Illinois Fighting Illini Football

Purdue named Ryan Walters as its next football head coach on Tuesday.

The announcement fills the vacancy created when former head coach Jeff Brohm left for his alma mater Louisville.

Walters, 36, becomes the fourth-youngest head coach in FBS after spending the past two years as the defensive coordinator at Illinois.

"Purdue is a world-class university, and our football program will pursue the same excellence exhibited across our campus," Walters said in a statement. "My wife Tara and I, along with our boys, are beyond excited to join the Purdue and West Lafayette communities. Boiler Up!"

Illinois currently has the No. 1 scoring defense in college football this season, allowing just 12.3 points per game en route to an 8-4 record. Only three of 12 opponents topped 20 points against the Illini this year, while even No. 2 Michigan was held in check before pulling out a 19-17 win.

It's been part of a massive transformation for Illinois, which went 2-6 during the shortened 2020 season with a defense that was tied for 97th in college football in points allowed (34.9 per game).

Walters turned things around after arriving in 2021, leading the 29th-ranked scoring defense (21.9 ppg), before putting together an elite unit in 2022.

The former Colorado safety transitioned to coaching after graduating in December 2008, becoming a student assistant for the Buffaloes. After stops at Arizona, Oklahoma, North Texas and Memphis, Walters spent six seasons at Missouri and worked his way up to defensive coordinator.

The coach will look to continue his success at Purdue, which went 17-9 the past two years under Brohm. The squad earned a trip to the Big Ten title game this year and will head to the Citrus Bowl against LSU with an 8-5 record.

Illinois football coach Bret Bielema confirmed he tested positive for COVID-19, which will force him to miss Saturday's game against No. 20 Iowa.

Bielema said in a statement he began experiencing mild symptoms Monday. He said he has been vaccinated against COVID-19 and received a booster shot last week.

George McDonald, the Fighting Illini's assistant head coach and wide receivers coach, will temporarily serve as head coach.

Bielema said he'll be "as present as possible" through unspecified technological means, so he may continue to have contact with his staff and players in some form this week.

With a 14-6 upset over then-No. 20 Minnesota, Illinois improved to 4-6 and kept the door open for winning the six games necessary to qualify for a postseason bowl.

Taking down the Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium was difficult enough with Bielema on the sidelines. Iowa won this matchup 35-21 in Champaign, Illinois, last year.

The Hawkeyes dropped back-to-back games after climbing to No. 2 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll. They rebounded with wins over Northwestern and Minnesota. Alex Padilla threw for 378 yards and two touchdowns while replacing an injured Spencer Petras.

For the Illini, establishing the run will be critical toward crafting a winning formula. They're averaging 262 rushing yards in their four victories, compared to 120 yards on the ground in their six losses.

The Illinois Fighting Illini upset the No. 7 Penn State Nittany Lions 20-18 in nine overtimes at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.

Saturday's game marked the first 9OT contest in the history of the Football Bowl Subdivision.

After stopping a PSU two-point conversion attempt, Illinois put the game away when quarterback Brandon Peters hit Casey Washington on a walk-off two-point conversion:

Penn State fell to 5-2 overall and 2-2 in Big Ten play this season with the loss, and it figures to experience a significant drop in the rankings. Meanwhile, Illinois improved to 3-5 overall and 2-3 in the conference.

CBS Sports HQ broke down the game's quarter-by-quarter scoring across regulation and all nine overtime periods:

College football adopted new overtime rules this season, requiring teams to switch off attempting two-point conversions following the second overtime.

Illinois and Penn State traded field goals in each of the first two OT periods, failed on five consecutive two-point conversion attempts each and made a two-point conversion attempt each in the eighth OT.

After Illinois stopped Penn State in the ninth overtime, Peters finally managed to end the game.

Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk and Jemele Hill of The Atlantic were two of the many who cracked jokes about the wild game:

Though the overtime was somewhat gimmicky, regulation was a defensive struggle with a focus on old-school football, especially on the part of Illinois.

The Illini overcame a 10-0 deficit thanks largely to their running game, which produced a remarkable 357 yards on the ground.

Running back Chase Brown led the way with 223 yards and one touchdown, and he joined an elite group in the history of Illinois football as well:

After struggling in a loss to Iowa two weeks ago, Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford had another unspectacular game Saturday, going 19-of-34 passing for 165 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions, plus several failed two-point plays.

