Bowl Announcement 2022: Where, when Illinois will play

Illini followers, the bowl recreation has been introduced.

According to Brett McMurphy, Illinois will journey to Tampa after an 8-4 season to play Mississippi State within the ReliaQuest Bowl (previously the Outback).

The recreation is scheduled for January 2, 2023.

In honor of this announcement, let’s take a second to recap some key occasions from Illinois’ finest soccer season since 2007.

Aside from the powerful loss in Week 1 in Indiana, these guys began the season actually robust.

The Illini confronted 10 straight seasons with out having an unbeaten document in nonconference play, however they lastly wished to finish that horrible streak this season.

Bret Bielema’s group bought off to an excellent begin, operating 38-6 by Wyoming in Week 0.

Illinois returned to Champaign to face Virginia after a Week 1 loss in Bloomington. After a 42-14 loss to the Cavaliers the 12 months earlier than, the Illini got here in with a style for revenge. In this system’s first rematch recreation of the season, Illinois reversed roles with a 24-3 win.

Illinois adopted up the large win by internet hosting Chattanooga in a Thursday evening showdown. Heading right into a recreation that felt very UTSA-esque, the Illini drove to a 34-0 win.

That 3-1 begin ended a number of droughts for Illinois. The win over Virginia gave the soccer program its first non-conference Power 5 win since 2011, and the 3-0 non-conference document was additionally this system’s first unbeaten document in non-conference video games because the identical season.

Starting 3-1, Illinois began the true convention season with a really powerful four-game stretch, however they did not draw back from it.

Bielema’s group started the stretch with course on Madison, which was the primary time the Illinois head coach had returned there since his tenure at Wisconsin. In a recreation the place the Illini have been underdogs, they humiliated the Badgers 34-10.

That win gave this system its first win at Camp Randall since 2002, highlighted by Illinois’ robust protection, which held off the most effective operating assaults within the nation two speeding yards (sure, you learn that proper).

The large win in Madison raised expectations to the best degree in years, resulting in a packed Memorial Stadium the next weekend in opposition to Iowa.

However, the sport started with panic when beginning QB Tommy DeVito went down with an harm within the first quarter. Backup QB Art Sitkowski got here in to officiate the remainder of the sport, and the excellent defensive efficiency restricted Iowa to only two area objectives.

Fabrizio Pinton’s first collegiate begin at kicker should not be forgotten, as he picked up all 9 Illini factors in a really dramatic win – his first in opposition to the Hawkeyes since 2008. That win introduced Illinois up the rankings for the primary time since 2011.

Homecoming weekend was subsequent in Champaign, with newly labeled Illinois internet hosting Minnesota. Illinois confronted an early deficit within the second half however took adversity by the horns and did not permit the Gophers to attain once more to win 26-14.

Records have been constantly damaged by this Illinois squad because it marked the primary time since 1983 that Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota have been defeated in the identical season. Those victories put the Illini on the prime of the division, 6-1.

The Illini adopted these three wins with a dominant win at Lincoln, profitable their third straight win over Nebraska, 26-9.

They additionally prolonged their profitable streak to 6 video games complete, turning into the clear chief for the Big Ten West, going 7-1.

I believe you all know what we’re getting at with this, however the Illini have been arguably three choices away of their favor earlier than the season was utterly completely different.

The Bloomington loss we talked about above is the start line for the questionable administration.

Illinois WR Brian Hightower appeared to catch a landing twice in the identical recreation, but it surely was referred to as incomplete. Upon additional assessment, the unfinished’s name was upheld, forcing Illinois to accept a area objective.

This four-point distinction was finally essential for the Illini as they misplaced 23-20. If it had been modified, Hightower’s doable landing may have been the distinction between a win and a loss.

Six thrilling wins later, Illinois suffered a shock house loss to Michigan State at house, jeopardizing the Big Ten West lead when the group hosted Purdue the next week.

Illinois DB Devon Witherspoon led 14-7 late within the first half and made an unbelievable play on a ball thrown by Purdue QB Aidan O’Connell to intercept a go. However, the lockdown protection and interception have been recalled when Witherspoon was referred to as out for a defensive go interference.

As? We nonetheless do not know. Purdue scored a landing within the following recreation and that seven level distinction was additionally essential as Purdue defeated Illinois 31-24.

And on prime of that, here is the one who damage probably the most.

The Illini got here to Ann Arbor on a two-game shedding streak and as a 17.5-point underdog, desperately clinging to a 17-16 lead with a minute left. With an opportunity to drag off one of many greatest upsets in this system’s historical past, the protection needed to make one closing cease in midfield.

Michigan confronted a 4th and 4th and within the greatest play of the sport, QB JJ McCarthy transformed it on a go to RB Isaiah Gash. That conversion finally led to a area objective by 9 seconds, giving Michigan an thrilling 19-17 win.

That essential fourth down recreation, nonetheless, featured an apparent choose play from Michigan TE Colston Loveland that allowed Gash to open for the primary down.

A recreation that — beneath NCAA guidelines — ought to have been referred to as for offensive go intervention, it wasn’t, and the Illini misplaced one other heartthrob.

But here is the deal. We can speculate no matter we would like. We want these calls would have been made in another way, however sadly they weren’t. When the Illini wanted it most, they have been unable to make the video games essential to win these video games.

End of the story.

That was the icing on the cake this season.

They reacted extremely after the three-game slide that basically robbed Illinois of alternatives to play of their first Big Ten Championship recreation.

Northwestern solely performed for delight after 10 straight losses, however Illinois made it seem to be that they had nothing to do with taking part in on the identical area. The Illini Nation have been reminded of how dominant this protection may very well be, and excellent performances from Sydney Brown and Devon Witherspoon gave the Illini a 41-3 win at Evanston.

This second blowout win for Bielema over state rivals in as a few years provides him a 71-point lead (88-17).

Remember he did this in opposition to a Northwestern group that had beforehand defeated Illinois six instances in a row.

One of one of the best footballing seasons for the Illini of the complete twenty first century requires some recognition for the gamers who made all of it doable.

We’d say this tweet speaks for itself.

There is not any room for disappointment right here.

Yes, it is a disgrace the Illini ceded the Big Ten West title to Purdue and we needed to play them in opposition to Michigan in Indy. But let’s face it, profitable eight regular-season video games — probably the most since 2007 — was removed from anticipated in August.

This season has been nothing wanting outstanding for this Illinois soccer program, and a bowl win would additional cement the legacy these gamers will go away behind.