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JDC: Illinois boys set off final-round fireworks

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JDC: Illinois boys set off final-round fireworks


Two of the Illinois boys left within the John Deere Traditional discipline shot off some early vacation fireworks in Sunday’s last.

Nick Hardy discovered his groove and went low and Kevin Streelman added to his spectacular hole-in-one rely.

Hardy stated a great evening of relaxation keyed his 7-under 64 spherical that was the low spherical of the ultimate day and shot him approach up the leaderboard. The Northbrook, Unwell., native and College of Illinois graduate carded two eagles and 5 birdies in his spherical that included bogeys coming in on Nos. 15 and 18.

“I bought some good relaxation final evening,” stated Hardy of the keys to his spherical that left him 10-under for the tourney and tied for thirtieth place. “I felt energized and prepared.”

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Nevertheless, the 26-year-old’s spherical was caught in impartial for the primary six holes as he parred till he bought to the par-3 seventh gap and rattled off a string of three birdies earlier than hitting driver, 4-iron into the par-5 tenth and carding his first eagle. A 311-yard drive to a few toes on the par-4 14th arrange his second eagle.

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Hardy, who has had a busy schedule the final month, had a late Friday tee time and was first off the tee early Saturday morning.

Hardy, who continues to be working towards securing his standing on the Tour, isn’t positive what his schedule is transferring ahead. He’s weighing his choices between PGA Tour or Korn Ferry Tour begins. Nevertheless, some relaxation could win out over maintaining his good golf going.

“I’ve to be good about relaxation,” Hardy stated. “While you play in opposition to one of the best on the earth, you may’t play at 70- or 80% capability; it’s a must to go full bore. I’m going to ensure once I’m taking part in I’m going full bore.”

Streelman’s 5-under 66 took a again seat to Hardy’s 64, however he did go one higher than his fellow Illinoisan with an ace on the twelfth gap that was taking part in 195 yards into wind.

“It’s enjoyable when a shot comes off precisely the way in which you need it to,” Streelman stated of his 6-iron. “It simply got here off excellent, it was a one-yard draw and landed a pair yards quick. It was only a flushed golf shot.”

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That helped him get in at 9-under par and tied for forty first. A Saturday 72 derailed a greater end.

Streelman stated that was his 14th profession ace, however simply his second on tour “that counts,” he joked.

His final one, he recalled, got here on a household trip.

“I picked up an 8-iron and an orange ball,” he stated with a wry smile.

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Campbell's reveals Illinois' favorite Thanksgiving side dish

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Campbell's reveals Illinois' favorite Thanksgiving side dish


There’s a new king of the mountain when it comes to side dishes at Thanksgiving, and Illinois’ pick is also the favorite of Americans.

This news comes via Campbell’s annual State of the Sides report, released each year ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday to reveal what side dishes Americans are pairing with their turkeys on the big day.

According to the report, stuffing/dressing overtook mashed potatoes as America’s favorite side dish, with sweet potatoes also moving up to the third spot in the ranking.

Green bean casserole checks in at No. 4, according to the ranking, with mac and cheese dropping from third to fifth this year.

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According to Campbell’s, Illinois was one of 45 states that picked stuffing as their favorite side dish, with Iowa, California, Utah, Wyoming and West Virginia siding with mashed potatoes.

The data also revealed several other key findings, including that 56% of Americans would prefer eating side dishes over their turkey on Thanksgiving. Roughly 4-of-10 Americans would also be content with having a plate made up of nothing but sides, according to the study.

Perhaps most importantly if you’re heading to a gathering this holiday season, 99% of Americans say they help to cook part of the Thanksgiving meal if they’re attending a gathering.



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Breaking down Rutgers’ bowl scenarios after losing golden opportunity vs. Illinois

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Breaking down Rutgers’ bowl scenarios after losing golden opportunity vs. Illinois


The dream postseason scenario was there for Rutgers … until it vanished in heartbreaking fashion.

Illinois not only sent Rutgers to one of its most-devastating losses of this century Saturday, it all but guaranteed Rutgers will not play in one of the Big Ten’s top-tier bowl games, too. With so much within grasp, including a program-defining victory, the ultimate prize was playing into position to earn a berth in Cheez-It Citrus Bowl.

Citrus Bowl scouts sat in the press box at SHI Stadium — and loved everything they saw — right up until the end when No. 24 Illinois stunned Rutgers with a miraculous, game-winning touchdown catch and run by senior Pat Bryant, which put the Illini over the top for a 38-31 victory.

What did the loss do to Rutgers and its postseason fate? With the loss, Rutgers fell right back into the middle of the Big Ten standings. After Saturday, Illinois and Iowa separated themselves from that pack. Rutgers, meanwhile, is now solidly in the thick of the muck with five other teams jostling for postseason positioning with one game remaining.

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So with that uncertainty, where might the Scarlet Knights end up? Here’s a look at where things currently stand and what’s available.

Big Ten bowls

These seven games are listed in order of ranking, meaning the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl will land the top-ranked Big Ten team that does not qualify for the CFP. The selection process then flows downward for the next six selections. It should be noted there are “variety clauses” to ensure new teams appear in each bowl in two to three years depending on the bowl.

