1+ day, 58+ min ago (142+ words) Saturday was a snowy day across the Midwest, and college football fans tuning in expecting flakes weren't disappointed. No. 1 Ohio State downed No. 15 Michigan 279 amid flurries, while Minnesota topped Wisconsin 177 in equally wintry conditions. Northwestern's annual rivalry showdown with Illinois was something else entirely. The Champaign-Urbana, Ill., area took a direct hit from the system annoying much of the Great Lakes region, and suffered from high winds as well. Here was the Wildcats' view of the powder. Jeremy Werner of 247Sports shared this view an hour before kickoff. Sideline views of the contest weren't much clearer. The fall did not stop Fighting Illini linebacker James Kreutz from warming up sans shirt. Kaitlyn Jesmonth of WCIA-TV shared the view from the station's camera mounted on the stadium, which underlined the conditions affecting the entire area....

2+ day, 18+ hour ago (706+ words) Illinois" defense in the past few games could be described in a variety of ways " none of them good. Struggling? Porous? Wildly inconsistent? How about just flat-out bad? The Illini, who certainly have the athletes and length to be dominant at that end, have been playing below the bar they set in their first couple of outings. Even in that Texas Tech game, which saw the Red Raiders connect on 11 straight field goals in the second half and forward JT Toppin score 35 points, Illinois" defense looked good. Sure, Texas Tech scored, but life was difficult. Toppin"s buckets were well-contested, and his efficiency was simply absurd. More power to him. The Illini did their job (for the most part), and Toppin was a special player making special plays on that night. The Illini could have made it tougher for Toppin…...

4+ day, 18+ hour ago (657+ words) After a pair of big wins in the Baha Mar Championship last week, Purdue returns to Mackey Arena on Black Friday for a non-conference matchup against Eastern Illinois. The Boilermakers will play this contest before stepping into Big Ten play next week, traveling to Piscataway for a matchup with Rutgers. What do we know about Eastern Illinois so far this season? Here are five things about the Panthers before Friday afternoon's game at Mackey Arena. Note: Eastern Illinois plays Central Arkansas on Tuesday, Nov. 25. This story will be updated with correct statistics following that contest. There will be some familiarity on the court on Friday, as Kooper Jacobi and Trey Kaufman-Renn will go head-to-head. The two played together at Silver Creek High School, both graduating in 2021. Can you imagine trying to slow down that tandem? Jacobi has been Eastern Illinois…...

1+ week, 4+ day ago (396+ words) With the Crimson Tide rolling into Chicago on Wednesday, Underwood offered the latest on each of his handful of of injured Illini Illinois men's basketball's injury report reads like an alarming grocery store receipt. It just keeps going. Ahead of the team's showdown against Alabama on Wednesday at the United Center in Chicago (8 p.m. CT, FS1), the battered and bruised Illini consist of big man Tomislav Ivisic and his twin brother, Zvonimir, along with guards Mihailo Petrovic and Brandon Lee. Brad Underwood on Illinois injuries "We've [been] getting a little bit healthier," Underwood said. "We've had guys in practice and sustaining throughout practice, which is nice. We'll see where Tomi's status is, as he is basically going through what Andrej went through " a reaction to his performance the day before " whether it's rest or the ability to go. "Brandon's back. He's still…...

3+ week, 2+ day ago (523+ words) LINCOLN'While Illinois dressed two liberos, Laney Choboy covered enough court for two players." In the second set, Choboy recorded an ace to prompt the media timeout. When the teams returned to the court, the Husker libero made a diving pancake save on Illinois" first swing. After another dig, Tereya Sigler"s back row attack was rejected, and Choboy fully laid out facing the end line, punching the ball straight up. Bergen Reilly set the ball to Harper Murray, who recorded a kill." Choboy finished with 20 digs, two aces and three assists to lead the top-ranked Huskers in a 25-11, 25-15, 25-14 sweep over Illinois Thursday night at John Cook Arena." For as good as Choboy was on defense, NU"s offense was equally impressive. Ten different players recorded a kill, led by junior middle blocker Andi Jackson, who terminated on all nine of…...

