Bret Bielema provides injury updates ahead of Illinois-Rutgers matchup
It’s been pretty a tough go for Bret Bielema and Illinois this season. After starting the year with a win over Nebraska, the Fighting Illini lost four straight before getting a win over Charlotte.
But the Illini’s biggest win of the season was last week against then-No. 7 Penn State. Now, they look ahead to Rutgers this week, but it won’t come without some injury troubles.
Quarterback Artur Sitkowski won’t get a chance to play against his former team. The Rutgers transfer had season-ending surgery on Monday for his broken arm he suffered during the nine-overtime upset of Penn State on Monday. Sitkowski had 704 yards passing with six touchdowns and two interceptions before his season was ended.
Rutgers has slipped a little since starting 3-0 for the first time since 2012. The Scarlet Knights are now on a four-game losing streak as they’ll face an Illinois team coming fresh off an upset.
It looks like Rutgers will continue going with the Nebraska transfer Noah Vedral at QB for this game. Vedral has 1,274 yards passing with seven touchdowns and three interceptions so far in his second year at Rutgers.
Bielema gave updates on Sitkowski and other players — including leading rusher Chase Brown — ahead of the Rutgers game during his press conference with the media on Thursday.
Here’s what he had to say:
#illini Bret Bielema: Artur Sitkowski had surgery on Wednesday. His father is in town. First surgery went well.
That injury will heal and then will have shoulder surgery in late November.
— Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) October 28, 2021
#Illini Bret Bielema: Chase Brown “has been cleared 100 percent.”
Vederian Lowe “will be full throttle” barring any setbacks.
— Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) October 28, 2021
#illini Bret Bielema said WR Deuce Spann “is still a question for Saturday’s game” but that if he doesn’t play this week he’ll almost certainly play next week.
— Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) October 28, 2021