CHAMPAIGN — The Illinois football team had some required viewing during the course of practice this week.
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ANDERSON KIMBALL
CHAMPAIGN — The Illinois football team had some required viewing during the course of practice this week.
Played over and over during the week was a clip video coordinator Joe Maggio found of Virginia players dancing and celebrating.
"I showed them specifically a play where Virginia's sideline did that," Bielema said. "There was a play late in the fourth quarter where I watched their whole group get together. That had stuck in my mind. I'd taken that mental picture and I couldn't shake it."
Late in Saturday’s win over the Cavaliers, it was the Illini’s turn to dance.
The team got a stop on fourth down, officially clinching a 24-3 win that seemed decided for most of the game. Bielema wasn’t such a big fan, but the defense got to dance on the sideline and in the end zone near the student section in celebration of another example of the unit’s turnaround.
Last year, the Illini lost 42-14 to this same team and 364 days later it kept the opponent out of the end zone and won by three scores.
"This was a big statement to me about where we were a year ago to where we are now," Bielema said.
Defensive end Keith Randolph led the charge with a sack and 2½ tackles for loss, saw Virginia move down the field during that drive and decided he needed to step in.
"I remember they were moving the ball, on the end zone, and I was like, 'Hold on,' because I left my helmet all the way down the other end because I'm thinking we're done," Randolph said. "And I'm like, 'Oh they're on the 3-yard line.' I take off sprinting, 'Coach, coach, come on, put me in.' And he did."
Randolph made a tackle in the backfield before the Illini got a goal line stand, then dished back some of the celebration it had to witness last year and during the week of practice.
"It was great," Randolph said. "Something I'll never forget, honestly."