Latest Bret Bielema News
Minnesota rallies to defeat No. 24 Illinois 25-17 for the Golden Gophers' 4th straight win
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Max Brosmer threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Jameson Geers and Dragan Kesich kicked his fourth field goal of the game in the final five minutes, rallying Minnesota to a 25-17 victory over No. 24 Illinois on Saturday. It was the fourth consecutive win for...
No. 24 Illinois looks to rebound against red-hot Minnesota
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Illinois returned home battered and bruised after a 38-9 beating by No. 1 Oregon last week. In addition to being blown out, the Illini lost star receiver Pat Bryant to a concussion. Bryant, who has caught 34 passes for 510 yards and seven TDs, is in...
No. 20 Illinois uses No. 1 Oregon's ranking as motivation heading into Saturday's meeting
Oregon doesn't care about its No. 1 ranking, but Illinois sure does. The No. 20 Fighting Illini visit the Ducks on Saturday at Autzen Stadium with a chance to knock off the top-ranked team in the country. Illinois coach Bret Bielema indicated the ranking is motivation for his squad....
No. 22 Illinois beats No. 24 Michigan 21-7 for its first win over the Wolverines since 2009
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Luke Altmyer threw for a touchdown and ran for another, leading No. 22 Illinois to a 21-7 victory over No. 24 Michigan on Saturday. The Illini wore 1924 throwback uniforms to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Red Grange’s six-touchdown performance...
No. 22 Illinois eyes 1st ranked-vs-ranked win at home since 1991 against No. 24 Michigan
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Michigan and Illinois will try to get back on track Saturday in the first ranked-vs-ranked game at Memorial Stadium since 2000. No. 24 Michigan (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) had a school-record 27-game Big Ten winning streak snapped Oct. 5 at Washington when it lost...
No. 23 Illinois outlasts Purdue 50-49 in overtime on sack on 2-point conversion
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Luke Altmyer threw a 25-yard touchdown pass in overtime to Pat Bryant, and Dylan Rosiek sacked Purdue's Ryan Browne on a 2-point conversion attempt to give No. 23 Illinois a 50-49 victory Saturday. Illinois (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) had lost four straight and seven...
Back at home, No. 23 Illinois faces nemesis Purdue and former defensive coordinator
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Illinois hasn’t played a home game in a month. Road games at then-No. 22-Nebraska and then-No. 9 Penn State and a bye week left Memorial Stadium silent since Sept. 14. The Illini (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten) will return home Saturday to face rival...
Big Ten has become a landing zone for transfer quarterbacks
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Bret Bielema was at the forefront of the graduate transfer game in 2011 when the NCAA passed a new rule that allowed athletes in all sports to transfer and gain immediate eligibility without a waiver as long as they were enrolled in graduate school. Needing...
No. 9 Nittany Lions looking to keep momentum going against No. 19 Illinois
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Reminders of Penn State’s last unbeaten season have been all over Happy Valley this week, serving as inspiration for Drew Allar and his teammates. The 1994 team will be honored when the No. 9 Nittany Lions host No. 19 Illinois on Saturday, ...
No. 19 Illini out to knock off another ranked team when it visits No. 9 Penn St. in top Big Ten game
Things to watch this week in the Big Ten Conference: Game of the week No. 19 Illinois (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) at No. 9 Penn State (3-0, 0-0), Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (NBC) This is the best of Bret Bielema's four Illinois teams, and it's motivated to knock off a...
