No. 14 Illinois beats No. 13 Tennessee 75-62 in Music City Madness
Illinois snapped a five-game skid on neutral courts against ranked opponents and also gave coach Brad Underwood his first win in three tries against Tennessee.
Illinois snapped a five-game skid on neutral courts against ranked opponents and also gave coach Brad Underwood his first win in three tries against Tennessee.
Luke Altmyer, one of the nation’s top quarterbacks, was 10-of-15 passing for 136 yards in his final regular-season home game for Illinois.
David Mirkovic had 12 points and eight rebounds for the 5-1 Illini, who bounced back nicely after losing to No. 11 Alabama in Chicago on Wednesday night.
Illinois (7-3, 4-3) celebrated the weekend with a 24-6 victory against the University of Maryland (4-6, 1-6). It was a windy game as Illinois tried to fight off the 15 mph winds all game.
Mirkovic, a 6-foot-9 freshman from Montenegro, became the first Illinois player to have 20 points and 20 rebounds in a game since Nick Weatherspoon in 1972.
Illinois head coach Bret Bielema said that he will bring veterans and those currently in the military to Saturday’s game to honor them.
Mirkovic, a 6-foot-9 freshman forward from Montenegro, is one of four new international players on the Illinois roster this season.
Illinois brought itself back in the win column with a 35-13 victory against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, making itself eligible for a bowl game.
The Fighting Illini lost for the third time in five weeks after a 3-0 start to the year in which they were ranked as high as No. 9 in the nation.
Two-time Boston Marathon winner Susannah Scaroni said she feels grateful and “a little sore” after her first-place finish Sunday at the Chicago Marathon. Her attention now turns to next month’s New York City Marathon.
No. 17 Illinois (5-2) suffered its first defeat at home this season against No.1 Ohio State (6-0). The Buckeyes beat the Illini 34-16 after forcing two turnovers in the first half.
The Illini were able to defend the Canon Trophy and keep it in Champaign for two years in a row for the first time since 2002.
Illinois defeated USC with a 41-yard game-winning kick from junior David Olano, bringing the team’s record to 4-1 and handing the Trojans their first loss of the season.
The Illini suffered their first loss of the season with a 63-10 defeat while the Hoosiers continued a four-game win streak.
The Fighting Illini football team is hoping to beat Indiana and earn their first win away from home as a top-ten team since 1990.