Football

By IlliniGuys Staff December 31, 2024 (Cover photo courtesy […]

Illinois defensive end Dennis Briggs Jr. will end his 62-game college football career at the 2024 Citrus Bowl near the community where he grew up and in front of his two daughters.

2024 Citrus Bowl: No. 15 South Carolina vs. No. 20 Illinois

Date/Time/Place: Saturday, Dec. 31, 2024: 2 p.m. CST, Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Fla.

Surface: Field Turf

Capacity: 60,219

Records: South Carolina 9-3; Illinois 9-3

Betting Line: South Carolina by 9

Series notes: First matchup between the two schools. The Citrus Bowl will be Illinois' second New Year's bowl game in the last three seasons, along with the 2023 ReliaQuest Bowl following Illinois' 8-4 regular season in 2022. The last time Illinois played in two New Year's bowls in a three-year span was 1990-91, when the program played in the 1990 Citrus Bowl and the 1991 Hall of Fame Bowl (now the ReliaQuest Bowl).

TV: ABC; Mark Jones (play-by-play), Roddy Jones (analyst) and Quint Kessenich (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.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 31, 2024

ORLANDO, Fla. — The 2024 Citrus Bowl game is the rare opportunity to be a first along with a last for Dennis Briggs Jr.

When kickoff occurs today, the 24-year-old defensive end will get the opportunity to play his final game in his hometown as No. 20 Illinois (9-3) participates in the Citrus Bowl for the second time in program history. At the same time, Briggs Jr. is relishing the opportunity that after moving over 1,000 miles from his home state of Florida in a transfer to the Illini program that his oldest daughter will get to see her father play live in a football game for the first time in over three years.

December 31, 2024 The Illini are looking to close […]

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema went to his old employer to instantly make his program’s defensive line unit one of the deepest rooms since he took over the program in Champaign.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

ORLANDO, Fla. — Bret Bielema knows he can’t shy away from the fact that he went to his old stomping grounds for success in the transfer portal this month but would like people also know all three defensive linemen from Wisconsin program are uniquely different stories.

Illinois added highly acclaimed defensive James Thompson, 290-pound inside nose tackle Curtis Neal and outside linebacker/pass rusher Leon Lowery Jr. from Luke Fickell’s operation in Madison, Wisconsin.

Illinois finished the 2024 season in the November games tied for fourth in the 18-team Big Ten Conference in rushing offense and hope what they found translates into the Citrus Bowl.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 30, 2024

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

ORLANDO, Fla. — It took multiple months for Illinois to properly showcase the first key to victory in a football game in the mind of its head coach - run the football.

Through the months of September and early October as Illinois continued to build a 6-1 start, Bret Bielema’s offense in 2024 didn’t resemble his teams of the past in terms of being able to physically dominate the line-of-scrimmage and eat game clock with the run concepts that have seen him build consistent winning teams in his previous 15 years as a head coach.

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema confirms Coleman, who suffered a severe shoulder injury at the end of the win at Rutgers in November, practiced Saturday but was inactive on Sunday.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 30, 2024

ORLANDO, Fla. — The health status of Seth Coleman for this Citrus Bowl matchup remains a bit of a mystery.

Steve Sturm, IlliniGuys Staff Writer December 30, 2024 Illinois' […]

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South Carolina confirms another player opt-out and injury concerns leading into Citrus Bowl matchup vs. Illinois.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 29, 2024

ORLANDO, Fla. — A day after he signed his third full recruiting class to Illinois, Bret Bielema couldn’t help but mention some programs across the country that paid a lot of money in roster salary but didn’t make the 12-team College Football Playoff.

However, while knowing his Illini program have not put up nearly that kind of financial capital for the upcoming 2025 season, Bielema is putting the internal expectations inside the Smith Family Football Complex at being in a playoff game at this time one year from now.

Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry only had one specific word to describe South Carolina quarterback and SEC Freshman of the Year LaNorris Sellers - different.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 28, 2024

(Cover photo courtesy ESPN)

ORLANDO, Fla. — Based off what Illinois safety Miles Scott has been watching on preparation film of South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers, maybe it’s fitting this Citrus Bowl will be played about 20 miles from Disney World.

When Scott, a team captain and the player who will hear the communication from Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry on Tuesday for the game, decided to watch the most recent offensive play of South Carolina’s season, he had thoughts that it wasn’t real life.

Without the services of All-Big Ten selection Pat Bryant, Illinois wide receivers should expect this Citrus Bowl to serve as a jump-off point for their future development.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 28, 2024

ORLANDO, Fla. — Illinois wide receiver Pat Bryant is expected to be back with his college teammates for Citrus Bowl practices this weekend…as a spectator.

Former Alabama head coach Mike Shula will call plays for South Carolina in the Citrus Bowl in his debut as Gamecocks new offensive coordinator hire. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 28, 2024

ORLANDO, Fla. — When the NCAA Division I Board of Directors officially agreed to a waiver for former junior college players, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema knew exactly where he was spending Christmas Eve. 

Immediately following the NCAA Division I Board of Directors, composed of university presidents, announcing a waiver had been granted for former junior college players who had exhausted their eligibility with this 2024-25 season, Bielema scheduled a private jet flight to Oakland Calif., to spend the day before Christmas with J.C. Davis and his family. 

Justin Stepp’s first season on Bret Bielema’s coaching staff will end with him going up against his most recent former employer in the 2024 Citrus Bowl matchup.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 27, 2024

ORLANDO, Fla. — Not likely in his wildest imagination would Justin Stepp believe that he’d be on the opposite sideline of his most recent former boss in the final game of his first season at Illinois.

However, this will be the exact situation as Stepp, who was hired as the new wide receivers coach in February by Illinois head coach Bret Bielema, and the entire No. 20 Illini squad will play No. 15 South Carolina on New Year’s Eve on Tuesday at 2 p.m. CST on ABC.

In his first Citrus Bowl media conference from inside the Smith Family Football Complex, Bielema made no secret about how much Stepp would love the opportunity, maybe more than anybody on this Illini staff, to knock off the Gamecocks to provide Illinois its 10th win in a season for the first time since 2001.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

December 27, 2024

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois head football coach Bret Bielema has tapped into the Wisconsin football program to address key needs for the 2025 season.

Under Bielema and his coaching staff, the Illini have utilized the transfer portal strategically—not to rebuild the roster, but to fill critical gaps. When backup quarterback Donovan Leary entered the transfer portal, Illinois quickly secured a strong replacement in Northern Illinois quarterback Ethan Hampton.

Illinois guard Zy Crisler was one of two Illini players given a waiver by the NCAA to play in the 2025 season after being junior college transfers.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

December 27, 2024

ORLANDO, Fla. — Despite being in the transfer portal, Illinois offensive lineman Zy Crisler made the trip with the team to Orlando and is slated to play in the Citrus Bowl.