3+ week, 5+ day ago (523+ words) Just after a week of clutching a win against Purdue, Rutgers needed another win to continue the positive momentum. Instead, the Knights" got their progress halted once again with a blunt hit by Illinois. The Fighting Illini won over the Scarlet Knights 35-13 on Saturday, exposing some vital flaws in the lineup that Greg Schiano needs to find answers for, as soon as possible." Rutgers responded with field goals on its first two series, drives of 11 and 13 plays that chewed clock but produced just six points. The Scarlet Knights reached the Illinois 12 and 11, respectively, only to settle for Jai Patel kicks. By halftime, Illinois led 21-6, having scored on three of four possessions while punting just once all game. "We certainly did not coach well enough, nor did we play well enough to give ourselves an opportunity to win the game. It…...

1+ mon, 3+ day ago (1025+ words) Bielema discussed his specific disappointments and whether he will take a more active role coaching the defense ... It was hard to pinpoint any one thing that went wrong for Illinois (5-2, 2-3 Big Ten) in Saturday's 42-25 loss to Washington in Seattle " and that's the crux of the problem. The Illini aren't one or two adjustments away, or ready to cure what ails them with a good week of practice focused on a particular skill or technique. The wheels " all of them " are starting to come off, and a quick tune-up isn't the answer. Illinois coach Bret Bielema didn't boil over in Saturday's postgame press conference, but he didn't hide his frustrations, either. Nor did he pull any punches when it came to his willingness to step in and take a more hands-on approach in certain lagging areas (specifically amid the struggles of…...

1+ mon, 1+ week ago (359+ words) Illinois offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. had clearly been asked the question more than once in the past, so he was ready with an answer when it came up again in Monday's press conference as the No. 23 Illini (5-2, 2-2 Big Ten) prepare for their clash with Washington on Saturday in Seattle (2:30 p.m. CT, BTN):What exactly makes quarterback Luke Altmyer so good? An odd question? Sure, for most elite college football quarterbacks. In most cases, one of a handful of physical gifts " or some combination of them " make the answer self-evident. Rocket arm? Check. Laser-guided accuracy? Check. Hot wheels? Check, check, check.But for Altmyer, the explanation is decidedly more nuanced. Lunney believes Altmyer's first college tour "at Ole Miss " helped set him up for success at Illinois."He spent roughly two years of the first part of his college career playing…...

1+ mon, 3+ week ago (651+ words) The Illini were knocked down to No. 23 after the Indiana loss and crept up one spot last week. Were they able to make a leap Sunday? Analysts, experts and especially AP voters seem preternaturally inclined to underrate and doubt Illinois football (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten). Then again, the Illini have earned the skepticism over the years " and even this season, after entering the AP top 10 for the first time in almost a quarter century and immediately dropping a massive stinkbomb at their own feet in Bloomington. Does Illinois deserve the ranking? There are two ways to look at it. From the first perspective, the easy answer is "yes." Within the context of the AP poll, the Illini went on the road in the Big Ten to pocket a win (after most recently turning back a dangerous USC team at home) in a…...

1+ mon, 3+ week ago (402+ words) The Illini (4-1) have plenty on their side Saturday against the Boilermakers " including a 'curse' that should ensure a Swift resolution ... Even before Illinois finished last season with 10 wins and Purdue closed its campaign on an 11-game losing streak, it should have been clear to anyone with eyes that the Illini had the superior football team. Yet after building a 24-point second-half lead in Champaign, Illinois found itself in a dogfight and needed overtime and a series of last-second heroics to put away the Boilermakers. Here's a breakdown of the Purdue Football - Taylor Swift album curse. Will the Taylor Swift curse strike again? Yes, if form holds, this one will be out of the hands of Illinois' Bret Bielema and Luke Altmyer, and there will be nothing Purdue's Barry Odom and Ryan Browne can do to stop it. You thought the…...