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Bret Bielema sends Illini locker room into frenzy after latest win vs. Minnesota

Paul Harvey

By Paul Harvey

Published:

Bret Bielema had to sweat out Saturday’s game against Minnesota, but the end result is one he’s very familiar with.

When it was all said and done, John Paddock came off the bench cold to lead an improbable comeback win for the Illini. Starting QB Luke Altmyer had a solid game but was knocked out of the game on the final drive as Paddock went 3-for-3 with a game-winning touchdown.

With the win, Bielema remains undefeated in his head coaching career against Minnesota. He went 7-0 against the Golden Gophers while at Wisconsin, and Bielema is now 3-0 during his time leading Illinois.

Bielema was undoubtedly in high spirits considering the nature of Saturday’s win, and he sent the Illinois locker room into a frenzied celebration. He danced his way into the locker room and jumped into the middle of the team as Illinois celebrated the latest victory.

With the win, Illinois is now 4-5 overall, and the team’s prospects of getting back to a bowl game are greatly improved. Now, the Illini need to win two more games from the final three with matchups against Indiana, Iowa and Northwestern to finish the year.

Paul Harvey

Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.