Illinois, Fresh Off Bowl Trip And 8-win Season, Has ‘unfinished Business’ As Opener Draws Near

By most measures, the 2022 season was a good one for the Illinois football team.

The Illini finished 8-5 in coach Bret Bielema’s second year after 10 straight losing seasons, placed second in the Big Ten West, played in a bowl game for the first time since 2019 and had four NFL draft picks.

Losing four of the final five games, including the ReliaQuest Bowl against Mississippi State, left a sour taste.

“We’ve got a lot of unfinished business,” Bielema said. “But I like where we’re at. I love the influx of talent. I’ve never felt more engaged with our roster. I like the way the players are being developed and coached, and the way the players are reacting to our coaches.”

Receiver Isaiah Williams said this is the most confident team he’s been on in his five years at Illinois.

“But we also have a chip on our shoulder,” he said. “We had a good season last year, but we left a lot of wins out there.”

Williams came to Illinois as a quarterback. He switched to receiver after the 2020 season and has been the team’s No. 1 receiver the past two seasons. He had 82 receptions for 715 yards and five touchdowns last year.

“I’m way more confident in my abilities as a receiver now than when I first started,” he said. “I’m not just relying on my physical skills to gain separation. I’m better able to do it mentally too.”

Besides Williams, another Illini strength should be its offensive and defensive lines.

“We should be exceptional on both sides,” Bielema said.