Illinois

What Bret Bielema said after No. 20 Illinois lost to No. 1 Oregon football

Published

1 year ago

October 27, 2024

Press Room

What Bret Bielema said after No. 20 Illinois lost to No. 1 Oregon football

EUGENE — No. 1 Oregon defeated No. 20 Illinois 38-9 Saturday at Autzen Stadium.

Bret Bielema recapped the loss for Illinois (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten), which hosts Minnesota next week.

Below is a transcript of Bielema’s postgame press conference.

No. 1 Oregon (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) vs. No. 20 Illinois (6-1, 3-1)

When: Saturday, Oct. 26
Time: 12:30 p.m. PT
Where: Autzen Stadium, Eugene
TV channel: CBS
Stream: Watch this game live for FREE with Fubo (free trial) or with DirecTV Stream (free trial). If you already have a cable provider, use your login information to watch this game on cbssports.com.
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BRET BIELEMA

Opening Statement…

“Give credit to Oregon. Obviously a really good football team, and they played very, very well especially that first half. I was very disappointed in the results of the first half. I take ownership on that as a head coach. Obviously didn’t have enough preparation or execution. I really felt good about our work week and the energy from our guys going in. We talked all week about this crew…the way they want to play the game, offense, defense. When they strike, they strike hard and fast. We put ourselves into a position to be where we are. The first quarter was just too much to overcome. I went in at halftime and basically went in to both sides of the ball and the players and said, ‘Hey, I’m going to treat it like this: we won the coin toss, we’re taking the ball, we’re going to play the second half like we’re starting over.’ I thought our guys took that to heart and did some things. We just couldn’t capitalize on it in time. We had two or three opportunities where we walked away with zero points inside the red area. You’re not going to win many games, let alone (against) the No. 1 team in the country. Several guys got banged up. I don’t really know anything update wise. A couple guys with head issues, a couple guys with soft tissue things. I don’t think there’s anything significant or season ending, but we’ll see where we’re at when I have more information on that.”

On areas of disappointment in defense…

“Probably tackling. I think we have to leverage the ball and get the ball down. We knew No. 15 was an explosive player. We had to know where he was on every formation, and he was the guy that had that first score. Came all the way across from one sideline to the next. I think our preparation…we have to understand when we’re playing a player of that caliber we can’t give normal answers. We have to have a better understanding of what we’re trying to do to win the game. Some growing experience there for us on how we game plan. Then, obviously, with a quarterback of his stature, he was pretty much able to complete his passes at will. He was very efficient with the ball on early downs and third downs as well. So, a lot of things that hopefully we will hopefully make corrections for.”

On Luke Altmyer’s performance…

“Luke is a tremendous competitor. I would like to have come up with some points. I think that the interception was one he probably wishes he had back. I don’t know if he didn’t see the coverage there, but he’s been so steady for us. We’re here where we are today because of what he’s done and we will continue to move forward because of that but everybody has a lot to learn. I think we have to do a better job of protecting him, making sure we can give him the answers. If there’s breaks in pressure, we have to give him an answer so he doesn’t get hit. Also, if we can do anything with him to change the pocket or do some things right. He’s got very good feet, he’s very athletic and the guys can continue to play around him.”

On answering defensive pressure…

“I know they changed up one pressure today, what we call ‘pop a guy out.’ They brought a full man today, seven-man protection. In the answer, we weren’t there and [Altmyer] had to get rid of it in a hurry. Also, there was a couple of red-area sequences where we broke down on protection, as well as the delivery of the run game. It was frustrating but I was very happy that our guys responded in the second half. We’re not trying to get a consolation prize, but I told the guys at halftime that I needed them to show up, play and compete and they did that.”

On redzone breakdowns…

“In particular, there was some of that in the low red. Those are almost like two-point plays in execution. We have to look closely at what we’re doing there. We have to change the pocket. We have to do something to move them. The execution of the run game down low. A lot of teams will try to just run the ball in rather than have any chance of throw game. I think there was one time where we ran Josh McCray up inside and gained four or five. Maybe we need to take a closer look at the run game in the red area.”

