Skip to content

Ad Disclosure

Illinois trolls Michigan with ‘Mr. Brightside’ during Week 8 win over Wolverines

Paul Harvey

By Paul Harvey

Published:

Illinois waited a long time to get a win over Michigan. On Saturday, the Illini finally got back in the win column against the Wolverines in rather impressive fashion.

After building a 14-point lead in the 2nd half, the Illini defense went to work. Some key turnovers, a blocked field goal and big-time stops allowed Bret Bielema to deliver a signature win for his program after narrowly missing a win in the Big House in 2022.

By the time the 2-minute warning of the 4th quarter rolled around, everything but the final whistle had ultimately been decided. That’s when the Illini decided to have some fun.

Illinois played “Mr. Brightside,” a traditional staple for Michigan home games at the Big House. The song is traditionally played in the break between the 3rd and 4th quarters, but it was a well-timed troll on the part of Illinois.

Saturday’s moment was a long-time coming, and Bret Bielema’s squad is making the most of it. It’s also a win that moves Illinois into bowl eligibility at 6-1 overall this season.

Beyond that, it allows the Illini to still be a factor in the Big Ten race as we hit the end of October. That should not be overlooked in this era of a 12-team Playoff.

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.