As No. 20 Illinois (9-3) prepares for its third bowl game in five years, it’s important to remember what it took to get here. Before the current stretch under head coach Bret Bielema, bowl games were not a given. Illinois had only qualified for two bowl games in the nine seasons before Bielema, and the program hasn’t won one since 2011.
New Year’s Eve poses the biggest bowl game for Illinois since its Rose Bowl appearance in 2008. As the day arrives, let’s look back at impactful bowl games in Illinois history.
2008 Rose Bowl
Illinois’ last major bowl game ended poorly. That may be an understatement. It entered the Rose Bowl as the No. 13 team in the country and faced off against the local No. 7 USC Trojans.
This game was over from the start. USC jumped out to a 21-0 lead and never looked back, winning 49-17. Illinois was led by all-time great running back Rashard Mendenhall, but even he couldn’t stop the onslaught. Mendenhall recorded 155 yards and a touchdown on 9.1 yards per carry, but passing killed Illinois.
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It was a performance Illinois would like to forget, but the program hasn’t had a chance to redeem itself until now. Illinois now has a chance at winning a major bowl game against South Carolina.
2002 Sugar Bowl
Hall of Fame head coach Nick Saban took the joy from many Illinois fans in the Sugar Bowl. While the Illini had their two-game bowl win streak snapped, the Tigers extended their streak to five in dominant fashion.
LSU running back Domanick Davis destroyed Illinois on the ground, rushing for a Sugar-Bowl-record four touchdowns. He helped the Tigers take a big lead early, and the Illini never overtook them.
1990 Citrus Bowl
Illinois has actually won the Citrus Bowl before. The team faced Virginia out of the ACC, led by Hall of Fame head coach George Walsh. The Illini ended a 26-year bowl win drought against the Cavaliers, taking the game 31-21.
Quarterback Jeff George was the MVP for Illinois, passing for 321 yards and three touchdowns. It was close at halftime, but the Illini pulled away late for a big win over the Cavaliers.
1947 Rose Bowl
Illinois’ first-ever bowl game was a good one. UCLA was the favorite entering the 1947 Rose Bowl, but Illinois dominated. The team responded to the doubters with a 45-14 victory and returned to Champaign as legends. The Illini have enjoyed some tremendous success in basketball in recent years, and a Citrus Bowl win would excite a fanbase that has waited for a marquee win for a long time.
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