Illinois' Bret Bielema Searching For "Teachable" Moments After Central Michigan Win

Shandel Richardson | Sep 15, 2024

Sep 14, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema on the sidelines during the second half against the Central Michigan Chippewas at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images / Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

The Illinois football program has everything going in its favor.

They are 3-0 for the first time since 2011. They are ranked for the first time since 2022. All is good in Illini land but coach Bret Bielema still wants to clean some things up before opening Big Ten play this weekend against Nebraska.

"It wasn't pretty," Bielema said of Saturday's 30-9 win against Central Michigan. "I could kind of almost feel this one coming a little bit since last Sunday, to put the Kansas game behind us and flip the page."

At times, the Illini were lackluster in the latest win. It probably had something to do with the team coming off their previous win against then-No. 19 Kansas. Bielema said he wants to do a better job of keeping the players grounded despite the success.

"I knew we had our work cut for us," Bielema said. "Unfortunately, we made it a little bit more difficult than it had to be. As I always say, these teachable moments come a lot better on the end of a victory than defeat."

ILLINI BACK IN THE RANKINGS

There is even more reason for buzz on the Illinois campus this week.

On Sunday, the Fighting Illini appeared at No. 24 in the Top 25. It is their first appearance since 2022. The Illini are 3-0 for the first time since 2011 after defeating Central Michigan. They also have wins over Kansas and Eastern Illinois.

Bielema said the team refuses to get overconfident because there is so much more to accomplish.

"We'll turn the page very quickly," Bielema said. "I'm super excited. I know the outside world thinks we're 3-0 but we're going to try to go 1-0 every week."

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Illinois Fighting Illini On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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