CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — On Saturday, Oct. 21 at Memorial Stadium, it was supposed to be moving day for the Illinois football program; it was looking to go 4-4 on the season and beat Wisconsin before its bye week. But that did not happen because the Badgers spoiled Illinois' homecoming game, 25-21.
Instead, Illini Nation saw what typically has happened in recent years: find a way to lose a football game down the stretch. Illinois led the Badgers the entire contest until the final minutes, which ended in several controversial calls, one including targeting Illinois' best player, Jer'Zhan Newton, which sidelined him for the rest of the game and the first two quarters of their next opponent, the Minnesota Gophers.
Head coach Bret Bielema has had a tough time with Big Ten officials, especially when he sends in the game film of mistakes that cost his team the game. Going back to last year, losses at Indiana, Michigan, and Purdue, all led to game-changing outcomes with calls that upset Bielema.
Bielema said after the 25-21 loss to the Badgers on Homecoming, "I've been in this league a long time. Everybody is going to have their opinion on things, and I love the Big Ten. I love the officials. I literally have had not just this game but over the course of the year where I'm just tired of it. I can't handle it. I don't understand it, it's very frustrating."
Bielema asked the official for an explanation regarding Newton's call and got “I made it clear and gave one one, Zero.” That is what he received.
"That play turned the game. It's maddening, to have one of your best players make a great play and have it go 30 yards the other way is insanity," Bielema said.
After Newton's exit, the Badgers went to work. The Badger freshman quarterback Braedyn Locke started to pass the ball down the field, knowing the first-team All-American was sitting on the sidelines, as the Illini were already down an All-Big Ten defensive tackle Keith Randolf due to an injury.
The previous week against Maryland, Illinois turned in four calls it felt needed to be reviewed. Here is what the Illinois coaching staff got from the Big Ten office: "Well, yeah, we'll get better."
The tough part for Illinois moving forward is its window is slowly closing for a bowl game bid this season. It has yet to win back-to-back games this year and only four remain.
But for now, Illinois sits 3-5, looking for answers.
The Illini leader said, “I get it, I'm the head coach, the players deserve an answer, and the fans deserve an answer. We didn't do enough to win the game, hands down, but to have things routinely taken from you is sickening."
Illinois will use the week to get healthy and go out recruiting, looking to add more depth to its roster for next year's team.
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