Bielema’s Illini didn’t improve in Year 3

Happy Sunday, Illinois Land!

Our long, national nightmare is finally over. Illinois football ends the 2023 season at 5-7 overall and just 1-5 in the Big Ten West.

HBC Bret Bielema used the one-word slogan of “frustrating” to describe this season in the last post-game press conference, a loss to rival Northwestern, 45-43.

This game was a microcosm of the season. Here’s how:

• Illinois handed Northwestern 24 points off of turnovers. This is obviously an extreme number of points and is not the average, but Illinois literally lost more games than it won this year.
• Failure to execute simple plays. Illinois missed a two-point conversion in the fourth quarter when the quarterback and tight end weren’t on the same page. A botched catch and throw.
• No adjustments made on the defensive end in late half situations. After a tremendous pick-six to potentially end the half on a high note, Northwestern scores a TD on the ensuing possession to take the lead going into the half.