The 20th-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini brought 15th-ranked South Carolina’s six-game winning streak to a halt on New Year’s Eve, defeating them in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl by a score of 21-17. The win caps off the Illini’s first 10-win season in over two decades and gives Bret Bielema’s squad a massive jolt of momentum heading into the new year.
Conversely, the loss puts a bit of a damper on what has been a big season for Shane Beamer’s Gamecocks. With so much to unpack from a tightly contested battle in Tampa Bay, let’s look at the key takeaways from the 2024 Cheez-Itz Citrus Bowl.
Tightly Contested Matchup
In a bowl season that has been characterized by blowouts, the Gamecocks and Illini both brought their A-game to Tampa Bay. It was a traditionally low-scoring back-and-forth slugfest that even saw the two head coaches getting into it at one point. The competitive juices were flowing on New Year’s Eve, leading to a great game.
Both teams’ first half was characterized by multiple turnovers, as neither could gain any momentum. The Illini took a slim lead into the locker room for halftime, but it was still anyone’s game. Coming out, both sides found their rhythm, with both exchanging scores down the backstretch.
Carolina took a 17-14 lead on a short touchdown pass at the start of the fourth quarter. The Illini answered back late with a touchdown to regain the lead though, putting the pressure back on Carolina. Carolina mounted a valiant last-minute rally but ultimately came up short. The Illini defense forced the turnover on downs with a minute left to secure the win.
With such a talent gap between the two sides, many wondered if Illinois would be able to compete with a South Carolina side that received Playoff considerations. Bielema’s guys were more than ready for the challenge though and proved it by pulling out the upset. Conversely, it was very apparent the Gamecocks were missing Rocket Sanders out of the backfield. They were also sorely missing the reigning Nagurski Award winner Kyle Kennard on defense.
Head Coaches Exchange Barbs
While the game was certainly entertaining, it was overshadowed by the two head coaches getting into it at the end of the third quarter. Following an Illinois player going down with an injury in front of the Carolina sideline, Bret Bielema walked over to check on his guy. In the process through up the hand sign referees use when signaling they’re giving the defense time to substitute players.
Beamer took exception to this gesture and had to be restrained by two of his staffers as he went after his counterpart. This all came to a head as a result of the Illini taking their time when running on defensive substitutions. Whenever an offense subs out players, the defense must be given ample time to sub out their players before the ball is snapped.
Beamer had been taking exception to the slower pace Illinois had been using all game, as he was forced to burn two timeouts to avoid a delay of game penalty as a result. Each time he pleaded with the refs to speed the pace up. Bielema took note of this, and as such took the opportunity to rub salt in the proverbial wound. Beamer gave his thoughts on the gesture post-game, calling the move “bush league.”
Bielema didn’t have much to say about the incident in his post-game presser. He did, however, appear to send one last shot at Carolina’s head coach on social media following the game. In a post on Beamer’s personal Twitter where he was talking about the incident and referring to it as unethical. Bielema responded with a simple “Happy New Year, and congrats on a great season.”
Impact for Illinois
As was mentioned before, this win marks the first time in 23 years that the Fighting Illini have won ten or more games. It really is a testament to the job Bielema has done rebuilding the program, and how he’s been able to successfully navigate the new age of NIL and the Transfer Portal.
It’s not an overstatement to say this is the biggest win for Illinois in 20-plus years. Capping off your first double-digit win campaign against a red-hot SEC team is massive in every sense of the word. Now the Illini have all the momentum in the world heading into next season and are sure to be a hot destination when the spring transfer window opens up in April. Bielema touched on what the key to this turnaround has been in his post-game presser.
“We have this DNA philosophy in our program called TSD,” Bielema said. “Tough, smart, dependable, and I kind of recruit to it. I hire staff to it. It’s something we live in our program every day. Toughness, smartness, and dependability are really to do. I don’t think it has to do with how fast you are, or how high you can jump. How far you can throw a football, how well you run with the football, how well you can tackle. It’s about how you live. And these guys are great examples, but I think we always go back to our core principles.”
It’s clear something special is being built at Illinois, and this win is just further proof. The foundation has been laid for success, and the culture is in place. Now we get to see what they can do when success is the expectation as opposed to the exception.
Impact for South Carolina
For the Gamecocks, this loss puts a bit of a damper on what had been an outstanding run to end the regular season. A win here would have marked their first 10-win campaign since the 2013 season. Instead, they have to settle with a 9-4 finish. This is sure to leave a sour taste in the mouths of many.
Still, this doesn’t take away from what has been a great season for the Gamecocks. Coming into the year, many saw their schedule and assumed they’d be struggling to reach bowl eligibility. Instead, Carolina went toe to toe with every team in their path, and as a result, were on the fringe of playoff eligibility. They’ve also built a culture of success that much like Illinois, will be the foundation future teams will build on.
It’s never easy ending a season off on a loss, but the Gamecocks have plenty to look forward to. This team has proved they can compete with the SEC’s elite, and with a young core of elite playmakers in the fold, they’re sure to be right back in the Playoff mix come next season.
The post Cheez-It Citrus Bowl Recap appeared first on Last Word on College Football.