Illinois Football: Team must shrug off loss to Northwestern
By Jason Parini
Illinois football lost an ugly game to Northwestern on Saturday. It’s crucial that the team shrugs off the bad loss to their rivals.
If you were in the stands for the Illinois football game against the Northwestern Wildcats, we apologize. Unless you were wearing purple of course, in which case you actually had something to cheer about.
It’s hard to say if the weather conditions or Illinois play were more unbearable. In 15 mph winds, the Illini managed to muster up only 14 rushing yards in the 29-10 loss to the lowly Wildcats. It was NU’s first Big Ten win of the season. They finish 2019 with a 3-9 record and 1-8 in conference play.
Although it was an abysmal loss and moral defeat for Illinois, it’s crucial that the Illini shrug off the loss to their rivals.
Heading into the game, the Illini were quite banged up. Starting quarterback Brandon Peters was unable to play due to a head injury sustained in the team’s loss to Iowa last week in what should have been a targeting call against the Hawkeyes.
Leading receiver Josh Imatorbhebhe was also unavailable. Imatorbhebhe leads the Illini with 634 receiving yards and 9 TDs.
Yes, the loss to their in-state rivals from up north was humiliating. But luckily for the Illini, they’ve already clinched a spot in a bowl game. The team will now have about 3 weeks to regroup, get healthy and practice for their postseason matchup.
The Illini will learn their bowl fate on December 8th. While they won’t be participating in a glamorous bowl game, the 2019 season is still a positive sign of things to come. They doubled their Big Ten wins from their 2-7 conference showing in 2018 and won six games for the first time since 2014.
That 2014 season was also the last time they reached a bowl game, as they ultimately lost to Louisiana Tech in the Heart of Dallas Bowl.
Related Story. Illinois basketball: Team lands two huge recruits. light
ESPN currently projects Illinois to face off against either Boston College in the Quick Lane Bowl in Detroit, MI or against Louisville in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl in New York, NY.