ORLANDO, Fla. — They got here. They noticed. They bumped bellies with a apparently superior SEC staff and located themselves greater than capable of deal with it. They ticked off all the opposing sideline, although that was primarily on their head coach. In all, they represented themselves fantastically and completed off a breakthrough season in type.
What was this 21-17 Citrus Bowl victory over South Carolina if not one of the best rattling day Illinois football has had in properly over a decade?
And for Illini coach Bret Bielema, what was it if not the very form of second he has longed for since issues turned for the more severe in his earlier job at Arkansas?
For long-suffering Illini fans, a day like this one needed to be a lot enjoyable.
What do orange-clad followers do after filling half a stadium across the holidays and watching their staff really come out on high? They high-five, hug, chant “I-L-L!” and linger in delight. They puff out their chests for a change, smile as people in another college’s colours depart disenchanted and assume, “This have to be what being good at soccer is like.”
The No. 20 Illini capped a 12-play, 75-yard, fourth-quarter landing drive with Josh McCray’s 9-yard run — his second rating — to take the sport’s ultimate lead. They then saved the No. 15 Gamecocks out of the opposite finish zone when star quarterback LaNorris Sellers misfired on a fourth-down move from the 7-yard line. The Illini acquired the ball again needing to kill some clock, resulting in a third-and-2 run by McCray that went for 60 wonderful, unforgettable yards.
That was it — Illinois had a 10-win soccer staff for the primary time since 2001, a bowl win for the primary time since 2011 and arguably its greatest win in any sport because the 2007 upset at No. 1 Ohio State.
“Once I was relieved of my final teaching job,” Bielema mentioned, choking up, “I knew that I wished to show what I might do and that I wished to do it my manner.”
In addition to the Illini held up bodily towards the SEC staff that performed one of the best soccer in that convention over the second half of the common season, it’s clear Bielema has, in 4 years, elevated soccer at a basketball college to a stage that deserves to be taken critically. The Illini withstood hits and gave them again. They answered scoring drives when wanted. They confirmed there’s depth on the roster. And when it acquired late and so they began blocking and working only a bit tougher than the Gamecocks, it virtually had a really feel of Bielema’s outdated Wisconsin groups to it.
“Illinois isn’t a simple staff to play,” Gamecocks coach Shane Beamer mentioned.
How seldom have we heard that sentiment?
The Illini confirmed some actual perspective, too, particularly after Bielema lit Beamer’s fuse throughout a stoppage in play late within the third quarter. The Gamecocks had tried some trickery on a kickoff return, with their return males making the “T-bar” gesture — arms out to their facet — that usually signifies the ball received’t be fielded or returned. However a returner not solely caught the kick but in addition threw it throughout the sphere in a lateral. The play didn’t accomplish a lot, however Bielema didn’t prefer it — and gestured at Beamer minutes later, his personal arms out, inflicting Beamer to flip out. Beamer rushed towards Bielema, who was far out onto the sphere, and needed to be held again.
“In all my years of being round soccer,” Beamer mentioned, “I’ve by no means seen an opposing coach come over to the opposite staff’s sideline and principally make a gesture towards the opposite head coach. …
“I assumed that was bush league, to be sincere.”
Bielema responded, “I really like Shane. He’s a great individual. I do know he thought I did it at him. I did it to their complete rattling sideline.”
McCray — who was Bielema’s first recruit — price Illinois a landing with a fumble on the aim line within the first quarter however nonetheless was named participant of the sport after carrying 13 instances for 114 yards and two scores. Luke Altmyer threw a landing move to Zakhari Franklin, security Matthew Bailey had 13 tackles and Gaba Jacas had three tackles for loss.
“A special occasion,” Bielema mentioned.
That it was.
