Illinois

New-look Illinois opens the season against upset-minded Eastern Illinois

Published

4 months ago

August 28, 2024

Press Room

New-look Illinois opens the season against upset-minded Eastern Illinois

Eastern Illinois at Illinois, Thursday, 9 p.m. ET (BTN)

BetMGM College Football Odds: Illinois by 27 1/2.

Series record: Illinois leads 2-0.

WHAT’S AT STAKE?

Illinois needs a decisive victory to show it has tossed aside the disappointing conclusion to last season — two-point losses in the final two games cost them a bowl bid — and has the ability to make some noise in the Big Ten. Bret Bielema is 18-19 in three seasons in Champaign, with a promising 8-5 finish bookended by two 5-7 seasons.

Eastern Illinois, 8-3 a year ago and ranked No. 24 in the final FCS poll, has an opportunity to pull off a major upset against a foe just 56 miles from its campus in Charleston.

KEY MATCHUP

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema, left, talks to referees during the NCAA college football game against Northwestern, Nov. 25, 2023, in Champaign, Ill. Credit: AP/Erin Hooley

Eastern Illinois QB Pierce Holley vs. the Illinois defense. Holley, a two-year starter, passed for 2,741 yards and 17 touchdowns last season, his first at Eastern Illinois after transferring from Georgetown. The Illini led the nation in scoring defense in 2022 (12 points per game) but slipped last season to No. 95 (29 points per game). The Illini hope CB Terrance Brooks, a transfer from Texas, will shore up their secondary.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Eastern Illinois: LB Elijawah Tolbert is a two-time first team All-Big South/OVC selection. He led the Panthers last season with 87 tackles, including seven for loss. Tolbert entered the transfer portal after last season and went through spring practice at Missouri State, but returned to Eastern Illinois during the summer.

Illinois: WR Zakhari Franklin, a transfer from Ole Miss, is college football’s active career leader in receptions (266), receiving yards (3,386) and receiving touchdowns (38). He’s been reunited with Illinois offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr., who was Franklin’s OC at UTSA, where he began his college career.

FACTS & FIGURES

Illinois is 3-0 in season openers under Bielema, beating Nebraska, Wyoming and Toledo at home. … Former Eastern Illinois football player Chris Wilkerson returned to his alma mater in 2022 to coach the Panthers after a successful eight-year run as the coach at the University of Chicago. After a 2-9 season in Wilkerson’s first year as Eastern Illinois’ coach in 2022, the Panthers turned things around last season. They were one of the final four teams considered for the FCS playoffs. … Of the 120 players on the Illinois roster, 45 are new to the program. … Illinois offensive linemen have a combined 96 starts and 168 games in their collegiate careers … The Illini have 17 players, including nine transfers, who have started 10 or more games in college. … Illinois and Eastern Illinois last met in 2008. The Illini won 47-21.

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Illinois

‘It’s a blessing’: Springfield Christmas dinner serves nearly 600

Published

8 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

‘It’s a blessing’: Springfield Christmas dinner serves nearly 600

SPRINGFIELD — Edwin DeJesus was showing his holiday spirit on his sleeve, and his pants, as he and his mom tucked into a roast beef dinner at the High School of Commerce Christmas Day.

“It is a blessing,” DeJesus said, wearing a green shirt showing Snoopy’s doghouse decorated with Christmas lights, green Dr. Seuss’ Grinch pants and a bright red hat.

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Illinois

Illinois state trooper mourned after being struck, killed by car on I-55

Published

17 hours ago

December 25, 2024

Press Room

Illinois state trooper mourned after being struck, killed by car on I-55 – CBS Chicago

Watch CBS News

Trooper Clay Carns served 11 years with ISP and was a husband and a father to two young kids. Jermont Terry reports.

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Illinois

Illinois will be fourth school for Tomiwa Durojaiye

Published

1 day ago

December 24, 2024

Press Room

Illinois will be fourth school for Tomiwa Durojaiye

Tomiwa Durojaiye was a three-star recruiting win for Kentucky in the 2022 high school cycle. The Delaware native picked the Wildcats over South Carolina after recording 58 tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, and two forced fumbles as a senior. The senior defensive lineman would spend just one season in Lexington.

Duojiaye entered the transfer portal in the spring window ahead of the 2023 season. Durojaiye landed at West Virginia and had a strong year as a redshirt freshman. The defensive lineman recorded 23 tackles, six tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 14 pressures, and played 270 snaps. Despite the strong close to see playing for a 9-4 team, Durojaiye decided to enter the portal again.

Tomiwa Durojaiye landed at Florida State and only played 32 snaps this season. Durojaiye then became a three-time transfer when he entered the transfer portal on Dec. 9. The defensive lineman found another power conference home on Tuesday.

The defensive lineman has committed to Illinois and will play in a fourth power conference in 2025 after spending time in the SEC, Big 12, and ACC.

Alex Afari Jr. and Josh Kattus are the only signees from Kentucky’s 2022 high school class remaining on the roster.

The transfer portal is open for business and so far we know of 20 players who will be seeking out greener pastures this offseason.

DL Keeshawn Silver (Committed to USC on Dec. 19)
DB Avery Stuart
LB Jayvant Brown
TE Tanner Lemaster (Committed to Eastern Michigan on Dec. 22)
TE Khamari Anderson (Committed to Arizona State on Dec. 22)
TE Jordan Dingle (Committed to South Carolina on Dec. 18)
OL Courtland Ford (Committed to UCLA on Dec. 17)
OL Ben Christman
OL Dylan Ray (Committed to Minnesota on Dec. 21)
OL Koby Keenum (Committed to Mississippi State on Dec. 22)
DL Tommy Ziesmer (Committed to EKU on Dec. 15)
WR Dane Key
WR Barion Brown (Committed to LSU on Dec. 14)
WR Anthony Brown-Stephens
WR Brandon White
EDGE Tyreese Fearbry (Committed to Wisconsin on Dec. 22)
EDGE Noah Matthews
EDGE Caleb Redd (Committed to Kansas on Dec. 20)
RB Chip Trayanum
QB Gavin Wimsatt

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. Keep closer tabs on the Cats with our staff-only sticky thread on KSBoard, which will have updates on departures and targets throughout the offseason. Not a KSR+ member? Try it out today.

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