ORLANDO, Fla. – The Fighting Illini are the 2024 Cheez-It Citrus Bowl Champions.

For the first time since 2011, the Orange-Blue secured a bowl victory, with No. 20 Illinois defeating No. 15 South Carolina (21-17) 21-17 on Tuesday night at Camping World Stadium.

With the win, the Orange-Blue clinched their tenth triumph of the 2024 season, tying the program’s single-season record and securing ten wins for the first time since 2001.

The Illini made their fifth fourth-quarter comeback of the year as the FBS leader, taking the lead with 7:29 left, forcing a turnover on downs with just over three minutes left and then running out the clock on their ensuing possession.

Named Cheez-It Citrus Bowl MVP, Josh McCray recorded his third multi-touchdown game of the season and finished the game with two rushing scores while recording 13 carries for 114 yards. His two touchdowns marked his ninth and 10th such scores of the 2024 season, tied for eighth in a single season in program history.

Hank Beatty recorded four catches for 90 yards, both career highs. His 59-yard reception in the first quarter was the longest play of his college career.

Luke Altmyer went 13 of 22 for 174 yards and a touchdown, with the only passing score going for 174 yards and a touchdown Zakhari Franklin in the first quarter. Franklin finished the game with four catches for 39 yards.

The Illini defense made one takeaway – a fumble recovery in the third quarter – and forced two turnovers on downs in the process Matthew Bailey recorded a team-most 13 tackles in the win.

The Gamecocks opened the scoring with a field goal on their first possession of the afternoon, but the Illini took their first lead on the final play of the first quarter. The Orange and Blue got the ball back to their own 24-yard line with 5:13 left and moved past midfield on the second play of the drive.

After converting a third down in the red zone, Illinois got into the end zone for the first time on a 15-yard completion from Altmyer to Franklin, giving the Illini a 7-3 lead after one period.

South Carolina entered the red zone on its ensuing possession, but a pass was broken up Ryan Meed thwarted a Gamecock trick play on fourth-and-seven to force a turnover on downs.

After Illinois was forced to punt, a missed field goal by South Carolina as time expired marked the end of the first half and sent the Orange-Blue into halftime with a 7-3 lead. Hank Beatty’s The 59-yard catch-and-run was the longest play by either team in the first two quarters, while Altmyer completed 75% of his passes for 101 yards in the first half.

A little more than four minutes into the third quarter, the Gamecocks took the lead again. After the Illini offense turned the ball over on their next possession, the Orange and Blue defense responded with their first takeaway of the contest. Ezekiel Holmes knocked the ball loose, the first forced fumble of his career Jaheim Clarke got the rest he needed to get the Illinois offense near midfield.

The Illini offense capitalized, covering 63 yards in nine plays to retake the lead. A 27-yard completion Collin Dixon moved the orange and blue into the red zone, and Illinois scored on a 3-yard touchdown run by McCray on the next play, its ninth rushing score of the season, giving the Illini a 14-10 lead with 2:23 left the third quarter.

South Carolina jumped back into the lead on the first play of the final frame, but once again the Illinois offense found an answer. The Illini converted two third downs and faced a third-and-3 at the Gamecock 9-yard line. However, McCray reached the end zone for the second time, giving the Orange-Blue a 21-17 lead midway through the fourth quarter.

The Gamecocks advanced into the red zone on their next offensive possession, but with a fourth-and-4 at the Illini 7-yard line, the Illinois defense forced an incompletion to thwart the drive and the Orange-Blue Getting offense back on the field There’s just over three minutes left.

To seal the game on their ensuing drive, the Illini scored on a third-and-2 at their own 15-yard line. McCray picked up the first down on the next play from scrimmage with a 60-yard gain, essentially securing the win.

The 2024 Illinois squad finishes with a 10-3 record, joining the 1902, 1983, 1989 and 2001 teams to become the fifth team in program history to achieve 10 wins in a season. The Orange and Blue recorded their first win over an SEC opponent en route to their fourth ranked triumph of the year, tying the record for the most in a single campaign in program history.

HIGHLIGHTS

Coming soon.

PRESS CONFERENCE

Coming soon.

AFTERMATH NOTES

Team notes

• Bret Bielema improved to 28-22 during his Illinois career. Since Robert Zuppke went undefeated in two of his first three seasons at Illinois from 1913 to 1915, Bielema’s 28-22 start is the second-best in 49 games by an Illini head coach, behind only Mike White (29-19-1, 1980). -83).
• Bielema won 10 games for the first time in his Illinois career and led the Illini to their first 10-win season since 2001.

  • It is the fifth 10-win season in program history.

• Bielema improves to 1-1 in bowl games as head coach at Illinois.
• Illinois has earned 23 wins over the past three seasons, the program’s most wins in a three-year period since 1999-2001.
• Illinois has six wins this season, its most since eight wins in the 1990 season.
• Illinois is 14-5 in games with more than six days rest since Bielema’s arrival in 2021, including 12-3 over the last three seasons and a record of 4-1 this season.
• The Illini won their first-ever meeting against South Carolina.
• Illinois improves to 9-12 in bowl games and wins its first bowl game since 2011.

  • The Illini are now 2-0 in the Citrus Bowl.

• The Illini won four games against ranked opponents in a single season for the third time in program history.

Player notes

• RB Josh McCray ran 13 times for 114 yards and two touchdowns.

  • First 100-yard game of the season and his first such game since rushing for 142 yards at Penn State on October 23, 2021.
  • His 60-yard rush in the fourth quarter was a career-long one.
  • Third game this season with multiple rushing touchdowns.

    • His 10 rushing touchdowns are the eighth-most in a single season in program history.
    • First Illinois running back with 10 rushing touchdowns in a single season since Chase Brown in 2022.

  • Named Cheez-It Citrus Bowl MVP.

• QB Luke Altmyer completed 13 of his 22 passes for 174 yards and a touchdown.

  • Finished 2024 with 22 touchdown passes, tied with Juice Williams (2008) and Jeff George (1989) for third-most in a single season in program history.
  • Now has 35 passing touchdowns in his Illini career, tied for ninth with Johnny Johnson (1992-95).
  • Finished the season with a pass efficiency rating of 144.04, the second-best single-season mark in program history.

• WR Hank Beatty caught four passes for a career-high 90 yards.

  • His 59-yard reception in the first quarter was a career-high.

• WR Zakhari Franklin caught four passes for 39 yards and a touchdown.

  • With his first catch of the game, he passed the 4,000-yard mark for his career, becoming the 22nd player in FBS history to reach that mark.
  • Finishes career with 321 receptions, eighth most all-time in FBS history.
  • Finishes career with 42 touchdown catches, tied for eighth all-time in FBS history with Ryan Yarborough (1990-93) of Wyoming and Rashaun Woods (2000-03) of Oklahoma State.

• DB Matthew Bailey recorded a game-high 13 tackles, including five solo attempts.

  • His 13 tackles also marked a career high and was his third double-digit tackle effort of the season.

• OLB Gabe Jacas recorded eight tackles, four solo, including a game-high 3.0 tackles for loss.

  • Third game this season with at least 2.0 TFLs.

• DL Ezekiel Holmes recorded the first forced fumble of his career in the third quarter.
• DB Mac Resetich and DL Dennis Briggs Jr. Each recorded 1.0 sacks in the contest.