Illinois secured its second consecutive Citrus Bowl victory with a 21-17 win over South Carolina. The Illini's strong rushing performance and effective offense, led by quarterback Luke Altmyer, propelled them to victory.
On Tuesday, No. 20 Illinois (10-3) defeated a heavily favored South Carolina (9-4) squad in a 21-17 battle to secure the program’s second Citrus Bowl victory in as many tries. Behind arguably its best rushing performance of the season and a git-'er-done day from quarterback Luke Altmyer, Illinois’ offense totaled 357 total yards and three touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Illinois' defense was able to bottle up South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers – at least on the ground and near the end zone – and hold the Gamecocks to just 17 points. The Illini still made a few mistakes (notably, two turnovers), but winning football isn't about perfection. Bottom line: Illinois made more plays than South Carolina, put together its most effective 60 minutes of the season and locked up the program's first 10-win season since 2001.The third-down struggles of Illinois' offense have been well-documented, but the Illini went 8-for-12 (66.7 percent) on third downs in the Citrus Bowl. Extending multiple drives, they were able to frequently push into South Carolina territory and capitalize more often than not en route to 21 points (the second-most points the Gamecocks have given up in their past seven games). Much of Illinois' third-down success came on the ground – a shining bright spot for the Illini on Tuesday that, notably, is our next topic of discussion.Facing South Carolina’s stingy run defense (106.3 rushing yards allowed per game in the regular season), the Illini weren't sure what to expect out of a ground attack that offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. increasingly relied on down the stretch but which had delivered inconsistently over the course of the seaso
FOOTBALL ILLINOIS SOUTH CAROLINA CITRUS BOWL RUSHING ATTACK