Illinois survived a sensational second half to beat South Carolina 21 -17 in a game that had six lead changes and one clash between head coaches in the Citrus Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.
With the win the Orange and Blue secured its first bowl game since 2011, and won their 10th game of the 2024 season, equaling the program single-season record and securing 10 victories for the first time since 2001.
Consistent with conference tie-ins, the game featured teams from the Big Ten Conference, and the Southeastern Conference (SEC). This was the first meeting between South Carolina and Illinois and its first win over an SEC program.
The Illini beat four rank teams this season for the first time ever. They dominated defending champ Michigan that beat Ohio State during their last game of this season. Their victory over South Carolina was against a team that was riding a six-game win streak and had a legitimate case for a College Football Playoff berth. For Illinois, Tuesday was a statement this program is for real and not a cute one-year story.
Illinois running back Josh McCray finished his night with 114 yards on 13 carries. He earned Citrus Bowl MVP honors.
