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‘A little bit of a gunslinger’: Clayton steps up as Houser goes down
Saturday should have been a glorious return to East Lansing for Katin Houser. Instead, he left the game with a broken hand. For Houser – who spent his first two years of college at Michigan State – the homecoming should’ve felt incredible. However, he spent the latter part of the game on the sidelines, watching […]
Big Ten Basketball Season Preview Part 3: The Middle
Last year, the Big Ten was the unquestioned best conference in the sport, both going into the tournament and in tournament performance. There were five teams in the top four seed lines, and nine teams in the top 36 overall seeds, and they backed it up with Sweet Sixteens, Final Fours, and Championships. This year […]
TCR Daily Brief: Wednesday, Oct. 14
Good morning, Illini fans! Here’s the latest from around Illinois athletics. 🏈 Moczulski earns Big Ten recognition Illinois kicker Ethan Moczulski was named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week after delivering a perfect performance in the Illini’s overtime win over Michigan State. He converted all three field-goal attempts and all three extra points […]
Illini Hoops Preseason Hype BREAKDOWN for 2026-2027 | TCR Podcast
Illini Isaac is joined by Robby Nardini of The Champaign Room to dive into the preseason hype for Illinois Basketball after Big Ten Media Days and discuss what they are hoping to see in the scrimmages upcoming. Check out State Farm Agent Brian Hanson for a home, auto, business, and life insurance needs quote today: https://gtlk.link/5zlx5Emx […]
TCR Reacts: Who starts at QB for Illinois?
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NCAA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Illinois fans and fans across the country. After Michael Clayton II led Illinois to a win Saturday afternoon in East Lansing, there’s a big of QB conundrum in Champaign. With that in mind, […]
Ethan Moczulski earns Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week honors
CHAMPAIGN, Ill – Fifth-year kicker Ethan Moczulski earned his first Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week selection of the season after helping Illinois secure a 38-37 overtime win against Michigan State on Saturday. Moczulski went 3-3 on field goals, a career-high, and 3-3 on extra points, scoring 12 points by himself. In such […]
Illinois basketball predictions: A 25-win season, Big Ten title and No. 2 NCAA Tournament seed
The Illini will begin their season in less than three weeks when they face Fairleigh Dickinson on Monday, Nov. 2. Fans will get their first look at the 2026-27 team this Saturday when Illinois takes on Cincinnati in an exhibition game. The game will not be televised, but highlights and the box score will be […]
TCR Daily Brief: Tuesday, Oct. 13
Good morning, Illini fans! Here’s what you need to know today: 🏈 The Big Story Illinois gets a bye week after dramatic Michigan State win Illinois football snapped its two-game losing streak Saturday with a 38-37 overtime victory over Michigan State. Freshman quarterback Michael Clayton II stepped in for the injured Katin Houser and threw […]
What’s next for Illinois football with Michael Clayton under center?
On this episode of Oskee Talk I relive Saturday’s thrilling win over Michigan State (3:11), recap some of the questionable officiating and coaching decisions (10:44), rave about freshman QB Michael Clayton’s Illini debut (22:07), and predict Illinois’ future roster plans (28:12). I also reveal the TV times for men’s and women’s basketball (36:52) and summarize […]
No. 24 Illinois loses nail-biter at No. 16 Purdue
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Illini challenged Purdue in West Lafayette, pushing the Boilermakers to a five set thriller Sunday evening. This was the sixth straight ranked opponent matchup for the Orange and Blue. The Illini put on performance with four players tallying double digit kills and a strong defensive performance by libero Talita Goncalves with […]
Big Ten Basketball Season Preview Part 2: If Things Go Right…
The Big Ten is coming off a dominant college basketball season, that saw the conference put six teams in the Sweet 16, four teams in the Elite Eight, two teams in the Final Four, and finally break the National Championship drought. This year, the top end of the Big Ten is not quite as deep, […]
TCR Daily Brief: Monday, Oct. 12
Good morning, Illini fans! Here’s what you need to know to start your Monday. 🏈 The Big Story Illinois survives a wild finish in East Lansing Illinois football snapped its two-game losing streak Saturday with a 38-37 overtime victory over Michigan State. The Illini improved to 3-3 after freshman quarterback Michael Clayton II stepped in for the injured Katin Houser and delivered an impressive debut. Clayton threw two touchdown passes, including the game-winner to Hudson Clement in overtime. I...
