South-Carolina
3 Big Takeaways From Illinois Football’s Citrus Bowl Win Over South Carolina
Games like Tuesday’s Citrus Bowl don’t come around very often for Illinois, and seasons like 2024 have been even less frequent around Champaign.
Consider that as recently as 2016-2018, the Illini were able to pull together just nine wins over a three-year stretch. With their 21-17 upset over South Carolina on New Year’s Eve, the Illini topped that total in 2024 alone – only their fifth 10-win season in program history and first since 2001.
There was plenty to process after Illinois’ fifth fourth-quarter comeback this season – this one without late-game heroics of receiver Pat Bryant – but we’ve landed on three big-picture takeaways worth breaking out:
The month between Illinois’ win over Northwestern in its regular-season finale and Tuesday’s Citrus Bowl triumph wasn’t a bye, per se, but it underscored how well Bielema teams have performed – especially in recent years – when they have extra time to prepare.
Now 6-1 coming off bye weeks, the Bielema-coached Illini were on point in just about every way against the Gamecocks. They shut down South Carolina’s biggest threat (quarterback LaNorris Sellers’ scrambling), matched Shane Beamer’s mass-substitution machinations, managed the clock effectively and committed no penalties.
Too late to recast ballots for 2024 Big Ten Coach of the Year?
Reports of the Big Ten’s death, as it turns out, were exaggerated. Indiana’s 10-point loss to Notre Dame has somehow been held up as the avatar for all that is wrong with the College Football Playoff and the supposed overblown reputation of the Big Ten. But let’s take stock of just the past 10 days, shall we?
Penn State smashed SMU. Ohio State took Tennessee to the woodshed. You can still smell the lamination on USC’s Big Ten credentials, but the Trojans still topped Texas A&M. Nebraska topped Boston College, Penn State slapped around Boise State and, in what had been considered to be an embarrassment of a season for the reigning national champions, Michigan beat No. 11 Alabama.
So much whining about Bama having been denied its rightful place in the CFP. So little proof.
Meanwhile, Illinois did its part to rep the Big Ten, and quarterback Luke Altmyer wasn’t shy about sharing his feelings of vindication after the Illini’s win over the Gamecocks – particularly when faced with that special brand of SEC snobbery.
#illini QB Luke Altmyer said some South Carolina players thought they were Syracuse at a combined team event this week.
“Been hearing all this talk about SEC, SEC in the playoff and things like that, and I’m just tired of the disrespect. Illinois has been a disrespected program… pic.twitter.com/i5o3ECvAdb
— Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) January 1, 2025
It’s silly for anyone outside an organization to pretend to know exactly what’s going on behind the curtain, but as a natural cynic who has covered Illinois football for more than 30 years across seven coaching regimes, I’ll say this: These Illini seem different.
Bielema has a plan and values culture (practicing, not merely preaching it), which means he’s simpatico with athletic director Josh Whitman. And it’s amazing what can be accomplished when you throw smart, experienced people into the same boat and they all row in the same direction together. That has been the mark of Illinois athletics in recent years, but it has also been the m.o. of Bielema’s program, seemingly from top to bottom.
The last few steps to the top of the mountain are the hardest, and you know what they say about staying there. Solving NIL will be the key to Illinois’ long-term success, but a 10-win season culminating in a Citrus Bowl win over an SEC team that many believed belonged in the CFP should help properly equip the Illini for the climb.
Social Media Reacts to Illinois Football’s Citrus Bowl Upset Over South Carolina
Gesture-Gate: The Ridiculousness of the Shane Beamer-Bret Bielema Clash
Illinois Football Stuns South Carolina in Program-Shifting Citrus Bowl Upset
Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots: What to know in case you win
Here’s what to know in case you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot.
Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
The South Carolina Education Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 14, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL numbers from May 14 drawing
Midday: 6-6-6, FB: 3
Evening: 4-8-2, FB: 6
Check Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL numbers from May 14 drawing
Midday: 6-9-9-3, FB: 3
Evening: 4-2-8-2, FB: 6
Check Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from May 14 drawing
Midday: 14
Evening: 09
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Palmetto Cash 5 numbers from May 14 drawing
03-06-13-35-38
Check Palmetto Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
The South Carolina Education Lottery provides multiple ways to claim prizes, depending on the amount won:
For prizes up to $500, you can redeem your winnings directly at any authorized South Carolina Education Lottery retailer. Simply present your signed winning ticket at the retailer for an immediate payout.
