Football

Illinois had two plays to get two yards to seal the Big Ten Conference opener at Indiana and couldn’t punch it. We examine what happened to allow Illinois to get stuffed. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

September 5, 2022

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- One yard. 

For the rest of time as we know it, any record book will show Illinois lost its 2022 Big Ten Conference opener at Indiana by three and while that is true, points is not entirely the most accurate measuring stick to use in this endeavor. 

Illinois lost Friday night by three…as in feet. The Illini (1-1, 0-1 in Big Ten) failed to get three yards (and based on the spot of the ball it was probably less than a yard) on a fourth-and-goal situation where Barry Lunney Jr.’s offense could’ve taken an eight-point lead and all but guaranteed itself a 2-0 start to the 2022 campaign. 

However, Chase Brown was stuffed for a three-yard loss and managed to just total one yard on the three goal-to-go carries he was given on a night where finished with 199 yards on 36 carries and a 5.5 yard-per-carry average against Indiana’s undersized defensive front. 

Let’s take a look at how Illinois failed to put this game away and left Illini head coach Bret Bielema so frustrated leaving Bloomington with his first career loss to Indiana. 

Mike Farrell, IlliniGuys National Football Recruiting Expert

September 5, 2022

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

This isn’t how it was supposed to go.

y Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys.com Director of Recruiting

September 4, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy the Brummel family)

Belay Brummel is another Illinois prep who Illinois is looking to possibly add to the class of 2023.

Brummel is listed as a 6-foot-1, 180-pound quarterback from Wheaton Academy in Chicago, a preparatory school.

Head coach Bret Bielema, in his second year at the helm, said, "Great programs develop depth, being able to recognize talented players that fit what you're doing. If you look at the successful programs all across the country that's what they have."

Mike Cagley, IlliniGuy September 4, 2022 The loss to […]

With Illinois losing another game in frustrating fashion, Bret Bielema now has a week to prepare his Illini squad for the most important 60 minutes of what will be his 15th game as head coach.

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

September 3, 2022

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- It’s now official.

Illinois finds nearly every way to give away a conference road game Friday night and on the final drive of the drive, Indiana finally accepts the gift of a 23-20 victory. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

September 3, 2022

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Bret Bielema has previously expressed a long-standing theory that more games at this level are lost and then outright won. 

The roster of players that Bielema is employed to coach vigorously proved that point in their Big Ten Conference opener Friday night in a 23-20 loss at Indiana. 

On a night where Illinois outgained the host Hoosiers for the entire evening, Bielema’s squad had penalties, special teams mistakes, dropped passes and defensive secondary lapses that led to instant points and life for an Indiana team desperately looking to respond from a 2-10 campaign last season. 

“I’ve been in this business long enough that in order to win, you got to stop yourself from losing and I think as a head coach and us as coaches, we have to do a better job of emphasizing the things we did that were self-inflicting,” Bielema said after the loss. “I could literally go through the game from offense and defense all the nonsense things we did that we have to clean up.” 

Illinois falls 23-20 in an instant classic in Bloomington

Zain Bando, IlliniGuys Contributor

September 3, 2022 

I settled in to watch Illinois (1-0) take on Indiana (0-0) in Bloomington for the most important game of the regular season to-date.

September 2, 2022 The Illini travel to Bloomington, IN […]

With two new coordinators and several transfers coming in on both sides of the football, Indiana is hoping a plan of secrecy will work to its advantage against a veteran Illini squad. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

September 2, 2022

Game Preview: Indiana at Illinois

Date/Time/Place: Friday, Sept. 2, 2022: 7 p.m. CST, Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana

Surface: Field Turf

Capacity: 52,656

Records: Illinois 1-0; Indiana 0-0

Betting Line: Indiana by 1.5.

Series notes: Illinois leads the all-time series 44-24-3 but has lost each of the last three times the teams have played and is 15-15-3. Illinois head coach Bret Bielema is 7-0 all-time vs. Indiana dating back to his time as the Wisconsin head coach. Illinois has won three of the four games that have served as season openers for IU. The two teams are meeting for the first time since 2017 and the first time in Bloomington since 2013.

TV: FS1; Tim Brando (PBP), Spencer Tillman (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, Sirius/ XM satellite radio & SiriusXM Internet and at FightingIllini.com.

Mike Farrell, IlliniGuys National Football Recruiting Expert

September 2, 2022

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

I finish my look at the positional classes in the Big Ten looking at how Illinois stacks up at defensive back in 2023.

After not being sacked against Wyoming, Illinois quarterback Tommy DeVito said his body had never felt as fresh following a game.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

September 1, 2022

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Tommy DeVito might be in line for a rather large dinner bill in his near future. 

When asked if Illinois’ new starting quarterback might owe the offensive line a nice meal after keeping him sack free during the 38-6 win over Wyoming on Saturday, left tackle Julian Pearl certainly liked the idea.

“I think if we keep this up a steak would be nice,” Pearl said. “And he’s got that NIL quarterback money coming his way if he plays well so I think he’s good for it.” 

For the first time in DeVito’s college career as a starting quarterback, he was not sacked in a game after being sacked in each of his 14 career starts against Football Bowl Subdivision competition. And the former Syracuse star quarterback was likely the first one in the Champaign-Urbana area to know that stat.

While Friday night will be Connor Bazelak’s first action at Indiana, it will certainly not be his first experience trying to move the football against a defense led by coordinator Ryan Walters.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

August 31, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy IlliniGuys/Jonah Cagley)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The Illinois defensive coordinator has felt fully prepared for months to scout the likely candidate to be Indiana’s starting quarterback.

During his final season leading the Missouri defense in Eli Drinkwitz’s first season as the Tigers head coach, Walters found himself working his first-string defensive unit against the quarterback he’ll likely see on Friday night when Walters’ Illini defense opens Big Ten Conference play.

Ryan Walters was the defensive boss at Missouri less than two years ago when Connor Bazelak emerged as the quarterback of the present and the future when he competed for the starting quarterback job in preseason practices.

Mike Farrell, IlliniGuys National Football Recruiting Expert

August 31, 2022

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

Bret Bielema’s defense looked great in the opener against Wyoming.

By Zain Bando - IlliniGuys Student Correspondent

August 30, 2022

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Illinois took care of business in front of 37,000 strong against Wyoming on Saturday, winning handily 38-6 behind a three-touchdown performance from Chase Brown and a mistake free day from Syracuse transfer Tommy DeVito.

It’s exactly the start the Illini needed to get back to national relevance again, and with a weak Friday night slate, many viewers will tune in at 7:00 p.m. CT to see an old rivalry renewed between the Illini and Indiana Hoosiers in Bloomington. The game airs on FS1, and according to Vegas Insider, the Hoosiers open as three-point favorites against its counterparts from Champaign.

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

August 30, 2022

Welcome to the first trench report of the 2022 season.  For those who missed these columns last year or are new to Illini Guys, I break down the line play for the Illini on both sides of the ball each week with a little closer look at what worked and what didn't work the previous week.  This week should be an especially interesting look for Illini fans as Illinois changed things up on both offense and defense from what we've seen earlier.  As with everything else on Saturday, things were generally pretty good for the Orange and Blue, but after watching the film I saw some things for Barry Lunney Jr. and Ryan Walters to think about for coming weeks.

I'm going to start with a look at the offense this week.  When Chase Brown averages 7.9 yards per carry, the offense averages 6.3 yards per carry overall, and the QB is generally clean and doesn't take a sack, that's a good day.  However, on second look...