From The Stands - UAB

The Illini are bowling once again after a 24-13 win on a perfect day. Here are my thoughts From The Stands.

I walked out on the photo deck (underneath the TV booth) and watched the final Maryland drive (a punt) and the final Illinois drive (a FG) from there. And then I pressed record as soon as the winning field goal sailed through the uprights. 

You just need to know how much fun this was. So I talked about it. 

This one is very simple. I walk around the parents greeting their sons after an overtime victory on the road and I talk about how different things are in person vs. online. 

I thought maybe I had forgotten how to process this but nope, it's like riding a bike. If anyone knows how to process this feeling, it's us. Purdue's first Big Ten win since 2023 just happened in Gies Memorial Stadium. Here's my thoughts. 

I'm fine with what I saw. I'm a little frustrated with the credential policies and the application of "that person has a lanyard so he might not be a fan" rules (as you'll hear, the first guy says I'm fine to record where I'm at, the second woman... does not) but I'm fine with the game. Here I am from the stands at the Horseshoe. 

Here's Robert from the stands after the 48-10 win over Southern Illinois. 

Well that wasn't fun. I much prefer winning these one score games as opposed to losing these one score games. Here I am in the stands talking about everything I wrote over the last six weeks and everything we saw on the field today. 

Illinois beats UAB in, let's be honest, a hilarious game. Hail Marys and pick sixes that were more of a fumble than a pass and penalty after penalty from the undisciplined Blazers. I laughed out loud at least five times during this game. So here I am talking about it. 

Hard to believe we're here. 19 wins in two years. Beat South Carolina in the Citrus Bowl and then beat Tennessee in the Music City Bowl. Just... hard to believe we're here.