini received a commitment from offensive lineman Alfred Washington, a 6-foot-5, 290-pound product of Pensacola, Florida and Northeast Mississippi Community College.

Washington represents an important step toward reshaping the Illini offensive line next season. Rather than relying solely on freshmen or dipping heavily into the transfer portal, head coach Bret Bielema has continued to emphasize the value of the junior college ranks, a route he has used successfully throughout his career.

Mike Cagley, Co-Host Sports Spectacular Cover photo Joe Pickrell, […]

Illinois produces a mature performance in a 18-point home win over a reeling Maryland squad.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

November 16, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Yeah, Illinois made a lot of mistakes on Saturday as a 16-point favorite at home. The first words out of Illini fifth-year head coach Bret Bielema was the game was “not clean” and he was very disappointed in their first-half execution (a first half that saw them with a 14-6 lead mind you) but this 24-6 result against a reeling Maryland squad was exactly the calling card of a Bielema operation in the month of November.

“I just thought we needed to have a good 1-0 November mentality to this game,” Bielema said. “Of course, we didn’t play clean in that first half but I really love the way our guys responded in that last 30 minutes…Super excited to be a 7-3 football team.”

(From Illinois Sports Information Office)   MEMPHIS, Tenn. – [10] […]

For the first time in program history, Illinois found a victory over Maryland inside Gies Memorial Stadium for its seventh victory of the 2025 season. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A methodical offensive approach and a solid defensive effort allowed Illinois to cruise past Maryland 24-6 on Saturday for the first time in school inside Gies Memorial Stadium. 

By Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Sr. Recruiting Analyst

November 15, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy player's X page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois hosts Maryland on Saturday for a Big Ten matchup at Memorial Stadium, kicking off at 2:30 p.m. CT on FS1 as part of the program’s Military Appreciation Game.

The Illini will welcome a number of visitors for the weekend, including 6-foot-5, 220-pound tight end Sam Dostal of Creighton Prep in Omaha, Nebraska. Dostal, a class of 2027 prospect, continues to draw attention as he works back from an early-career setback.

Dostal confirmed he suffered an ACL injury.

November 15, 2025 The Illini face Maryland at home […]

In its 35-20 loss to Rutgers last weekend, Maryland had 12 of 22 starters listed as a redshirt sophomore or younger.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

November 15, 2025

MARYLAND at ILLINOIS

Records: Maryland 4-5, 1-5 in Big Ten; Illinois 6-3, 3-3 in Big Ten

Date/Time/Place: Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025: 2:30 p.m. CST, Gies Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Ill.

Surface: FieldTurf

Capacity: 60,670

ODDS: Illinois by 15.5

Series notes: Maryland leads the all-time series 2-1 including a 20-17 win in their lone game playing in Champaign during the 2021 season. In the first matchup between these teams on Oct. 27, 2018, Maryland scored 63 points against the Illini. That stands as their most points scored in any conference game over the last 45 seasons. In the last matchup between the two schools in College Park, Maryland, Luke Altmyer led a fourth-quarter comeback as Caleb Griffin kicked a game-winning field goal as time expired for the 27-24 win.

TV: FS1; Noah Reed (play-by-play), Robert Smith (color analyst)

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 162/196, the SiriusXM App, and at FightingIllini.com/live.
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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — It’s always been right around this point in a season where the first-year players, redshirt freshmen and inexperience in a starting lineup stop becoming a focal point any longer.

Welcome to where Maryland sits in its 2025 season where last week 12 of its 22 starters had less than two seasons worth of starting experience but had been a high contributor in each of its previous eight games. This is when freshmen stop being labeled as such and Maryland head coach Mike Locksley, who brought this Top 20 recruiting class to his native state, knows these younger players must become relied upon for a big win that has yet to reveal itself in 2025.

By Larry Smith - IlliniGuys Co-Founder & Co-Host/Executive Producer, […]

By Zeno Jo - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

November 14, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – In modern-day football, head coaches are beginning to run out of things they can refine. Across the board, players are getting faster and taller. Arms are growing stronger. In the past few decades, special teams coaches have gone to the land down under to find punters who can send spin-filled punts that could make a reliever jealous. On the kicking front? Big legs.

Just earlier this month, Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Cam Little set the record for the longest field goal in NFL history with a 68-yard try. In its search for a big leg, Bret Bielema and his staff brought one to campus a couple of weeks ago for a visit. Kofi Adubufuor, playing for Lakota West High School in Ohio, has been plying his trade as a kicker, and he says he’s got a big leg himself. He’s former high school teammates with current Illini freshman linebacker Grant Beerman and 2026 Illinois commit Cam Thomas, and was on campus for Illinois’ 35-13 win over Rutgers earlier this month and spoke with IlliniGuys.