Football

Following a 35-13 win over Rutgers, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema downplays his role in scouting preparation and says coming out of the bye week that his role never changed from previous weeks.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

November 6, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — When asked if his increased scouting role for the defensive coaches prior to the Rutgers game, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema initially didn’t understand the question.

After making it publicly known that the Illini fifth-year head coach said Thursday that his role in scouting Rutgers’ third-down offense and doing a Monday morning presentation with the defensive coaches, Bielema said Thursday that his role last weekend was overblown by media and fans’ frustration following the loss at Washington.

“It really wasn’t that different last week,” Bielema said in his bye week media session at Gies Memorial Stadium. “I think people paid a lot more attention to it. Proud of guys and how they responded.”

IlliniGuys.com will detail, in this 35-13 win over Rutgers on Saturday, how Illinois offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. did what every successful offensive coordinator does - steal creative play calls. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

November 5, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — One of the first things that athletics coaches learn over the course of a career is their is no such thing as property theft when it comes to plays, formations and playbook creativity. 
Illinois offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. learned this rule Saturday in the 35-13 win over Rutgers with a red zone trick play call. The fourth-year offensive play-caller and his boss, fifth-year head coach Bret Bielema, have both previously said to media that Lunney will sometimes see play calls and interesting formations on social media (X and Instagram mostly) and then begin the implementation process the following Monday so the play call can be installed into the Thursday walk-through in the stadium. 

What is more than shocking about what Lunney stole this past weekend was it became a call on fourth-and-goal call from the 3-yard-line. This means Illinois (6-3, 3-3 in Big Ten Conference) put this play in the game plan early in the week and implemented it into Lunney’s callsheet in a matter of days. And finally, Lunney had enough confidence in the call and the fact that Rutgers hadn’t obviously seen the call on film throughout the 2025 season, that the Illini play-caller sent in the play in what was a huge spot of this game. 

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Insider

November 4, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

I hope everyone enjoyed Illinois' "get well" game against the visiting Scarlet Knights of Rutgers. For the second time this year, Bret Bielema's staff needed to rally the troops and get everyone back on the same page after an embarrassing road loss. And to their credit, they did. Illinois frankly just outclassed Rutgers on Saturday, which is what you'd hope to see from a well-established program.

Rutgers' defense has been a real problem under Greg Schiano. There isn't much talent, and they often can't even keep their assignments straight. This first play was a great example of the types of plays Rutgers has put on film this year. There are plenty of times when you'll see a defense lose track of a receiver inside the ten yard line, but Illinois' first touchdown on Saturday was a special kind of ugly.

Mike Cagley, Co-Host Sports Spectacular November 3, 2025 The […]

By Zeno Jo - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

November 2, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Zeno Jo/IlliniGuys)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – With high school playoff games taking place around Illinois, the convoy of visiting recruits before Illinois’ 35-13 win over Rutgers was smaller than the past few, but the week’s group appeared to be the staff’s attempt at filling gaps and prioritizing some in-state targets.

Among the group was class of 2027 linebacker Sean Rice, hailing from Aurora, Illinois and playing for St. Laurence High School. He recapped his visit, which was his third with a Power Four program this fall.

Following a 17-point loss at Washington, Illinois pulled together its most balanced performance in all three phases of offense, defense and special teams.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

November 1, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill.

Run Offense
Illinois offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. promised that he would be intent on getting the quarterback involved in the run game and therefore, making all 11 offensive players dynamic when the Illini go to the ground. The fourth-year offensive play-caller at Illinois certainly kept his promise today. Unlike a lot of what was done last weekend in Seattle, a majority (if not all) of Luke Altmyer’s 88 yards on seven carries where on scrambles and not designed runs.

Following 35-13 victory over Rutgers Saturday, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema got to execute a post-game move he may enjoy more than any other - the ‘I told you so’.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

November 1, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Matt Stevens/IlliniGuys)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Short of hearing his daughter’s laugh or seeing his wife’s proud smile, the one thing Bret Bielema may love more than anything else is what he did in the post-game media conference on Saturday afternoon.

The winning head football coach at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign got to strut up to the ‘block I logo’ podium inside Gies Memorial Stadium and say the two things he treasures more than anything else.

By IlliniGuys Staff November 1, 2025 (Cover photo courtesy […]

The last two-game losing streak for Illinois came on a frustrating home loss to Minnesota following a cross-country trip for a road loss at then-No. 1 Oregon in 2024. 

RUTGERS at ILLINOIS

Records: Rutgers 4-4, 1-4 in Big Ten Conference; Illinois 5-3, 2-3 in Big Ten Conference

Date/Time/Place: Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025: 11 a.m. CST, Gies Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Ill.

Surface: FieldTurf

Capacity: 60,670

Series notes: Illinois leads the all-time series 6-3 but the two teams are tied over four games in Champaign with Rutgers winning the last matchup in Illinois during 2021, which was Bret Bielema’s first season with the Illini. The last meeting was a 38-31 victory last season for the Illini in Piscataway, N.J. where the final play of the game was a walk-off touchdown pass from Luke Altmyer to Pat Bryant. 

