Illinois 20, Northwestern 13 Postgame

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#151      
IlliniWatcher
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#152      
IlliniWatcher
CONGRATS TO THE FELLAS, THE STAFF AND OF COURSE, TO COACH BIELEMA!!! What an end to another amazing season!!! I watched the last minutes on DVR and was stunned it came down to the final series (once again), but if there's one thing the Illini have proven over and over again, it's the importance of playing ALL 60 MINUTES OF BALL. May they and their fans celebrate long into this good night, and bring on the bowl!!!
 
#153      
lstewart53x3
Fighter of the Nightman said:
Pretty much where I’m at … my thoughts on the season are quite simplistic and somewhat conflicting, lol.

1) This new vibe was unimaginable before BB got here, and my 30,000 foot view is nothing short of simply thankful. The transformation has been amazing, and I’m happy with 8 wins. I just want to be proud, and I can be.

2) The fact is, this was an amazing opportunity to take even ANOTHER extra step up in the pecking order this year with two 10-win seasons in a row, and it’s patently obvious that the (mostly) inept defense held us back. We didn’t realize our potential this year, even if we should still be thankful.

Why can’t both be true? We are in a place where we should be thankful, but we left a lot on the table.
Click to expand...
That’s a fair take.
 
#159      
chiefini
I’m just starting to thaw out as I enjoy an adult beverage, and we watch the replay. As a season ticket holder since 1984, I will never forget this one. What a memorable game! Although it was nerve wracking, it was a very, very special victory. Even though I thought I was well-prepared, I was wet and frozen, and my voice was gone by the end of the third quarter. Our section (126) stood the whole game. That second half defense was absolutely awesome. I’m so glad those guys played so tough to give these seniors the ‘W.’ I hope they can get that 9th win in the bowl game, with Luke playing his best. Victory, Illinois Varsity!
:illinois: :hailtotheorange: :illinois:
 
#163      
Serious Late
Great game! That was a ton of fun! Solid season, I'm pleased with us reaching 8 wins, obviously we all would have loved more, but who doesn't want their team to exceed expectations. It is clear there remains a talent deficit between us and the top dogs in the conference, but that is okay! This offseason is a GREAT time to take the brand's progress into the portal and snag that next echelon of talent. Work needs done, but I feel oddly good we will continue to benefit from the progress made during the Bielema era.

Congrats to everyone who cashed their o7.5 wins bet on the season! We achieved some people's goals at least! 😁
 
#165      
spotter
1. Salute the fans show showed up. No blame for anyone who decided to stay home. After I got back home safe and sound, I was glad I went but concluded, "I probably should have stayed home. That was a big risk on the roads."
2. Illinois game day staff went above and beyond any expected effort to get this game in.
3. I think it was free admission. "You made it here? Congratulations, walk on in."
4. Miles Scott. Wow.
5. David Olano. Wow.
6. Gabe Jacas. Enjoy the NFL.
7. Luke Altmeyer is my all time favorite Illini. Ever.
8. I enjoyed attending and watching that game. I don't want to make a blizzard game an annual event. I had to think of blazing hot games this past September as it was snowing sideways.
9. Looking forward to the bowl game.
 
#173      
OrangeBlue98
I said at the start of the season that 8-4 would show me the program is building something sustainable. It hasn’t always been pretty, and I’m still not 100% convinced. But it was 8-4, so they hit the minimum goal I had for the season.

Now to find a new defensive coordinator, secondary coach, and offensive line coach.
 
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#174      
OrangeBlue98
If you had an employee and they were clearly not meeting expectations with no sign of improvement, what would you do as a manager?

Good organizations still sometimes have employees that need to move on to become even better. If we want Illinois to keep improving, changes need to happen.
 
#175      
Dan
Saturday night's contest marked the most snow at a home game in Gies Memorial Stadium history.

Illinois has 8+ wins in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1989-90. The Illini have never won 9+ games in back-to-back seasons.

Bret Bielema is the first head coach in Illinois history to win 8+ games three times in a four-year span. The last time Illinois achieved the feat from 1901-04, the program's 1904 season was coached by a group of four alumni.

fightingillini.com

Illinois Wins Whiteout for the Hat, 20-13 - University of Illinois Athletics

Keeping the Hat for the second straight season, the Illini improved to 8-4 in 2025.
fightingillini.com fightingillini.com
 
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