The win marked Illinois' sixth in 26 tries against Penn State all-time, and it ended a three-game losing streak against the Nittany Lions.

It won't get any easier for Penn State, as the Nittany Lions will face the No. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes on the road next Saturday, while Illinois will take on Rutgers at home.

Former University of Illinois defensive end Bobby Roundtree has died at the age of 23.

The Illini football program announced the news on Friday:

Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman released a statement following Roundtree's death, per The Athletic:

All of us with Illinois Athletics are shocked and saddened by the sudden passing of Bobby Roundtree. From his first day on campus, Bobby was a leader. His work ethic, competitive fire, and drive for excellence set him apart. Following his tragic accident, those same qualities allowed him to tackle his new challenges with the same vigor and determination that we had seen on the football field. In so doing, he continued to bring light and inspiration to the lives of those around him -- and, in fact, to so many people who had never had the pleasure of meeting him.

In the face of incredible adversity, he demonstrated he was, and always will remain, a true champion. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. We will support them, and our players, coaches, and staff who knew him well, as we struggle to understand this terrible news and, ultimately, look to celebrate the remarkable young leader we have lost.

A diving accident on May 18, 2019, near Largo, Florida, where Roundtree lived, left the lineman paralyzed, per Satchel Price of the Chicago Sun-Times.

In Nov. 2020, Roundtree spoke with Steve Greenberg of the Chicago Sun-Times about his life and goals, including his primary intention to be independent.

“Just living comfortably,” Roundtree said. “Just being able to wake up and get myself dressed, not need help to use the restroom, to brush my own teeth. I would like to be able to feed myself. To just get out and be working, doing stuff I don’t need no assistance for.”

Condolences from many people, including some of Roundtree's former teammates, poured in on Twitter following the news.

Joey Wagner of Illini Inquirer compiled some reactions from Dele Harding, Jamal Woods, Kendrick Green and James Crawford on their beloved teammate.

Roundtree played for Illinois during the 2017 and 2018 seasons, amassing 116 tackles and 11.5 sacks. He was honored with the Dick Butkus Outstanding Defensive Player award in 2018 in addition to earning an All-Big Ten honorable mention.

Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman announced Saturday that Bret Bielema has been hired as the head football coach for the Fighting Illini.

Bielema, an Illinois native, released a statement after signing a six-year contract with a yearly salary of $4.2 million:

"Illinois and the Big Ten is home for me, and I can't be any more excited about the opportunity in front of me with the Fighting Illini. We want to build a program that makes Illini Nation proud and regain the passion that I've seen when Illinois wins. We want the young men playing football in the state of Illinois from Freeport to Cairo and from Quincy to Danville dreaming of wearing the Orange and Blue and playing at Memorial Stadium. I look forward to re-connecting with the high school coaches around the state making it clear we intend to keep our players home.

"We will build an outstanding staff for both player development and recruiting. The University of Illinois has incredible facilities and is known as one of the world's outstanding academic institutions. We will hold the young men on our team responsible both on and off the field while coaching them to be champions in life. Jen and I, along with our girls, are excited to get to Champaign-Urbana and get started on the journey. Go Illini!"

Bielema arrives at Zuppke Field with 12 years of head coaching experience at the Power Five level.

The 50-year-old former University of Iowa defensive lineman led Wisconsin from 2006 through 2012 before taking over at Arkansas in 2013. He led the SEC's Razorbacks until 2017.

He compiled a 97-58 record (.626 winning percentage)—68-24 with the Badgers and 29-34 with the Hogs—and his teams qualified for nine bowl games, including a pair of Rose Bowl appearances for UW.

Bielema spent the past three years in the NFL, working on the New England Patriots staff in 2018 and 2019 before becoming the New York Giants' outside linebackers coach. He spent 12 years as an assistant at the collegiate level before his first head coaching gig.

Whitman stated that wealth of experience will put the Illini back on a winning track:

"Bret Bielema is a proven winner. With three Big Ten championships to his credit, few coaches can match his familiarity with, and success within, the Big Ten Conference. In our conversations, it became clear to me that he is a life-long learner who is continually looking to grow and improve, and he has enjoyed unrivaled mentorship from some of the game's most distinguished coaches, including Hayden Fry, Kirk Ferentz, Bill Snyder, Barry Alvarez, and Bill Belichick—all of them current or future Hall of Famers.

