CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Illinois Football team is heading to Florida in early January for the ReliaQuest Bowl.
The Fighting Illini will face the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the ReliaQuest Bowl. The game kicks off at 11 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 2, 2023, in Tampa, Florida.
Illinois had one of its most successful seasons in recent times, going 8-4 overall and 5-4 in the Big Ten. The team was ranked in the AP Top 25 for five straight weeks and were ranked for the first time in program history in the College Football Playoff rankings.
The Illini were led by Quarterback Tommy DeVito with 2,2397 passing yards and Running back Chase Brown rushing 1,543 yards throughout the season. Wide receiver Isiah Williams also had 595 receiving yards.
No. 22 rank Mississippi State went 8-4 in the 2022 season. They will be making their 13th consecutive bowl appearance. They were led by their Quarterback Will Rogers with 3,713 passing yards and Wide Receiver Rara Thomas with 626 receiving yards.
The last Bowl game the Illini played in was back in the 2019 Redbox Bowl where they lost to the California Golden bears 35-20. Their last Bowl win came in the 2011 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl where they won 20-14 against the UCLA Bruins.
Mississippi played in last year's 2021 Liberty Bowl where they lost to the Texas Tech Red Raiders 34-7. Their last win came in the 2020 Armed Forces Bowl where they won 28-26 against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane.
Find more information about tickets to the ReliaQuest Bowl on the University of Illinois website.