Considering the Big Ten finish expected of Illinois in the preseason (No. 14 out of 18 teams), a 10-win season culminating in a Citrus Bowl win would seem to make a final-game report card sort of superfluous.

Josh McCray scored his second touchdown of the game on a 9-yard run midway through the fourth quarter to give No. 21 Illinois the lead, and the Illini held on to beat No. 14 South Carolina 21-17 in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl.

Illinois had a historic 2024 college football season, winning 10 games including the Citrus Bowl. Every story about coach Bret Bielema and the Illini.

In a result that no one saw coming saw coming – or that at least no major prognosticator admitted to publicly – No. 20 Illinois took down No. 15 South Carolina in a heated battle in the Citrus Bowl on New Year's Eve,

The Illini rallied three times before overcoming the Gamecocks in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl thanks to two touchdowns by Josh McCray.

Josh McCray scored his second touchdown of the game on a 9-yard run midway through the fourth quarter to give No. 21 Illinois the lead, and the Illini held on

Josh McCray of the Illinois Fighting Illini ran for 114 yards and 2 TDs and was named Most Valuable Player of the Citrus Bowl on Tuesday in Orlando, Florida.

SportsLine's model revealed its college football picks for Illinois Fighting Illini vs. South Carolina Gamecocks in the Citrus Bowl 2024 on Tuesday

That was it — Illinois had a 10-win football team for the first time since 2001, a bowl win for the first time since 2011 and arguably its biggest win in any game since the 2007 upset at No. 1 Ohio State.

Gov. JB Pritzker and Rep. Nikki Budzinski celebrate Illinois Fighting Illini's Citrus Bowl victory over South Carolina.

It will be easy to forget the final score of Tuesday’s Cheez-It Citrus Bowl — 21-17 Illinois over South Carolina. Yes, No. 20 Illinois (10-3) beat No. 15 USC (9-4), keeping the Gamecocks from winning 10 games for only the fifth time in school history.