On refocusing after loss…

“I think the things that got us to where we are now are what we have to go forward with. Whatever our record was. We were 6-1 last week. We’re trying to go 1-0 every week. Now we’re a 6-2 football team. Everybody is going to have opinions on what I need to do. I think our guys know that Minnesota is coming to town in a rematch game for us. That could mean a lot of things down the road. I think these guys enjoy playing together. It definitely hurt them today. You could see it at halftime. I liked the energy they gave coming out at the half. Obviously, a lot of long faces in there tonight, as they should be. We’ll have to make sure that Oregon doesn’t get us twice. We’re going to have to do what we have to do on Sunday, get a flush, take a jump heading into Minnesota like we do with every game. Monday will be a great day for our guys to reset and come back in on Tuesday and get a work week.”

On difficulty of Oregon’s speed…

“Especially at certain positions, you can tell on film, offense, defense, special teams. They take a lot of pride in that. They strike in all three phases. I think that was very apparent in the first quarter and even towards the end of the second. They put themselves in a position to make multiple scores. Defensively, we didn’t have the right answers putting pressure on. [Gabriel] was just getting the ball out so quickly, they weren’t going to let you get him. That is something we have to identify and make sure that we’re playing out of coverage.”

On secondary defense…

“Jaheim Clarke has been a guy that I would say has been continually impressive since fall camp. When Tyson Rooks went down, when Torrie Cox went out, and Kaleb Patterson went out…those three guys were out of the game before halftime. Those are difficult things to heal. Those guys came in by committee. Tyler Strain also went out, so our backup for Xavier Scott went down, so that’s what brought Rooks in there. I like the fact that he got that nice pick and made an advancement. Got the chance to change the game a little bit there. Obviously, we couldn’t capitalize on it offensively, but he did his part to make that moment.”

— James Crepea covers the Oregon Ducks and Big Ten. Listen to the Ducks Confidential podcast or subscribe to the Ducks Roundup newsletter.

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Illinois

New building owner addresses backlash over mural in downtown Springfield

Published

9 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

New building owner addresses backlash over mural in downtown Springfield

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – A long-standing mural honoring Robert E. Smith on the side of a building at Campbell and Walnut has been covered up, prompting community backlash against the building’s new owner.

David Pere, owner of FMTM LLC, purchased the building in downtown Springfield and said he intended it to reflect his business, which focuses on helping veterans with financial strategies and goals. Covering the mural was part of that plan.

Pere said he was out of town in Tennessee when painting began and learned about the community reaction through messages on his phone.

“I’m like, I was in Tennessee running an event. I didn’t even know he’d started painting until I got a bunch of really nasty messages on my phone,” Pere said. “And I go, oh, look, that’s our building getting painted. I guess he started.”

Pere said he did not anticipate the response. “You know, we didn’t. I didn’t know how much of an impact this was going to make,” he said.

Jesse Tyler, co-owner of SGFCO, said he wanted the mural to stay and expressed concern about the lack of safeguards for publicly recognized works of art.

“To paint over that is to say, like, could be interpreted as saying that his work is no longer relevant or that his story is no longer relevant. I don’t think that’s true,” Tyler said. “Robert’s artwork needs to be part of downtown for as long as we can maintain that memory and maintain that legacy.”

Tyler said the community had hoped protections would be in place for the mural. “Maybe we didn’t have those protections that we hope there would be, that maybe the sort of legacy and awareness of Robert’s work that we hope there would be wasn’t there,” he said.

The City of Springfield posted online, acknowledging the artwork held deep meaning for many residents. Because the building is privately owned, however, Pere is within his rights to make changes to its exterior.

Pere said he hopes to help relocate the mural to a more permanent location. “We want to help migrate that mural to a wall where it could be more permanent,” he said. “I’d love to help them find a space for it. I’d love to help. I’d love to see the city get involved to the point where that space could be a permanent space where it’s actually maintained because it is obvious now that it is very important to the city of Springfield.”

Pere is already working with an artist on a new mural for the side of the building, intended to represent veterans. That mural is expected to begin going up at the end of the month.

To report a correction or typo, please email digitalnews@ky3.com. Please include the article info in the subject line of the email.

