Latest Bret Bielema News
Bowl action? There was plenty, and the best came far away from the spotlight of the college playoffs
Somewhere in the fight-filled, money-chasing hustle that the college bowl season has become, a national champion will emerge. Too bad that so far, hardly any of the games on the road to that national championship have been worth a hoot. And interesting to see that all...
No. 21 Illinois beats No. 14 South Carolina 21-17 in the Citrus Bowl for its 10th win of the season
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Josh McCray scored his second touchdown of the game on a 9-yard run midway through the fourth quarter to give No. 21 Illinois the lead and the Illini held on to beat No. 14 South Carolina 21-17 in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on Tuesday. Illinois' defense sealed...
No. 14 South Carolina and No. 21 Illinois each aim to finish with 10 wins at Citrus Bowl
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — After a shaky 3-3 start, South Carolina had to win out to get here. They did just that. The No. 14 Gamecocks had Alabama on the ropes on their home field in October. Trailing by eight with two minutes to play, quarterback LaNorris Sellers led a...
Illinois assistant Dana Dimel, a head coach at Wyoming, Houston and UTEP, dies at the age of 62
Illinois assistant coach Dana Dimel, who was an All-American offensive tackle for Kansas State and later became the head coach at Wyoming, Houston and UTEP, died Tuesday. He was 62. Dimel's wife, Julie, and children Winston and Josey announced his death in a statement. No cause was...
Purdue fires coach Ryan Walters after going 5-19 in his two seasons
Purdue hired Ryan Walters to keep a promising program near the top of the Big Ten Conference. Two years later, the Boilermakers have sunk to unprecedented depths — and Walters is out of a job. Athletic director Mike Bobinski fired the first-time head coach on Sunday,...
With big goals in reach, No. 22 Illinois looks to take out Northwestern at Wrigley Field
No. 22 Illinois still has some big goals to achieve. The Illini can match their highest win total in 17 years and move within one of the school record if they beat struggling Northwestern at Wrigley Field to close out the regular season on Saturday. “There's still a...
No. 22 Illinois reaches 9 wins for first time in 17 years with 38-28 victory over Northwestern
CHICAGO (AP) — Aidan Laughery rushed for three touchdowns and No. 22 Illinois topped Northwestern 38-28 on Saturday to reach nine victories for the first time since its 2007 Rose Bowl season. Pat Bryant dashed in to score off Luke Altmyer’s 43-yard pass early in the third quarter...
No. 24 Illinois stuns Rutgers on Bryant's 40-yard TD reception with 4 seconds left
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Trailing by one at the 40-yard line with 14 seconds to play and no timeouts, Illinois coach Bret Bielema sent in a play known as “church” to Luke Altmyer. The quarterback was to hit a receiver who was to go to the ground immediately. The offense would...
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...
