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Three Players to Watch for Illinois in the ReliaQuest Bowl

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Three Players to Watch for Illinois in the ReliaQuest Bowl


The ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, Florida, is simply three days away, and Mississippi State and Illinois are having enjoyable and dealing onerous forward of the matchup.

The Bulldogs have bowled, performed pool and visited Busch Gardens. The actions exterior of soccer will come to a halt for each groups quickly as MSU traces up towards a bodily Illinois protection that has been one of many high items within the nation this season. The Combating Illini even have an explosive speeding assault, despite the fact that proficient operating again Chase Brown has opted out on account of preparations for the 2023 NFL Draft.

Listed here are three gamers from Illinois to look at because the Bulldogs and the Combating Illini battle within the ReliaQuest Bowl on Jan. 2:

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Johnny Newton (DL)

Illinois’ protection has been a key part of their success this season, due partly to a strong line of defense. Defensive lineman Johnny Newton leads this proficient protection with 13 tackles-for-loss and 5.5 sacks this season, together with 50 quarterback pressures. Newton can be the No. 9 graded defender in response to Professional Soccer Focus.

The proficient sophomore additionally has a plethora of All-American nominations to go together with a powerful 2022 season. Newton is a difference-maker on the gridiron and a participant that the Bulldogs might want to account for in the event that they wish to discover success offensively.

This defensive unit has allowed a third-down conversion proportion of .290 (49 of 169), which ranks eighth within the nation. MSU has to flip the script by changing third downs and stopping Newton from reaching quarterback Will Rogers. Successful the battle up-front shall be an enormous key to victory for MSU.

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Tahveon Nicholson (CB)

Illinois additionally has a proficient secondary that pairs properly with its strong line of defense. Nonetheless, the Combating Illini misplaced arguably one of the proficient cornerbacks within the nation: Devon Witherspoon. Witherspoon opted out of the sport as a result of 2023 NFL Draft, which implies Illinois will want cornerback Tahveon Nicholson to step up.

The sophomore defensive again recorded his first profession interception, seven cross deflections and 19 whole tackles in 2022. The absence of Witherspoon permits Nicholson to step up as CB1 and exhibit his expertise in Tampa.

Nicholson could have loads of alternatives towards MSU’s Air Raid offense. Rogers and the Bulldogs’ extensive receiver corps should look out for Nicholson, however the opt-out of Witherspoon might give MSU’s offense the benefit within the passing recreation.

Tommy DeVito (QB)

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Illinois’ offense took a giant hit with the opt-out of operating again Chase Brown as a result of NFL Draft. Brown led the Large Ten Convention in speeding and ranked fourth within the nation with 1,643 speeding yards in 2022. With Brown not collaborating within the bowl recreation, the Combating Illini will flip to quarterback Tommy DeVito to search out methods to attain towards a bodily MSU protection.

DeVito leads the Large Ten and ranks fourth nationally in completion proportion this season, however he additionally could be harmful along with his legs. The Illinois signal-caller recorded 70 speeding yards and 5 speeding touchdowns whereas additionally throwing for two,397 passing yards and 15 passing touchdowns this season.

The MSU protection has struggled at occasions when going through cellular quarterbacks, so shutting down DeVito and forcing Illinois to maintain all the pieces contained in the hashes shall be key on this matchup. 



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Illinois

Illinois Basketball Report Card: Grades vs. Missouri (Game 11)

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Illinois Basketball Report Card: Grades vs. Missouri (Game 11)


Sunday was a huge step forward for Illinois (8-3, 1-1 Big Ten) on multiple fronts. An 80-77 win over Missouri in the team’s annual Braggin’ Rights game was the headline, but the subtext was infinitely more important.

Against the Tigers (10-2, 0-0 SEC), the Illini came through in crunch time (after letting potential wins against Northwestern and No. 1 Tennessee slip through their grasp) and earned only their second win away from the State Farm Center this season. They also got the best of a physical battle for the first time and remained poised despite some highly questionable calls from the officials and some squirrelly behavior on the part of Mizzou.

It was arguably Illinois’ best team win yet of 2024-25. So how did the Illini grade out individually? We’re here to hand out the report cards:

In the postgame presser, Underwood gave Johnson a shout-out, saying that he thought the freshman forward had his best game of the year against Missouri. You’ll get no argument here. Johnson had six points (3-for-4 on field goals) and eight rebounds – including five on the offensive end – in just 19 minutes. His interior defense and rim protection have never been better or more valuable.

