No. 20 Illinois (9-3, 6-3 Big Ten) vs. No. 15 South Carolina (9-3, 5-3 SEC)

Day and time: Tuesday (Dec. 31) at 2 p.m. CT
Venue: Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida
TV: ABC
Stream: None
Listen: WDWS-AM 1400 (Champaign)
WLS-AM 890 (Chicago)
Illini Sports Network affiliates (other local markets)
Fighting Illini Mobile App
SiriusXM 82
SXM App

Favorite: South Carolina (-10.5 points)*
Over/under: 49.5 points*
Illinois vs. South Carolina all time: 0-0
Streak: None
Last meeting: None

More from Illinois on SI

(*Figures as of Monday morning)

Key stat: 59.5

South Carolina will be without the services of running back Raheim Sanders (NFL Draft opt-out) for the Citrus Bowl, but he may not even be the Gamecocks’ most dangerous running threat. Quarterback LaNorris Sellers (6-foot-3, 242 pounds) has averaged 59.5 rushing yards per game in his SEC Freshman of the Year campaign, and if that doesn’t sound like much, consider that he has gained a total of 875 yards (don’t forget: sacks are included in net rushing yards in college) and scared the bejesus out of opposing defenses anytime he broke loose from the pocket.

Whatever plan Illinois and defensive coordinator Aaron Henry have in place for the Gamecocks, it had better have some galazy-brain-level wrinkles to contain Sellers. The Illini D has struggled to pin down mobile passers this season, so linebacker Gabe Jacas, defensive lineman TeRah Edwards and crew will need to strike a healthy balance between creating upfield pressure and securing containment.

Quick tips:

• With Illinois receiver Pat Bryant having opted out of the Citrus Bowl in anticipation of the NFL Draft, one of the biggest questions that must be answered by the Illini offense is, who replaces him in the starting lineup? Malik Elzy, Alexander Capka-Jones and Collin Dixon have all given Illinois reps behind (or with) Bryant and fellow starter Zakhari Franklin this season, but if coach Bret Bielema is looking for the player most likely to replicate Bryant’s size, hands, playmaking ability and blocking in the lineup, the nod probably goes to Elzy.

• South Carolina has given up the fourth-fewest rushing yards in the SEC (106.3 per game), which is a bit like saying a particular Italian joint makes some of the best pizza in Chicago: You know it’s good. Indeed, the Gamecocks rank No. 14 in the country in run defense, so the Illini are going to have to get creative, using misdirection, screens and short slants to set up the run with the pass – or simply replace it altogether.

• The Citrus Bowl trip to Orlando has been a homecoming of sorts for 17 Illinois players who are Florida natives – the most of any Big Ten program.

South Carolina is not only playing its best football but also may have been underrated by the CFP committee, besides. There will be no room for error for Illinois, but lucky for the Illini, that’s kind of their thing: they are 7-0 when they commit no more than one turnover in a game. If you go by the rationale that the opt-outs of Bryant and Gamecocks defensive end Kyle Kennard (11.5 sacks) cancel each other out, Illinois is still up against it.

An Illini win will require quarterback Luke Altmyer to be on point, an A-game from the O-line, defensive containment of Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers and, most likely, a fair amount of luck. That’s a lot that has to happen, and it could be argued that Illinois used up more than its share of magic dust in earlier matchups this season.

South Carolina 27, Illinois 24

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Dallas Cowboys first-year starting running back Rico Dowdle had to wait his turn, but now that he has gotten his chance in Big D, the former South Carolina football star has made the most of it. On Sunday, Dowdle surpassed the 1000-yard rushing mark on the season.

With a strong showing in a losing effort to the Philadelphia Eagles, Dowdle logged his fourth 100-yard performance in his last five games. With 104 yards on 23 carries, No. 23 now has 1007 yards this season.

In crossing the 1000-yard barrier, Dowdle became the first undrafted player ever to do so for the storied Cowboys franchise. He also became the first former Gamecock to rush for that many yards since Duce Staley. Staley ran for over 1000 yards three times for the Eagles in the late ’90s and early 2000s.

Dowdle, who has been with Dallas since 2020, was a backup for four seasons behind Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard. Now that he’s the starter, though, he has surpassed all of Elliott’s and Pollard’s single-season rushing totals from 2020-2023.

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Dowdle’s big year couldn’t have come at a better time for his bank account. Before the season, the running back signed a one-year deal to stay with the Cowboys. Now that he has proven he can be an NFL starter, he should earn a nice payday for 2025. He will be a sought-after free agent this spring.

During his South Carolina football career, injuries hampered Dowdle a bit. When he was healthy, though, he was extremely productive for the Gamecocks. Despite missing some time, he finished his time in garnet and black with 2167 yards and 16 touchdowns. Both of those numbers are in the top 16 in USC history among running backs.

During a pre-game press conference on Saturday, South Carolina’s Clayton White took the stage to discuss the Gamecocks’ upcoming game against Illinois. White was able to speak on the challenges his team faces, including Fighting Illini’s Luke Altmyer.

After beginning his career in Oxford, Mississippi for Ole Miss, Altmyer transferred to Illinois and won the quarterback job in 2023. Altmyer, wrapping up his second season with the Fighting Illini, is enjoying the best year of his college career.

The 6-foot-2 and 195 pounder out of Starksville, Mississippi has started all 12 games in 2024 completing 60.9 percent of his passes for 2,543 yards, 21 touchdowns, and five interceptions. While not known for being a running quarterback, Altmyer has shown the ability to extend plays with his legs garnering 219 yards on the ground and 4 touchdowns.

It’s not uncommon for staffs to not study other teams that aren’t on their schedule unless they are wanting to add a new wrinkle to a particular side of the ball. So it makes sense as to why South Carolina didn’t watch a ton of tape on Altmyer until these last two weeks. What White learned is Altmyer is a quarterback that can threaten defenses.

“He’s a really good quarterback,” White said. “His mobility to move around the pocket is big time. Once he gets outside the pocket, he’s a threat. He makes smart decisions.”

And while Altmyer was an unkown before bowl season, they certainly know him now.

“He’s one of those quarterbacks that I didn’t really know about until we played him, but I definitely know who he is now for sure,” White said.

Kickoff between the Gamecocks and the FIghting Illini is set for 3:00 pm (ET) on ABC on Tuesday December 31.

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