Football

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

November 27, 2024

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

This Illinois team is battle tested, isn't it?  This staff has built a group that doesn't flinch in the big moments and its been great to see and enjoy through what figures to be a memorable 2025 season.  Saturday provided yet another example of the mental toughness of this group of Illini as they overcame some rough luck and tricky conditions to come back (twice!) in the last few minutes to beat a solid Rutgers squad.

I wanted to start off this week by highlighting an abnormal play that just happened to work for both teams this week: the draw on a running down. 

(From Illinois Sports Information Office) CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois QB […]

Based on the calendar of when semifinalists and finalists are selected, the public campaign for The Biletnikoff Award by Illinois head coach on behalf of Pat Bryant will fall on deaf ears.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

November 25, 2024

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The unfortunate reality of the situation is Illinois head coach Bret Bielema is just never going to see the name of his lead wide receiver on the watch list for The Biletnikoff Award.

Following another career-best game for Pat Bryant that included a 40-yard game-winning touchdown reception in a 38-31 victory at Rutgers on Saturday, Bielema proceeded to politically stump one more time for the Illini fourth-year receiver who currently 11th among all receivers in a power conference program in yards (914) and is 12th in the Big Ten Conference in receptions (50).

Mike Cagley, Co-Host Sports Spectacular and Big Sports Radio […]

looks at the game-winning touchdown pass from Luke Altmyer to Pat Bryant from the perspective of the confusing Rutgers defensive philosophy on this 4th-and-13 play.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

November 24, 2024

The prevent defense was given that particular name because yes, it does prevent something from happening and that thing almost always is a deep throw normally down the middle of the field. 

Here’s the problem: IlliniGuys.com, much like we expect many Illini fans, have watched the 40-yard game-winning touchdown from Luke Altmyer to Pat Bryant numerous time since Saturday afternoon and it’s simply always going to be unclear what the Rutgers defense is trying to prevent here. 

Illinois wide receiver Pat Bryant scored a 40-yard touchdown reception with four seconds left to lift No. 25 Illinois over Rutgers 38-31. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

November 23, 2024

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — A 40-yard touchdown pass from Luke Altmyer to Pat Bryant on a 4th-and-13 play with four seconds remaining allowed Illinois to escape with a 38-31 victory at Rutgers. 

Both Illinois head coach Bret Bielema and Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano have been shaped by a past experience working in the National Football League. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

November 23, 2024

No. 25 Illinois at Rutgers

Date/Time/Place: Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024: 11 a.m. CST, SHI Stadium, Piscataway, New Jersey.

Surface: Field Turf

Capacity: 52,454

Records: Illinois 7-3, 4-3 in Big Ten; Rutgers 6-4, 3-4 in Big Ten

Betting Line: Rutgers by 1

Series notes: Illinois leads the all-time series 5-3 and has won three of four in Piscataway. Rutgers remains one of the few Big Ten programs that Illini head coach Bret Bielema has failed to get a win against since arriving in Champaign prior to the 2021 season as the Scarlet Knights defeated Illinois 20-14 on Oct. 30, 2021. Illinois has been underdogs in four of the eight one-score wins over the past two seasons, including three as road dogs.

TV: Peacock; Andrew Siciliano (play-by-play), Michael Robinson (analyst) and Caroline Pineda (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.

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One of the many reasons Illinois head coach Bret Bielema respects the way the Rutgers program is run by Greg Schiano is the two men actually worked together on the same staff for over a month.

November 22, 2024 The Illini stopped a 2-game losing […]

Illinois defensive tackle Gentle Hunt transferred as a All-SWAC player from Florida A&M but suddenly bought into a transition plan to the Big Ten that will likely include a redshirt season.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

November 22, 2024

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Gentle Hunt came to Illinois as one of the better defensive lineman in the Southwest Athletic Conference after being an integral piece for a 2023 Celebration Bowl champion and HBCU national championship program.

