Illinois has won the games it’s needed to keep its bowl game hopes alive in head coach Bret Bielema’s first year . Part of the reason could be due to the efforts of defensive coordinator Ryan Walters.

While Illinois ranks 11th in the B1G for yards per game with 389 total yards allowed, its defense the past few weeks has been on fire. The Fighting Illini have not allowed more than 24 points in their last 7 games.

Bret Bielema praised the efforts of the DC on Monday, even stating that he wouldn’t be surprised if Walters ends up as a head coach eventually.

The Illinois DC was just had his contract extended through the 2024 season. Bielema emphasized how much that means to him and this program.

Now the Fighting Illini have another big test coming up against No. 20 Iowa. The Hawkeyes have had the Illini’s number recently. Iowa is 7-0 against Illinois since 2014. The last meeting ended up being a 35-21 victory for Iowa in Champaign.

We’ll see if the Fighting Illini can keep their bowl bid alive as No. 20 Iowa (8-2) and Illinois (4-6) meet Saturday at 2 p.m. ET on FS1.