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Boswell’s field-goal shooting is the embodiment of hit-or-miss (2-fo-12 against the Tigers), but his on-ball defense was again elite – along with his rebounding (nine) and playmaking (a game-high five assists). Although he missed a free throw at the end that could have salted the game away, Boswell’s determination in going hard to the rim and 11-for-12 showing at the line were key difference-makers.

Jakucionis finished with 21 points against Mizzou – his sixth straight game of at least 20, only the fourth time since 1996-97 that a Big Ten freshman has achieved the feat. His clutch shooting and steady hand at the free-throw line (8-for-8) were vital, but his turnovers (five on Sunday) continue to be a problem – especially because many of them appear to be so preventable. Scary as it sounds, he’s still learning.

Foul trouble limited Ivisic for stretches against Missouri, but he was amazingly effective when essentially forced into action while handcuffed. He had several key stops and rebounds when the Tigers went at him – especially when they went at him with 7-foot, 300-pound Peyton Marshall. Ivisic managed 10 points and 11 important rebounds in a clipped 25 minutes.

Although plagued by the same foul issues experienced by Ivisic, White turned in similar production against Missouri: 13 points (on ultra-efficient 5-for-7 shooting) and eight rebounds. Additionally, he was an effective and versatile defender while taking nothing off the table (only two turnovers), which is what the Illini need from him moving forward.

Lawhorn had seven points on 3-for-4 shooting in just 14 minutes, and his energy – especially on a fastbreak layup that sent the Illini up 51-44 during a key second-half stretch – was just the lift Illinois needed on a day when foul trouble demanded that others to step into the breach.

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Underwood swears that Humrichous’ shooting stroke will come around, saying that – like any other player – he just happens to be “going through a moment.” We tend to agree. In the meantime, though, Humrichous’ struggles on offense are compounded by a lack of output on the boards (only one on Sunday) and his defensive matchup issues against long, athletic forwards such as Missouri’s Mark Mitchell, Trent Pierce and Aidan Shaw.

Riley is figuring out where he can fit in on this deep, well-balanced Illini squad while also going through some freshman fits and starts. The competition has improved, sure, but he also appears to be pressing rather than letting the game come to him as he did during his explosive start. He’ll get there.

3 Key Numbers from Illinois Basketball’s Win Over Missouri

3 Big Takeaways From Illinois Basketball’s Rivalry Win Against Missouri

Illinois Basketball Outlasts Missouri to Win a Braggin’ Rights Banger



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Calumet City, Illinois police officer receives special thank-you from family he helped

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Calumet City, Illinois police officer receives special thank-you from family he helped


Calumet City, Illinois police officer receives special thank-you from family he helped – CBS Chicago

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Officer Tyler Newkirk stepped in to help a man who had been shot and the man’s pregnant wife this past summer. The family gave Kirk a very special “thank you” Monday, and photojournalist Tamott Wolverton was there to capture the moment.

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Illinois Department of Natural Resources hosting New Year’s Day hiking event

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Illinois Department of Natural Resources hosting New Year’s Day hiking event


DIXON – The Illinois Department of Natural Resources wants outdoor enthusiasts to start the year off on the right foot with a First Day Hike at an Illinois state park on Wednesday, Jan. 1.

The IDNR is hosting free, self-guided hikes at 15 state parks across Illinois on New Year’s Day. These parks will feature stickers and special photo opportunities for hikers, who are encouraged to share photos and videos of their hikes on social media using the hashtags #ILStateParks and #FirstDayHikes.

“There’s no better way to clear your head, say goodbye to the stress of the holidays, and welcome a new year than to get outdoors for some fresh air and exercise,” IDNR Director Natalie Phelps Finnie said. “The trails at Illinois state parks are ready and waiting for you.”

The following is a list of participating state parks:

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  • Beall Woods State Park in Wabash County
  • Beaver Dam State Park in Macoupin County
  • Cache River State Natural Area in Johnson County
  • Castle Rock State Park in Ogle County
  • Eagle Creek and Wolf Creek State Park in Shelby County
  • Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area in Clinton County
  • Ferne Clyffe State Park in Johnson County
  • Fox Ridge State Park in Coles County
  • Giant City State Park in Jackson County
  • Illinois Beach State Park in Lake County
  • Pere Marquette State Park in Jersey County
  • Rock Island Trail State Park in Stark County
  • Sand Ridge State Forest in Mason County
  • Sangchris Lake State Park in Sangamon County
  • William Powers State Recreation Area in Cook County

First Day Hikes is a campaign in partnership with the America’s State Parks Foundation encouraging participants to hike, bike and visit state parks on the first day of the new year since 1992. Hikers can find trail maps and other useful information at the Illinois First Day Hikes website.

For more information contact dnr.parksadmin@illinois or call 217-782-6302.



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