How learned respect for a rival helped Illinois win The Hat for the 3rd time in 4 years
CHICAGO - There are so many figures within the Illinois football program who want respect.
The most obvious figure is head coach Bret Bielema. The former Wisconsin coach, who has a Rose Bowl win and a failed stint in the SEC under his belt, was vying to make the Illini a respected figure in the Big Ten.
It goes further than that.
Illini running back Aidan Laughery, a Gibson City, Ill., native, wanted respect for in-state guys who stayed home to build a program. Quarterback Luke Altmeyer wanted respect for guys who left one place to build a career in another.
Illinois wanted that respect. They have it now, finishing the 2024 regular season ranked No. 22 in the nation and with a 9-3 record.
To get that respect, however, they had to learn how to respect one opponent that had their number. That opponent was Northwestern.
"When I got here, I don't think there was respect for Northwestern," Bielema said. "I saw quotes from players that weren't with us really anymore, but I'm like, man, before you can beat someone, you got to respect someone, right?"
That respect didn't exist, perhaps because the Illini didn't want to give the program from Evanston that satisfaction.
That was fine for NU. Northwestern – who consistently hung around the top 25 – won six straight games over Illinois, including eight of the last nine. The Land of Lincoln Trophy was very familiar with the Evanston campus.
Even Illinois' reprieves were short-lived. In 2021 and 2022, Illinois brought it back to Champaign by a combined score of 88-17 in two games against the Wildcats.
Last season, Northwestern and then-interim head coach David Braun won a shootout stunner 45-43 to reclaim The Hat.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - NOVEMBER 30: Cam Porter #1 of the Northwestern Wildcats fumbles the football in the second half against Xavier Scott #14 and Malachi Hood #45 of the Illinois Fighting Illini at Wrigley Field on November 30, 2024 in Chicago, Illino
Of all that occurred against Illinois last season, that kind of loss was something the Illini held on to.
"Our successes this year came from our failures last year," Altmeyer said. "We didn't want to feel that way again."
The Illini made sure of it.
On a frigid day in Chicago, the Illini found themselves trailing 10-7 after an Altmeyer interception was returned for a touchdown. Northwestern ran the ball well, found open receivers and never went away.
Once down 28-10, Northwestern made it a 28-20 game in the fourth quarter. In a game that looked like it was going to be a rout, the Wildcats fought back.
"I am proud of the way that the defense and the defensive staff made some adjustments and you could really feel that momentum shifting going into the fourth quarter," Northwestern head coach David Braun said. "It was two, three and outs in a row, If I'm correct. Takeaways were huge. We as a football team, we put ourselves in a position to be exactly where we wanted to be in the fourth quarter."
Northwestern had a chance to stage a comeback. Laughery thwarted that comeback.
Laughery had 12 carries on Saturday. Three of those 12 carries were touchdowns. He finished with 172 rushing yards, which comes out to an average of 14.3 yards per carry.
Laughery nearly doubled his season rushing yardage output in a game. He had a season-long turnaround on his mind. His 31-yard touchdown to put Illinois 35-20 meant would be no upset at Wrigley Field.
"It's why you come to Illinois," Laughery said. "To be a part of the turnaround, it's the culmination of hard work."
Bielema instituted that hard work. There's no happenstance that Illinois has a chance to win 10 games for the first time since 2001.
"I want Illinois to feel what Illinois should feel, right?" Bielema said. "This isn't a mistake. It didn't happen by chance. This happened through a lot of really hard work and a lot of really good dedication."
That chance for double-digit wins stems from starting from the bottom up.
For Illinois, Bielema learned he needed to change a few aspects of the program. The first is how the Illini viewed Northwestern.
In the 2020 season, former Illini linebacker Milo Eifler referred to Northwestern as the "little brother." That gave NU all the motivation it needed to win its sixth-straight over Illinois.
Now, Bielema has no reservations when speaking of his instate rival. Even if they are 4-8.
"I respect Northwestern," Beilema said. "Just like I would respect Purdue and the rivalries that we have."