Bowl game When/where vs. variety clause
Cheez-It Citrus Bowl Dec. 31 at 3 p.m. in Orlando, Fla. SEC No Iowa
ReliaQuest Bowl Dec. 31 at noon in Tampa Bay, Fla. SEC No Wisconsin
Duke’s Mayo Bowl Jan. 3 at 7 p.m. in Charlotte, N.C. ACC No Maryland
Music City Bowl Dec. 30 at 2:30 p.m. in Nashville, Tenn. SEC No Maryland
Pinstripe Bowl Dec. 28 at noon in New York, N.Y. ACC No Rutgers
Rate Bowl Dec. 26 at 5:30 p.m. in Phoenix, Ariz. Big 12 N/A
GameAbove Sports Bowl Dec. 26 at 2 p.m. in Detroit, Mich. MAC N/A

It’s also important to remember, the conference’s four newcomers — No. 1 Oregon, Washington, UCLA and USC — are not eligible for the seven games with Big Ten ties. The newcomers who achieve bowl eligibility and do not qualify for the College Football Playoff will be selected from the former Pac-12′s “legacy pool,” a list of six games for teams that played in the conference in 2023.

Where things stand

Three games to watch

Assuming Indiana makes the College Football Playoff, these three games will have the biggest impact on Rutgers’ selection. Conveniently, they will all be played before the Scarlet Knights take the field against Michigan State on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in East Lansing.

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Minnesota at Wisconsin, Friday at noon: Minnesota could knock Wisconsin out of the picture, which would be good news for Rutgers and narrow the field. In the process, Minnesota might become a more attractive selection at 7-5 — even though Rutgers owns the head-to-head win. If Wisconsin win, it really muddles the picture.

Nebraska at Iowa, Friday at 7:30 p.m.: Iowa would be a heavy favorite for the ReliaQuest Bowl with a win. It would also keep Nebraska behind Rutgers in the standings if the Scarlet Knights win at Michigan State.

Michigan at Ohio State, Saturday at noon: Michigan will be a big underdog, but even with a loss a 6-6 Michigan team might be a more attractive selection than Rutgers.

Even with a win, Rutgers can’t theoretically play its way out of the muck. If the best-case scenario is the Duke’s Mayo or Music City Bowl, the committees will need to evaluate Rutgers as a better pick than Minnesota, Michigan, Nebraska or Wisconsin. That may be a long shot but not impossible.

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Patrick Lanni may be reached at planni@njadvancemedia.com.



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Illinois Basketball Fans Ask: Who Is Ed Cooley?

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Illinois Basketball Fans Ask: Who Is Ed Cooley?


If you’re an Illini fan today, you’re probably somewhere putting your feet up, basking in the glow of an epic come-from-behind football win and an iron-fisted basketball beatdown, and patting yourself on the back for a hard day’s work rooting on your favorite nationally ranked programs. Oh, and you’re undoubtedly asking yourself a question:

Who in the world is Ed Cooley?

Unless you’re a die-hard college basketball fan, you can be forgiven for scratching your head over the name. Cooley, the current coach of the Georgetown Hoyas and previously a longtime head man at Providence and Fairfield, doesn’t do a lot of business in the Midwest, or anywhere else – like, say, the NCAA Tournament – where you might have seen him often.

More to the point, what does Cooley have to do with the Illini? It’s a fair question – one that a lot of observers were asking in the wake of his postgame press conference after his Hoyas’ 82-65 win over Saint Francis on Saturday.

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Ostensibly, the subject of conversation was Hoyas guard Jayden Epps and his glowing defensive performance against the Red Flash, but it was the Illini (and, by implication, coach Brad Underwood and his staff) who wound up catching strays from 700 miles away.

Here’s a quick sound bite:

You may remember that Epps – a top high school prospect out of Norfolk, Virginia, a few years back – signed with Illinois and played his freshman season in Champaign. Had a pretty good year, too: averages of 9.5 points and 1.5 assists in 31 games, including 11 starts. But Epps bounced out of Illinois through the transfer portal – and wasn’t the first or last in the Underwood era – and landed at Georgetown.

Perhaps Cooley felt Epps was underappreciated in Champaign and thought he was defending his guy. Maybe he even thought he had been mistreated. But the message wasn’t a response or reaction – it was delivered unprompted, without further context or explanation. it was a calculated shot wrapped in an offhanded remark inside a monumentally dumb decision. Neither Cooley nor Epps gained anything from the comment. It just came off as sour grapes.

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Cooley must have recognized as much – or been instructed by an administrator that he had better – because he quickly apologized for the indiscretion. Sort of:

“My comment today was said in jest with one of my players, but I admit it was a poor choice of words,” Cooley posted on his X social media account. “I have the utmost respect for the University of Illinois, its men’s basketball program, coaches and players.”

For his part, Underwood blew off the beef when asked about Cooley’s comments in the postgame presser following Illinois’ 87-40 shellacking of Maryland Eastern Shore.

“My guys told me about it,” Underwood said. “That’s not even worth wasting my time on. I don’t know what he’s referencing that about. Jayden had a productive freshman year here. But I’m not getting into all that. I’ll let our fans have some fun with that, which I’m sure they probably are. But I’ve got Arkansas Little Rock to worry about and Arkansas to worry about and Northwestern to worry about and everybody else to worry about. I mean, I don’t read [the media’s] stuff, I’m sure as heck not gonna read his.”

Illini fans will surely have less tolerance and longer memories for this sort of thing than Underwood himself, so of course we’re rooting for an Illinois-Georgetown NCAA Tournament matchup. Because what’s March Madness without a little extra chaos?

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