Latest Bret Bielema News
No. 24 Illinois and Rutgers are climbing the Big Ten ladder heading into Saturday's showdown
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — After years of being at the bottom of the Big Ten Conference, No. 24 Illinois and Rutgers are going in the right direction under Bret Bielema and Greg Schiano with the season entering its final two weeks. The Illini (7-3, 4-3, No. 25 CFP) and Rutgers (6-4,...
Josh McCray runs for three TDs to lead Illinois to a 38-16 win over slumping Michigan State
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Josh McCray ran for three touchdowns and Luke Altmyer threw two TD passes, leading Illinois to a 38-16 victory Saturday over Michigan State. McCray had nine carries for 61 yards, Altmyer completed 19 of 32 passes for 231 yards and Pat Bryant caught four...
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...
