Shane Beamer provides puzzling suggestion for Illinois, Bret Bielema to prepare for Citrus Bowl game

Not each day, coaches who are days distant from a vessel crippled counsel their opposition. Still, South Carolina manager Shane Beamer did precisely that erstwhile speaking to section media ahead of the Citrus Bowl against Illinois New Year's Eve.

Beamer revealed Mike Shula would oversee play-calling duties successful spot of  Dowell Loggains. It was a alternatively casual determination based connected Beamer's gathering with Loggains, who was hired arsenic the caller manager at Appalachian State earlier this month.

"Mike [Shula] is the violative coordinator and volition beryllium calling everything successful the game," Beamer said, per 247Sports. "I conscionable felt similar the longer it went, the much Dowell was distant from Columbia, the little beneficial it was for some sides to telephone (the game)," Beamer said. "Ever since we recovered retired we were playing Illinois, manager Shula and the remainder of the violative unit [have] been putting the crippled program together. Dowell hasn't been successful Columbia."

Beamer added Illinois volition person immoderate game-planning to bash defensively, which apt means containing quarterback LaNorris Sellers. Sellers has thrown for 2,274 yards and 17 touchdowns frankincense far, guiding South Carolina to a 9-3 grounds and entering the crippled having won six straight.

"Illinois tin look astatine mid-2000s Alabama offense," Beamer said. "Cam Newton [on the] Carolina Panthers' discourtesy – it's astir 1 happening a time wherever I gotta spell to [Shula] and inquire him, 'What is this?'"

Bielema is nary alien to challenges, overmuch little coaching salient programs. He was not lone a Big Ten alumnus, starring astatine Iowa, but served arsenic manager astatine Wisconsin from 2006-2012. In his archetypal play successful Madison, Bielema guided the Badgers to a Capital One Bowl triumph against Arkansas, 17-14.

The Badger defence unopen down then-Razorbacks backmost Casey Dick to nether 100 yards, forcing an interception.

Capping disconnected the play with 10 wins validates Bielema's quality to triumph vessel games successful Champaign and serves arsenic a reminder that the erstwhile SEC manager knows however to crook backmost the clock.

The crippled marks Illinois' first vessel quality since the ReliaQuest Bowl, which concluded the 2022-23 season. Meanwhile, South Carolina attempts to triumph its archetypal postseason crippled since 2021.