The Fighting Illini and senior quarterback Tommy DeVito have had a season for the history books. It has been a whole team effort, but it’s no secret the team wouldn’t be in position to play in the Big Ten Championship game for the first time without it’s nation leading defense and running back Chase Brown. For all the love they receive, quarterback Tommy DeVito arguably deserves even more. The numbers aren’t gaudy, they don’t jump out at you like a Stetson Bennett’s or a Hendon Hooker, but every completed pass and yard have been crucial to Illinois’ success. In an…
Author: Caleb Horn
Caleb Horn
Caleb Horn has recently joined the team at Gridirion Heroics. He has been in the Air Force going on six years now. Born and raised in central Illinois he grew up watching the Fighting Illini and Chicago Bears and will be covering his favorite ball clubs for Gridiron.
If you’re a Bears fan, as frustrating as another Bears loss has been, today was another perfect Sunday. You just watched your Bears take on the third best team in the AFC and damn near snuck out of Soldier Field with a win. The Bears defense did an okay enough job against an offense headlined by Tyreek Hill and Jaylon Waddle – those guys can take the top off of any defense and Chicago eventually locked in enough to give the offense a chance to make it’s run. If the punt protection is worth their salt today the Bears may…
In a season that has already been a resounding success in almost every measure, the team has seemingly garnered more national praise each week. Chances are, if a team is having a historical season then there are at least a couple of individuals that are having breakout years. With five nominees for the more prestigious college football awards Illinois is no exception to that. With just four weeks left in the regular season the award lists are starting to become finalized. So, who has been nominated so far, and for what? Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award: Semifinalist Gabe…
For the first time in the College Football Playoff era the Fighting Illini have made an appearance in the CFP rankings. The Big Ten West leading Illini made their debut at number 16 one spot behind Penn State. For being the new kids on the block this feels like a decent start. The only thing Bret Bielema’s team can do is keep winning and keep winning in convincing fashion. If you want to check out the full rankings check out John Borkowski’s breakdown of each team. Illinois has reached as high as number 14 in the AP Poll so far…
During the offseason Bears LB Roquan Smith held out and requested a trade due to him believing Chicago’s GM Ryan Poles was negotiating Smith’s contract in bad faith. This wasn’t the first time Smith had held out due to contract reasons. After being drafted the linebacker held out of camp until receiving a fully guaranteed offer by then-GM Ryan Pace. He went on to have a monster rookie season and quickly solidified himself as one of the best young linebackers in the game. The lack of supporting cast around him completely put the onus on him this year and despite…
The cleanest part of this game were the Illini’s all white uniforms. For most of the first half the Illini looked lethargic and out of sorts. After the opening drive when Illinois quarterback Tommy DeVito found Isaiah Williams for a 46-yard catch and run touchdown, the Illini punted on four consecutive drives, three of which were three-and-outs. It took a Sydney Brown interception midway through the second quarter that set the Illini up to take the lead for good. The defense gave up several big plays allowing over 219 yards in the first half alone. Most of those yards came…
Two of the most storied franchises in the NFL will face-off Sunday for only the 26th time in their history. The Cowboys have a one game edge in the series holding a 13-12 record vs. the Bears. Since the turn of the century the series has been tied at 4-4 with Chicago winning the latest matchup 31-24 in 2019. Arguably the hottest game of the noon slate – Bears vs. Cowboys will be shown more than any other game in that time slot making it the prime non-primetime game Sunday. With the Bears coming off a surprise victory over the…
The Illinois running back stable will be a little thicker this week with Josh McCray getting his first action since the season opener. The sophomore running back has been sidelined since suffering a knee injury in their blowout win over Wyoming. After a breakout freshman campaign averaging nearly five yards per carry, totaling 549 yards, he was slated as the number two back behind Chase Brown. The Illini have a lot of depth in the backfield, but none are as complimentary to Brown as the 6’1″ 235lb bruiser. McCray should be a nice boost for an already confident Illinois offense.…
The Chicago Bears are essentially a third of the way through their season. Sitting at 2-4 and third in the division they’re about where many thought they’d be at this point. There have been ups, but mostly downs, which was also to be expected. Offensive struggles across the board and sloppy special teams play has lost games that were there for the taking. How the Bears have gotten to this juncture has been anything but conventional and more than frustrating. Coaches, players, and fans alike are already tired of being so close, yet so far away every week. So, How…
Following last night’s knock-down, drag-out 9-6 victory, the Illinois Fighting Illini woke up ranked for the first time since 2011. The 24th ranked Illini (5-1) have had the haters in shambles the past couple of weeks. I get it though, it’s not fun when little brother grows up and starts beating up on you. Iowa was the latest victim in Illinois’ path. Illinois hadn’t beaten Wisconsin and Iowa in the same season in 1989. In consecutive weeks the Illini accomplished just that. After traveling to Madison and beating the Badgers by three scores, the Illini took down the Hawkeyes winning…
