Reliaquest vs Illinois

[bulldognation]

Jan 2

woo!

 

[DAWGSANDSAINTS]

Like the bowl - not the opponent.

 

[Seinfeld]

Where’s our resident thumbs down gif poster?

 

[Cantdoitsal]

Damn. Now I gotta go do research and find reasons to hate The Illini.

 

[eckie1]

Jan 2

woo!View attachment 273499

Oooof. 17 every bit of that.

 

[anon1787432961]

TAMPA

 

[BoDawg.sixpack]

They only lost by 2 at Michigan. Wow...wonder if they're running the same offense Bert brought to Arkansas?

 

[Dawgg]

Where’s our resident thumbs down gif poster?

You don’t like it?

I know we got our hopes up about the Gator vs ND, but I think this is a solid bowl and a decent opponent.

 

[Jeffreauxdawg]

Illinois has a defense. National rankings below:

Passing Efficiency Defense #1
Passing TDS allowed #1
Scoring Defense #1
Total Defense #2
Defensive Yards Per Play #2

 

[wsjmsu75]

Like the bowl - not the opponent.

Don't know anything about them. Is it not a good matchup for us?

 

[Mobile Bay]

I for one an whealmed by this.

 

[FlotownDawg]

Some people just can’t be happy about anything. I swear.

 

[Faustdog]

We were never getting Notre Dame. South Carolina’s resume was just better than ours with two big wins to end the year.

Illinois is every bit as good of a matchup as our other options would have been: Texas Tech (Texas Bowl), Iowa (Music City),or Oregon State (Vegas)

Good for us.

 

[msudawg12]

yea.... that wont move tickets

 

[The Cooterpoot]

Oh well, good bowl with a shot to win 9 games. Opponent doesn't excite me but hey, buy tickets. Because we suck at supporting athletics.

 

[preacher_dawg]

Illinois has a defense. National rankings below:

Passing Efficiency Defense #1
Passing TDS allowed #1
Scoring Defense #1
Total Defense #2
Defensive Yards Per Play #2

So another 3-2 game.

 

[She Mate Me]

Jan 2

woo!View attachment 273499

I know Illinois was solid this year, but not much more.

A quick look over their season makes it obvious this will be a tough game and they play good defense.

 

[Dawgg]

They only lost by 2 at Michigan. Wow...wonder if they're running the same offense Bert brought to Arkansas?

They rush more than they pass, but the yardage on run vs pass is pretty even.





here are State’s team stats by comparison:

 

[TXDawg.sixpack]

Illinois is 20th (2 spots below us) in ESPN’s FPI and ranked 33rd in the AP (received 11 votes).

 

[AstroDog]

Damn. Now I gotta go do research and find reasons to hate The Illini.

Didn't we have a lineman commit defect to the Illini? Use that! They tampered with our players!! Dammit!!

 

[FourthStringPunter]

Thats a best case scenario. If you understand the scenarios.

 

[CochiseCowbell]

Damn. Now I gotta go do research and find reasons to hate The Illini.

Dead Injuns.

Problem solved.

 

[dawgman42]

We can't lose. Leach is close to his real home, and he gets be in THE ONE venue that truly embraces the real him:

 

[CochiseCowbell]

Jan 2

woo!View attachment 273499

Who knew Cliff from Cheers moonlighted as a Sports reporter?

 

[Bulldog from Birth]

I always like having the opportunity to put a trophy in the cabinet from a premier bowl that we’ve never won before.

 

[Cantdoitsal]

I don't mind the commercial names of these bowls but I wished they'd have the old original names of the bowls followed by the bidness names.

 

[DawgTown Blues]

Any idea where the team will stay?

 

[MSUDC11-2.0]

Illini kinda had an OM type finish to the year. Started 7-1 but finished 8-4. They did nearly beat Michigan but also lost to 5-7 Michigan State and 4-8 Indiana. Only win down the stretch was against a 1-11 Northwestern, although Illinois did win that game easily.

Their defense concerns me but I’ll be disappointed if our defense doesn’t have a good game against their offense which is not very good. Especially after how well we played in the Egg Bowl.

 

[TorchingTime]

Damn. Now I gotta go do research and find reasons to hate The Illini.

​

Cochise covered this. Deleting.

 

[anon1787432961]

Whoever said we would be in Florida for New Year's was spot on

 

[anon1787432961]

By God, those that boycotted the outback Bowl better hold to their guns because this is the outback Bowl under a new name******

 

[Trojanbulldog19]

Illinois has a defense. National rankings below:

Passing Efficiency Defense #1
Passing TDS allowed #1
Scoring Defense #1
Total Defense #2
Defensive Yards Per Play #2

Yeah the could very easily beat us like iowas did in a Tampa bowl.

don't sleep on Bert

 

[cling84]

Reliaquest (Outback) Bowl -- Been there, bored by that -- new name, same organizers --

 

[patdog]

Good Bowl & good opponent. It’s been a good season win or lose. But it’s been a really good season with a win.

 

[UpTheMiddlex3Punt]

Hope we show up. Big Ten has owned us in recent history.

 

[Billini]

Illini Press Conference - Just an FYI - Bielema lost both his mother and father-in-law in the span of a few weeks not long ago towards the end of the season.

 

[was21]

We can't lose. Leach is close to his real home, and he gets be in THE ONE venue that truly embraces the real him:

Jack Sparrow.......he ain't

 

[SirBarksalot]

I don't mind the commercial names of these bowls but I wished they'd have the old original names of the bowls followed by the bidness names.

Huh? So the Outback Reliaquest Bowl? Doubt Reliaquest would like That.

Maybe they could call it the ”Wallaby Darn Reliaquest Bowl”

 

[SirBarksalot]

Illini Press Conference - Just an FYI - Bielema lost both his mother and father-in-law in the span of a few weeks not long ago towards the end of the season.

I like Bielema. Like his wife more, but I digress. He seems like a perfect fit for Illinois.

 

[Cantdoitsal]

Huh? So the Outback Reliaquest Bowl? Doubt Reliaquest would like That.

Maybe they could call it the ”Wallaby Darn Reliaquest Bowl”

Reliaquest Outback Bowl would be my choice. Sorry if it bothers you dat much.