No matter how good either the Wildcats or the Fighting Illini are each season, the annual rivalry match is always a dogfight.

Why change tradition?

As opposed to last year, when the Fighting Illini's victory over the Wildcats knocked them from bowl eligibility, the Wildcats had a chance to lock up a top-3 Big Ten Conference place.

The Illini jumped out to a huge lead, leading 17-0 mid-way through the 2nd quarter. But, a few plays by CJ Bacher, the Wildcats had closed the lead to 10 at halftime.

The Wildcats didn't gain any ground in the 3rd quarter, but 20 points in the fourth cemented a victory against the in-state Illini, almost ensuring a January Bowl Game...a projected date with the #12 Florida Gators in the Capital One Bowl.

In the class of 2009's final home game, CJ Bacher, who was 14/30 for 193 yards, and Tyrell Sutton, who had 260 all-purpose yards, had outstanding performances to end a great regular season career.

The Wildcats also received another recruiting commitment, increasing their in-season commits to 5.