TV: NBC; Paul Burmeister (play-by-play); Jason Garrett (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 85, the SiriusXM App, and at FightingIllini.com/live.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

November 1, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The feeling Bret Bielema had after his team’s 17-point loss in Seattle was one he was very much familiar with. 

Following Illinois’ 42-25 loss at Washington, the Illini head coach’s mind instantly went to the program’s last two-game losing streak where they came off a long Pacific Northwest trip to then-No. 1 Oregon only to fall 25-17 in Champaign-Urbana to Minnesota the following the weekend. 

In that frustrating and confusing eight-point loss as a home favorite, Bielema

November 1, 2025 The Illini face Rutgers at home […]

(From Illinois Sports Information Office)   WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. […]

Both Illinois head coach Bret Bielema and defensive coordinator Aaron Henry have acknowledged the struggle of reacting to the injury of All-Big Ten defensive back Xavier Scott.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

October 30, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Just because it’s been a month and a half since Xavier Scott was laying on the Memorial Stadium in pain doesn’t mean the coaches and players have effectively figured out an answer to replace the All-Big Ten defensive back.

In the fourth quarter of what was a 38-0 lead over Western Michigan, Scott’s pass deflection near the home sideline caused Scott, a Phil Steele All-America honorable mention selection, to awkwardly fall on his ankle and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy Preseason Watch List needed to be carried off the field by Illinois training staff personnel.

Bielema told local media days after the injury that Scott was getting multiple opinions on his ankle.

Why communication (from a coach to coach, coach to players and players to players standpoint) was a major breakdown in Illinois suffering its third loss of the 2025 season at Washington. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

October 28, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illnois Athletics)

SEATTLE — Being able to communicate is a highly vital skill. It’s why at most universities there’s usually a communication studies department and that expertise is a designed major at most highly-rated universities.

The common reason public relations firms can charge as much as they do is their ability to communicate a potential situation in a way that is best for the company that hires them while having an unbiased take on how to handle any crisis or celebration from a written, verbal and visual standpoint.

The essential art of communication applies to sports in a very consequential way. Whether it’s communication between coaches and players throughout a preparation or a players communication within each other either before the play or in the moment of the play, relaying information in a clear, concise and fast way can mean the difference between success and failure. 

This is why after surrendering 449 total yards, touchdowns in six of eight drives and being on the wrong end of nine for 12 in third-down situations, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema kept repeating “we have to evaluate of what we’re asking the players out there to do”. What is Bielema saw being relayed to the players either from him, Bielema’s assistant coaches and/or the Illini players teammates is something Bielema is seeing as a major problem when he flipped on the film of its 42-25 loss at Washington this past weekend. 

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema says he sees his job to help provide defensive coordinator Aaron Henry with as much information, knowledge and assistance as the Illini host Rutgers this weekend.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

October 27, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — It’s fairly clear that instead of taking away, limiting or restricting Aaron Henry’s responsibilities, Bret Bielema feels like his role is to help the Illinois defensive play-caller with more information.

In his weekly media conference inside Gies Memorial Stadium Monday afternoon, Bielema suggested his plan was to do scouting of Rutgers’ offense and provide guidance to his defensive staff so Henry can find better results in this final month of the 2025 season. Instead of firing, stripping him of play-caller duties or performing an act of punishment or consequence, Henry needs to be helped from his boss.

“I want to empower him,” Bielema said of his third-year defensive coordinator. “I want to empower him to show that I believe in him. Everybody is asking me what’s wrong and that’s (the media’s) job. I’m not throwing stones, that’s what you’re supposed to do. That’s your job. My job is to empower him so that the last four games of this season and most important, this week versus Rutgers is of good and not bad.

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

October 27, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

That one hurt. It hurt Saturday and it hurt again as I re-watched it yesterday in preparation for this article. For me personally, the thing that hurt the most is that the Illini were outcoached on the defensive side. We all know Washington defensive coordinator - and former Illinois defensive signal caller - Ryan Walters has our number and that it was going to be tough sledding defensively. However, what hurt the most was the degree to which Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch schooled Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry and head coach Bret Bielema. Fisch is a solid offensive coach, but he put on an absolute clinic in spacing on Saturday, and the Illini failed to adjust.

Here's what I mean. We saw concepts like this throughout the day Saturday. Layered routes that have three parallel receivers arriving in the same horizontal spots like a ladder at the same time. Illinois only rushes four on this play, yet it's hard to find an Illinois defender who is actually near a Husky receiver. Not only that, but Washington's best receiver barely has a defender in the picture with him. I tend to think either Torrie Cox or Tanner Heckel had a blown assignment here because both crashed down on Demond Williams Jr. as he rolled out, but as we saw all day, Washington had wide open receivers all day.