Illini Rewind: The Last Land of Lincoln Trophy Game at Old Ryan Field

The last time Illinois football triumphed against Northwestern, it wasn't just an ordinary win

Nov 26, 2022; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Tommy DeVito (3) looks to pass against the Northwestern Wildcats during the first half at Ryan Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images / David Banks-Imagn Images

Despite Illinois finishing 5-7 last season, it wasn't long ago that it claimed the Land of Lincoln Trophy from its in-state rivals.

On Saturday (11 a.m. CT, on Big Ten Network), No. 23 Illinois (8-3, 5-3 Big Ten) will travel to a neutral site, Chicago's Wrigley Field, for its annual date with Northwestern (4-7, 2-6 Big Ten). The Illini are one win away from clinching their best season since 2007, when they finished 9-4. Meanwhile, the Wildcats have stumbled through the year, losing four of their last five games to eliminate themselves from bowl contention under second-year coach David Braun.

Saturday's game will be the first time in 14 years that the programs face each other in Chicago, as Northwestern's new Ryan Field won't be ready until the 2026 season.

In 2022, however, things were slightly different. Illinois coach Bret Bielema was in his second season, after finishing 5-7 in his debut in Champaign. The Illini had blown a golden opportunity to qualify for their first Big Ten title game in program history, losing to Michigan State, Purdue and Michigan in the season's final month. Although a chance at winning the conference in the second to last year of the iteration of the Big Ten West had come and gone, Illinois rolled to a 41-3 victory against the one-win Wildcats behind a host of eventual NFL talent.

Illinois led wire-to-wire in Evanston on a rather chilly November afternoon. The floodgates opened early in the second quarter. An interception by cornerback De'Von Witherspoon that nearly went for a pick-six became a possession that eventually increased the Illini lead to 10-0 with a field goal from kicker Caleb Griffin.

With Illinois ahead 20-0 midway through the second half, things went from bad to worse for Northwestern. A scoop-and-score fumble recovery from safety Sydney Brown put the game firmly out of reach, which clinched Illinois' eighth win and an eventual spot in the ReliaQuest Bowl.

Although Illinois lost to Mississippi State in Tampa, Florida, the 2022 season represented what now appears to have been a turning point in the Bielema era: winning is no longer a bonus consolation prize. It's the new normal.

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