Nothing about the transition from Florida A&M to Illinois suggested a reset of expectations was on the horizon but 305-pound nose tackle learned very quickly that progress isn’t exactly linear when making a change in the transfer portal.

Before the 38-16 victory over Michigan State on Saturday, Hunt had played a grand total of one snap of defense in a game and hadn’t contributed at all compared to his own internal expectations for the 2024 season. During the first bye week of the season, Hunt had a meeting with Illinois head coach Bret Bielema and according to the fourth-year leader of the Illini program, the meeting was anything other than contentious.

Kedric Prince, IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

November 22, 2024

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — During last weekend’s Michigan State football game, Illinois hosted one of the top running backs in the 2026 class, Chase Enlow, a 5-foot-9, 185-pound prospect from Princeton, N.J.

Illinois is anticipating the possibility of 2024 four-star junior college signee Daniel Brown could be an integral part of this weekend’s plan for the game at Rutgers. 

Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer

November 22, 2024

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Bret Bielema is essentially anticipating making a trade on his active roster for Illinois’ next game. 

Illinois wide receiver Pat Bryant set a Memorial Stadium record for single-season receiving touchdowns (six) and career receiving scores (13) in his final game in Champaign.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

November 21, 2024

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Pat Bryant started playing flag football at 3 years old and last weekend was the first time a certain thought crawled inside his mind - don’t cry.
Bryant, who will turn 22 years old on December 10, spent the entire morning before his final home game at Illinois trying to intentionally avoid the emotions of what Senior Day can be for a four-year starter and then the tradition of Illinois wide receivers Justin Stepp ended all of that hope.

“I kept thinking the whole time since we went to the team hotel on Friday that I wasn’t going to cry and then Coach Stepp handed me my letter before the game,” Bryant said. “Before this one, my letter from him was more personal. It included stuff about how much of a pleasure it was to coach me and I had to let it out. Coach Stepp got me.”

Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry unleashed a third-down package that had been prepared for several weeks but required several key misfit pieces to perfectly fit in this scheme. 

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Football Writer/Analyst

November 20, 2024

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The package unleashed on Michigan State by the Illinois defense is simply called “dime” but is anything but a basic six-man secondary coverage package. 

Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry spent the first bye week of preparation trying to evaluate his calls and schemes to self-scout the Illini defensive unit and admitted afterwards that he and his coaching staff actually outsmarted itself by adding too many calls to the playsheet. This scouting mistake was exploited by Purdue head coach Ryan Walters as the career defensive coach took over the offensive play-calling duties for that week because he was betting on the idea that Henry would go away from the simplicity of what was working for Illinois through the first month of the 2024 season. 

By Steve Sturm - IlliniGuys Football Analyst

November 19, 2024

Illinois turned in a very good senior day performance last Saturday against Michigan State and managed to surge back into the rankings as a result.  I thought it was a great, business-like game for the Illini and on second watch I thought the mature play and coaching of the Illini staff made all the difference in the game. To underscore that conclusion, I chose several highlights that proved the theme.

I'm starting on the defense this week because statistically the pass rush was the difference in the game.  Illinois turned in five sacks on the day and eight tackles for loss that were the result of similar penetration by the defensive front to the successful pass rushes.  I cut off the video just a bit early, but Gabe Jacas has a tight end lined up over his outside shoulder to start this play, but the tight end makes it clear that he isn't going to block and the result is Jacas ignores him entirely.  He dominates right tackle Ashton Lepo with a long arm move due to a really poor pass blocking set which basically invites Jacas to take Lepo's left shoulder and run unimpeded to quarterback Aidan Chiles.  That's just back coaching across the board.

By Kedric Prince - IlliniGuys Director of Recruiting

November 19th, 2024

(Photo courtesy player's page on X)

Champaign, IL – Late last week, Perry Cole, a standout three-star defensive lineman from Trinity Valley Community College in Palestine, Texas, announced his final four schools. The 6-foot-3, 290-pound athlete has narrowed his options to Illinois, UNLV, Minnesota, and TCU, attracting major interest among Illinois football followers.