Illinois
Illinois still has one big opportunity ahead
Saturday in Iowa City presented the Illini their biggest opportunity of the season.
Win and they’d clinch bowl eligibility. Win and they’d secure their first win at Kinnick Stadium since 1999, a mountain they’ve failed so frequently to climb. Win and they’d remain alive in the Big Ten West race entering the season’s final week, with a chance to reach Indianapolis for the first — and likely only — time.
In an occurrence that has become frustratingly familiar, the Illini let that opportunity slip right through their hands. Possessing the ball with under seven minutes to play, holding a 4-point lead over one of FBS’s worst offenses seemingly should’ve been enough to close out a victory.
Unfortunately for Illinois, a game script that has played out far too often reared its ugly head when it mattered most.
The offense failed to come up with a put-away score, allowing the Hawkeyes a chance to beat them. The defense, in an effort to hold onto a late lead, gave up one back-breaking play that ultimately proved to be the difference. Some questionable game management and indecisiveness on the final drive sunk any hope of more John Paddock magic.
Illinois did what it’s done for most of the 2023 season: compete. Since two uncompetitive losses to Purdue and Nebraska that are still mind-boggling to this day, the Illini have given themselves a chance to win every game. The previous two weeks they were the ones to come away with it in the end. This time, they just didn’t do enough.
Opportunities galore presented themselves in the fourth quarter for Illinois to close out a monstrous victory. They failed to take advantage of any of them and it all culminated in a perfect Iowa storm to steal a victory right out of Illinois’ grasp.
Unfortunately, those are the types of losses that linger. A win dangles in front of your face, but you just can’t quite grasp it. A win that would’ve meant a ton to the program and solidified it on a positive path.
Illinois can’t let this one linger, however. One opportunity has passed it by, but another one still awaits. One that will have a widespread impact on the program not just in the present, but well into the future.
The Illini will welcome Northwestern to Memorial Stadium in Week 13 for a game that will define its season.
The Illini clinch bowl eligibility with a win. While in the grand scheme of things that may seem insignificant, it’s no small feat for Illinois football. It’d mark just the second time the program has played in back-to-back bowl games since 1991.
The keyword when building a program always seems to be momentum. Illinois gained a lot of it last season after finishing 8-5, capping off a breakthrough season with a trip to Tampa for a bowl game. Missing out on the postseason entirely in the year that follows would strip most of that momentum away, while another bowl berth would maintain it and keep the Illini on the right path.
The task won’t be as easy as we thought, either.
Formerly interim — now full-time — Northwestern head coach David Braun has miraculously brought the Wildcats to bowl eligibility after Pat Fitzgerald’s ugly exit in the offseason.
Regardless of the Cats’ surprising success, Illinois can’t let its in-state rival come into its building and end its season. If the Illini want this season to be considered a success, if Bret Bielema wants to remain in the good graces of a hungry fanbase and keep himself on track to carry out his quest for consistency, this opportunity cannot be squandered.
Missing out on beating Iowa, while incredibly disappointing, can be reconciled. It’s what Iowa does. They find a way to beat you in the most frustrating, heart-wrenching way possible right when you think you have them. It’s why they’ve played in a bowl game in 21 of the last 23 seasons and have won eight or more games in 15 of them.
Missing out on a bowl berth after losing a rivalry game though? At home? On Senior Day? That can’t happen. Saturday’s game against Northwestern means so much more than any rivalry, it will help define the Illini’s entire season.
That’s why Illinois can’t let one missed opportunity turn into two.
Flush it. Refocus. Beat Northwestern.
Otherwise, no more opportunities will be left.
Illinois
Obituary for William "Wild Bill" F. Scheskie at Strang Funeral Home of Antioch
Illinois
Motorsports race in Illinois named one of the best in the country by USA TODAY poll
Daytona Motor Mouths: Jockeying for position
Photo finishes in Kansas and the Kentucky Derby, a NASCAR runner-up more heartbreaking than Buescher and early Darlington thoughts.
USA TODAY readers have spoken, and they have declared Illinois has one of the top 10 motorsports races in the United States.
A recent USA Today Readers’ Choice poll determined the top races by asking a panel of experts for nominations. Readers then voted on the nominees. Chicago’s Grant Park 165 was named the ninth best race in the country.
“First run in 2023, the Grant Park 165 pits NASCAR drivers against one another over 75 laps as they speed down Columbus Drive, Michigan Avenue, and DuSable Lake Shore Drive,” USA TODAY wrote in the winning entry. “The 2.2-mile route travels along Lake Michigan and around Grant Park, providing scenic views for spectators.”
USA TODAY 10best: NASCAR track in Illinois voted one of the best in the country
As a region, the Midwest performed well in the poll. In addition to the Grant Park 165, Indiana boasts two of the country’s best motorsports events and Iowa is home to another. Surprising such famous races as the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500 were only able to capture eighth and 10th places, respectively.
USA TODAY announced the winners May 8.
Top motorsports races according to USA TODAY Readers’ Choice
- Sick Week, Orlando, Fla.
- NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals, Knoxville, Iowa
- King of the Hammers, Johnson Valley, Calif.
- SCCA National Championship Run-Off, Plymouth, Wisc.
- NHRA U.S. Nationals, Indianapolis, Ind.
- Holley LS Fest West, Las Vegas, Nev.
- Chili Bowl Nationals Powered by NOS Energy Drink, Tulsa, Okla.
- Indianapolis 500, Indianapolis, Ind.
- Grant Park 165, Chicago, Ill.
- The Daytona 500, Daytona Beach, Fla.
Illinois
Illinois Valley Democrats to meet May 23 in La Salle
The Illinois Valley Democrats (La Salle, Bureau, Putnam counties) are scheduled to meet 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 23, at the La Salle VFW, 2325 Donahue St.
The meeting is to strategize to get all Democratic candidates elected. All Democrats are invited and encouraged to attend. Food can be purchased through the La Salle VFW.
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