Winnings $501 to $100,000, may be redeemed by mailing your signed winning ticket along with a completed claim form and a copy of a government-issued photo ID to the South Carolina Education Lottery Claims Center. For security, keep copies of your documents and use registered mail to ensure the safe arrival of your ticket.
SC Education Lottery
P.O. Box 11039
Columbia, SC 29211-1039
For large winnings above $100,000, claims must be made in person at the South Carolina Education Lottery Headquarters in Columbia. To claim, bring your signed winning ticket, a completed claim form, a government-issued photo ID, and your Social Security card for identity verification. Winners of large prizes may also set up an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) for convenient direct deposit of winnings.
Columbia Claims Center
1303 Assembly Street
Columbia, SC 29201
Claim Deadline: All prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the draw date for draw games.
For more details and to access the claim form, visit the South Carolina Lottery claim page.
When are the South Carolina Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
- Pick 4: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
- Cash Pop: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
- Palmetto Cash 5: 6:59 p.m. ET daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Carolina editor. You can send feedback using this form.
A primer on absentee and early voting as we await clarity on the Palmetto State’s suddenly shifting congressional districts…
by MARK POWELL
***
We’re hearing a lot these days about South Carolina’s partisan primary elections – and with good reason. In addition to the ongoing drama tied to the proposed redrawing of the Palmetto State’s congressional districts, elections for the two most influential statewide offices – governor and attorney general – are also on tap.
For the first time since 2010, neither of those races features an incumbent seeking reelection. Status quo incumbent governor Henry McMaster is term-limited and cannot run again, while attorney general Alan Wilson is stepping down as the state’s top prosecutor to campaign for governor.
Not surprisingly, both races are extremely competitive – with multiple candidates having potential paths to victory.
Although partisan primary elections won’t be held until June 9, 2026, votes are already being cast via absentee ballot. According to the S.C. Election Commission (SCVotes), at last count 9,267 absentee ballots have already been sent for the June 9 primary – with thousands more expected to be mailed out in the coming two weeks.
Of those, 549 ballots have already been completed and returned.
***
For those wanting to vote absentee, the clock is ticking. State law says absentee ballots must be returned eleven (11) days before Election Day… which is May 29, 2026. In requesting, completing and returning absentee ballots this year, voters would be wise to consider the congressional district in which they reside – and know it could change in the coming days.
Under pressure from U.S. president Donald Trump, lawmakers are poised to draw new congressional maps within the next week – meaning votes cast based on the current boundaries may not count. That’s one of many logistical (and potentially legal) headaches confronting lawmakers keen on doing Trump’s bidding.
Next up? Early voting…
Starting on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, and running through Friday, June 5, 2026, early voting centers will be open in all forty-six (46) counties in South Carolina. Ballots can be cast Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EDT. Remember to bring a valid photo identification with you, because when voting in person you will be asked to show one of the following…
- SC Driver’s License
- Includes standard license and REAL ID
- SC Department of Motor Vehicles ID Card
- Includes standard ID card and REAL ID
- Includes SC Concealed Weapons Permit
- SC Voter Registration Card with Photo
- Federal Military ID
- Includes all Department of Defense Photo IDs and Veterans Affairs Benefits Card
- US Passport
- Includes US Passport ID Card
For a sample ballot, click here. For information on where to vote in your county, click here.
***
RELATED | HENRY McMASTER CALLING SPECIAL SESSION
***
In some areas, curbside voting will also be available during the early voting window. Voters aged 65 and older or those with physical disabilities are eligible to cast their ballots from the convenience of their cars. Again, check with your local voting office about availability in your area.
Those concerned about lengthy waits and long, wrap-around-the-building lines may not have reason to fret – at least if recent history is any guide. While those horrifically long and agonizing queues are common in presidential primaries and general elections, Palmetto State citizens have had a more relaxed view of fulfilling their civic duty in recent years when it comes to primary elections.
In the last statewide primary in 2022, only 17.05% of registered voters cast their ballots. In 2018, it was 20.43%. Those were those landslides compared to 2014’s primary, when an anemic 15.97% participated.
The high-water mark for primary participation was 2010, when controversy swirling around Nikki Haley’s candidacy drove turnout to a whopping 24.11% – proving yet again that scandal always sells.
But I’ll leave any further discussion of that race (and that scandal) to our founding editor…
***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
J. Mark Powell is an award-winning former TV journalist, government communications veteran, and a political consultant. He is also an author and an avid Civil War enthusiast. Got a tip or a story idea for Mark? Email him at mark@fitsnews.com.
***
SOUND OFF…
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