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Illinois

Missed the lunar eclipse? See when the next one will be over Illinois

Published

21 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Missed the lunar eclipse? See when the next one will be over Illinois

Millions across the United States who woke up early Tuesday were treated to a “blood moon,” the only total lunar eclipse occurring in North America in 2026, according to NASA.

Illinois residents who missed it will be waiting some time for the next total lunar eclipse to shine above the U.S. — several years, in fact. But a partial lunar eclipse is coming sooner.

When is the next total lunar eclipse in Illinois?

After March 3, Illinois’ next visible total lunar eclipse won’t happen again until June 2029, writes Time and Date. There is a partial lunar eclipse coming sooner, however.

Others are reading: Free Full Moon Queso at Qdoba. How to get in Illinois

When is the next lunar eclipse?

A partial lunar eclipse will be visible in Illinois on Aug. 27-28, shining over the Americas, Europe, Africa and parts of Asia, according to NASA.

Provided you’re willing to stay up late to see it, the partial lunar eclipse will be at its maximum around 11:12 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 27, in Illinois.

Until then, here’s what people in parts of the U.S. were seeing Tuesday morning.

See photos of the March 3 total lunar eclipse

Calendar of upcoming eclipses

When is the next solar eclipse?

The next solar eclipse will be visible to roughly 980 million people on Aug. 12, 2026, writes Time and Date.

A total solar eclipse will occur over Greenland, Iceland, Spain, Russia and a small area of Portugal, while a partial eclipse will be visible in Europe, Africa, North America, the Atlantic Ocean, Arctic Ocean and Pacific Ocean, NASA reports.

Need help finding stars, planets and constellations? Try these free astronomy apps

The following free astronomy apps can help you locate stars, planets, and constellations.

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Illinois

Illinois lawmakers consider tightening DUI law to 0.05 BAC

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Illinois lawmakers consider tightening DUI law to 0.05 BAC

COLLINSVILLE, Ill. (First Alert 4) – Right now, in Illinois, Missouri and most of the country, drivers must be at or over 0.08 to get a DUI. A proposal in the Illinois Statehouse would lower that threshold.

“Make it as safe as you possibly can out there,” said John Sapolis.

Collinsville resident John Sapolis said while lowering Illinois’ DUI threshold would not affect him, as he rarely drinks, he likes the idea of getting drinkers off the road.

“It’s bad enough out there driving around with people who are not drinking,” said Sapolis.

If a bill passes in the Illinois House of Representatives, the blood alcohol limit would be lowered, meaning fewer drinks could put somebody over the line for a DUI.

Two Chicago-area lawmakers propose lowering the threshold from 0.08 to 0.05.

“Your body still is not in a proper state to really be behind the wheel,” said Erin Doherty, Regional Executive Director for Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Doherty said even at 0.05, drivers are less coordinated and cannot track moving objects as well as when they are sober.

Utah is the only state in the country to have the 0.05 limit, and Doherty said one in five drivers there changed their behavior.

“There are so many other options before getting behind the wheel,” said Doherty.

Sara Floyd used to live in Utah and now calls Collinsville home.

“The Midwest people like to have a few beers while they watch their Little League games

“In Utah, you can barely get alcohol at a gas station,” said Floyd.

She said the culture in Utah is very different and thinks there should be some wiggle room for drivers.

“If one person had a beer within an hour period and then drove, they shouldn’t get a DUI for one drink,” said Floyd.

Doherty said they do not recommend driving even after a single drink.

“You really should not get behind the wheel when you’re any kind of impaired, one drink, five drinks, whatever that looks like, just don’t drive,” said Doherty.

While each body processes alcohol differently, according to the National Library of Medicine, in a two-hour period it takes a 170-pound man three to four drinks to reach 0.05, and it takes a 137-pound woman two to three drinks to reach the same state.

April Sage said she does not think this law would work, saying instead it would help more if the state added more public transit.

“I could have three beers and get a ride home safely,” said Sage.

First Alert 4 reached out to a spokesman for the Illinois Department of Transportation to see if they had any comments on this bill. The spokesperson said they are not going to comment because it is pending legislation.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, fatal crashes involving one driver who had been drinking increased 4% from 2019 to 2022, despite multiple studies showing fewer Americans are drinking.

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