Illinois did it. After a pretty embarrassing loss to the Indiana Hoosiers last weekend, the Fighting Illini came back in resounding fashion, knocking down the USC Trojans in a nail-biter of a game.
Despite Illinois going up 24-17 by the end of the third quarter, the Trojans were able to put up 15 points in the fourth quarter and built a one-point lead as the time on the clock dwindled. Then, the Fighting Illini's head coach, Bret Bielema, pulled a classic Bret Bielema
With slow substitutions, Bielema and the Illini were able to run the clock down as they marched down the field for one last drive, hoping to score and regain the advantage. Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer was able to lead the defense toward the end zone to do just that.
As the clock hit zero, the Fighting Illini knocked in a 41-yard field goal to go up by two and claim the victory over their Big Ten opponent.
Even as the minimal USC fans in attendance started to complain about his clock trickery, and fans across the country took to social media to share their grievances, Bielema held his ground and refused to back down from the boos or the refs.
Bret Bielema's ability to infuriate other coaches with late subs is unparalleled. https://t.co/tWCe60Jmb5
— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) September 27, 2025
Despite the plays repeatedly coming down to the last second, Bielema was never able to get a delay of game penalty called on the Trojans, but the strategy still worked in the end.
By the time the clock hit zero in the fourth quarter, Illinois had held onto its lead and walked away with a 34-32 victory over USC. With the win, the Fighting Illini improved to 4-1 overall and 1-1 in conference play.
Next week, Illinois will visit the Purdue Boilermakers on Saturday, Oct. 4, at 11 a.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.