"Importantly to me, Bret, a native of our great state, grew up an Illini fan and is committed to seeing the football program at our state's flagship grow and prosper. Bret's blue collar work ethic and genuine, authentic manner will allow him to form strong connections to his players and staff and positive relationships in our community and our state. These qualities, combined with his commitment to education and his track record of success, give me great confidence in his leadership of our football program."

Illinois hasn't finished with a winning record since 2011 under Ron Zook and Vic Koenning, which is also the last year it won a bowl game. Former NFL head coach Lovie Smith had led the program since 2016, but the team went 17-39 with just one bowl appearance.

Bielema's work must begin immediately because the Illini ranked last in the Big Ten in recruiting for 2021 following the early signing period, per 247Sports.

The program is seeking its first conference title since 2001.

The University of Illinois is parting ways with head football coach Lovie Smith after five seasons, Brett McMurphy of Stadium reported Sunday.

Smith's dismissal was later confirmed by the University of Illinois:

Smith never delivered a winning record during his tenure with the Fighting Illini, and they were only able to muster a 2-5 mark during the COVID-19-shortened 2020 Big Ten season.

Overall, Smith went 17-39 at Illinois and led the Illini to one bowl game.

The 62-year-old Smith is perhaps best known for his time in the NFL as head coach of the Chicago Bears from 2004 to 2012 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2014 and '15.

Smith, who was named the 2005 NFL Coach of the Year, went 81-63 in nine seasons as head coach of the Bears. He led them to the playoffs three times and took them to the Super Bowl during the 2006 campaign.

His two seasons in Tampa were far less successful, as he went 8-24 with no trips to the playoffs.

When Smith took the reins at Illinois in 2016, there were high hopes for a turnaround, as the Illini had posted a losing record in each of the previous four seasons.

That never happened, though, with the program in the midst of a streak of nine losing seasons, making it an afterthought in the Big Ten.

Smith's last stand at Illinois came Saturday when the Illini lost 28-10 to a Northwestern team that is set to face Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game.

Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports provided a list of potential candidates to replace Smith:

Included on that list is a pair of Illinois natives in Army head coach Jeff Monken and New York Giants outside linebackers coach Bret Bielema, who previously coached at Wisconsin and Arkansas.

Monken may be the best candidate given what he has accomplished at Army during his seven-year stint as head coach.

When Monken took over at Army, it had posted a losing record in 16 of the previous 17 seasons. Under Monken, the Black Knights have finished with a winning record in four of the past five years, including an 8-2 mark this season.

Illinois will be without starting quarterback Brandon Peters and tight end Griffin Moore for three weeks after both players tested positive for COVID-19.

In a statement from Illinois Football on Twitter, Peters and Moore tested positive Thursday and will be eligible to return for the team's game against Nebraska on Nov. 21.

Moore is a redshirt freshman who has yet to play in a game for the Fighting Illini. He committed to the school in March 2018 and was rated as a 3-star prospect coming out of Bloomington High School by 247Sports.

Peters began his college career at Michigan, where he started three games as a freshman in 2017. The 23-year-old announced in June 2019 that he was transferring to Illinois. He was immediately eligible to play as a graduate transfer.

After winning Illinois' starting job last season, Peters threw for 1,884 yards with 18 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 11 games. He opened this season going 8-of-19 for 87 yards through the air and 75 rushing yards on seven carries in a 45-7 loss against Wisconsin in Week 8.

Peters and Moore will miss the Fighting Illini's games against Purdue (Saturday), Minnesota (Nov. 7) and Rutgers (Nov. 14) before they can return.

Regardless of what happens with the University of Illinois football team this season, its biggest loss won't come on the field. 

It already happened in the home Lovie Smith when the Illini head coach shaved off his beard. 

Here's what Smith's beard looked like:

Here's what he looks like now: 

It's truly an incalculable loss for the program. 

In the world of college football, where tensions run high and consensus comes along as often as a postseason without Alabama, Smith's beard was one of the few things football fans could agree upon. 

It was luscious, full of life and mystifying. Now it's gone and college football won't feel the same again. 

On the other hand, Illinois hasn't finished with a winning record since the Ron Zook era. After going 6-7 in 2019 with a loss in the Redbox Bowl, Smith has the program ready to take a step forward in 2020. 

If he's able to produce to season above .500, he may never be allowed to grow facial hair again. If the program goes backward, he may have to bring it back immediately.