Predicting Week 8 Big Ten Football Game Times
The Illini will host Oregon on Saturday, Oct. 24 following their bye week. Oregon dropped their last game to UCLA but has an outside chance at the College Football Playoff still, so it should be one of the biggest home game of the year. They are 3-2 but still have the potential to be near […]
Illinois escapes East Lansing with a win in OT! | TCR Podcast
Illini Isaac reacts to Illinois barely escaping East Lansing with a win against Michigan State for their first Big Ten win. Spotify: Apple: Check out State Farm Agent Brian Hanson for a home, auto, business, and life insurance needs quote today: https://gtlk.link/5zlx5Emx Treat Your Pup to Something Better with Chief’s Naturals! Give your dog delicious, wholesome […]
Big Ten Basketball Season Preview Part 1: The Bottom Feeders
It is that time of year again! The leaves are changing, the football team is trying to remind us of the inglorious days of the Ron Zook era, and basketball season is around the corner! Since the Illini cut down the nets in Houston before falling again to the Tantrum King, the offseason has shifted […]
Clayton debuts, leads Illinois to win in overtime thriller against Michigan State
EAST LANSING, Mich. — In a game that can only be described as a tale of three halves, the Illinois Fighting Illini (3-3, 1-2) trumped the Michigan State Spartans (2-4, 0-3) at Spartan Stadium in overtime, 38-37. Former Spartan-turned-Fighting Illini Quarterback Katin Houser started off his day strong as he ended the first half throwing […]
Katin Houser exits game with an injury
East Lansing, MI — Illinois Quarterback Katin Houser left the game for the locker room late in the third quarter. Houser was seen grabbing at his throwing hand after the play. The injury comes as Houser is making his return to his former college. The senior played his first two seasons for the Spartans. After […]
New season, new team, same expectations for Illinois
“We have to stay hungry,” said Brad Underwood on Big Ten Network. Illinois is gearing up for another season with heavy expectations. After reaching its first Final Four in over 20 years, Illinois is ready for another shot. This year, Underwood and his Fighting Illini are gunning for the whole thing. After losing Kylan Boswell […]
Illinois Football at Michigan State Game Discussion
Share your thoughts in the comments and communicate with other Illini fans during the game.
No. 24 Illinois swept by No. 7 Wisconsin
The Illini battled hard dropping the sets, 18-25, 19-25, and 22-25, Thursday night to No. 7 Wisconsin at Huff Hall. Through all the sets, it seemed the Badgers managed to always have a five-point advantage that never faltered. Senior setter Kenna Phelan had another impressive showing putting up 31 assists and four digs. I asked […]
Can Illinois still make a bowl? Fans don’t think so
After last week’s disappointing and demoralizing Homecoming loss to Purdue, it’s no question that fans are down in the dumps about this year’s Illini football team. So, in this week’s TCR Reacts, we posed the question of how many Big Ten games Illinois will win in 2026. The answers are not encouraging. Nearly half of […]
Illinois basketball doesn’t need to win every recruiting battle
Brad Underwood has made Illinois a destination. What started with Ayo Dosunmu’s commitment in 2018 has continued, with highly rated recruits consistently viewing Illinois as a prime destination to win in college and take the next step to the NBA. The most recent recruiting class ranks 27th in the nation, per 247Sports, featuring one five-star […]
It’s time for Brad Underwood to capitalize on this opportunity
I promise you I’m not here to criticize Brad Underwood. We’re coming off one of the most successful seasons in Illinois basketball history. If that wasn’t enough, we’re right in the middle of the most successful stretch this program has ever seen. It’s hard to look around and find another program that has had […]
‘Bring your hard hat’: Illinois earns praise from Big Ten rivals at Media Days
ROSEMONT, Ill. — Toughness, hard to guard and crashing the glass. Of all the words floating around Big Ten Media Days, anytime the Illinois Fighting Illini came up, those were the commonalities. Head coach Brad Underwood’s squad has been getting more than its fair share of national attention, with many outlets labeling the Illini as […]
How Brad Underwood completely changed the perception of Illinois basketball
ROSEMONT, Ill. — A few weeks ago, Ayo Dosunmu told TCR that before his commitment, it wasn’t “cool” to come to Illinois if you were from Chicago. Fast forward to today, and Brad Underwood’s Illini are in the national conversation for title contenders. “It’s an unbelievable time to be an Illini.” Brad Underwood on how […]
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