Penn State postgame: Illini head coach Bret Bielema press conference

[@gregoryhelton2408]

Congrats to Penn St. Wow they are talented. Coach Bret had Illinois ready to play we just fell a lil a little short last night Ive heen very impressed with Brets development of the talent he has recruited and inthink recruiting is going to start picking up these next few years and when it does....Look out Illini Nation!!!!

[@leschlandsurveyingpllc7981]

I like the current Bret B. The young version was full of himself but he’s grown up and is more mature and professional. He speaks respectably. Good coach👍

[@kevinpayne3175]

I agree 100%

[@avpwdjd1]

They had their chances. That missed opportunity at the end of the first half really hurt. And the penalty on the drive in the last quarter to tie the game that nullified a first down was a killer. No matter. Going into that environment with 105,000 fans on homecoming and holding a team that had been averaging well over 40 to 21 and having a chance to win in the last quarter proves this team is legit.

[@jedward5155]

I think Bert and team found out what the hell "whiteout energy" means.

[@2timer00]

The crowd affected them many times!!

[@markwalters6964]

Lol

[@jedward5155]

And I am an Illinois fan of several decades, so I'm not some biased PSU fan. There were 100,000 of them, so they would have been loud either way, but I have to wonder if they weren't extra motivated.

[@markwalters6964]

@@jedward5155 Talent won this game. Huge advantage for PSU. Nebraska was just as loud. Reverse that talent and let our coaches have that edge and this game would have been a blowout. Let’s see how Franklin does against the big boys, to date, he’s underwhelmed.

[@jedward5155]

@@markwalters6964 Thanks, Dad. I thought the talent was exactly the same until you showed up.

[@georgevincent1757]

Just a reminder. When the Penn State program crashed due to the Sandusky scandal, the NCAA let all Penn State players transfer out immediately. All the other B10 coaches swooped in. Bielema said no thanks and refused to poach PSU players under the circumstances. Not his style he said. He may have some issues at Wisconsin, but hat tip for Bret for this act of character.

[@dennisgriffin6742]

PSU dominated both lines. PSUs crowd won that game.

[@michaelesmond1028]

Was there loudest game I’ve ever been to every snap on defense was none stop and loved it we are!

[@markwalters6964]

@@dennisgriffin6742 PSU has third best roster in B1G, Illinois 18th, if you go by talent rankings. How was the game that close? Illinois was dominated on both lines, that won the game, full stop.

[@jakeseymour1213]

@@markwalters6964the game was not close at all. PSU dominated. Should’ve been 30-7 if their kicker made his kicks.

[@happyvalleykid6324]

​@@markwalters6964 It couldn't possibly be multiple factors... talent and crowd... could it?

[@markwalters6964]

@@happyvalleykid6324 PSU needed a white out to beat Illinois? Lol, 😂. Ok 👍🏻.

[@grundy333]

When you told the world essentially the PSU whiteout is a joke, or not a factor, whatever… that was perhaps the dumbest comment you could have ever made. I’ve been to many games and never heard the fans so fired up and loud as it was tonight. And it showed in the penalties and confusion it caused tonight. Rookie move coach.

[@michaelrobinson8241]

I'm a PSU fan and watched Bielema presser. He was highly complementary of the Beaver Stadium environment, even telling a few stories to that point. His comment was was distinguishing between white out and white out "energy," which is a legit question and no way a knock on the difficulty of playing PSU at home. He's a genuine, thoughtful and articulate speaker and I very much recommend Penn Staters watching his pre-game presser, as it had some great stories regarding his history with PSU and even a few JoePa stories and a SuePa/Franco Harris story.

[@markwalters6964]

@@grundy333 yeah, you’re right, no way PSU beats Illinois without that whiteout energy and extra motivation. Illinois is too good. 😉

[@markwalters6964]

@@michaelrobinson8241 yes, that’s exactly what happened. But as it is often in today’s world, people hear what they want to hear. Tribalism at its finest.

[@ivanwilson5941]

illinois need better linemen on both side

[@joelarson79]

When they could have taken the lead 14-7 but instead had a epic meltdown at the Penn State 2 yard line and proceeded to go back words 40 yds I knew it was over. 2nd half Penn State O and D lines dominated.

[@PhilTrager]

Lots of defense thrown at us that were not recognized nor handled.

[@M0shiM0shi89]

How bout that whiteout energy Bert?

[@Jimmy-ko1fq]

Why do Penn state fans have to be such poor sports and take what he said out of context? Did you even watch what he actually said?

[@markwalters6964]

@@M0shiM0shi89 lol…give Bret your roster and see what the outcome is. Franklin has a lot to prove, and as we know, he shrinks in the moment against the big boys.

[@M0shiM0shi89]

@@markwalters6964 really? Bert seems plenty big to me

[@M0shiM0shi89]

@@Jimmy-ko1fq yes

[@michaelrobinson8241]

@@Jimmy-ko1fq I'm a PSU fan and watched his presser and enjoyed it. Bielema comes across very genuine and had nothing but complementary stories regarding PSU and the difficult environment, and I encourage other Penn Staters to watch it for the good slice of history he provides. That quote was definitely out of context ("energy" vs a real white out is what he was wondering about, I thought) . I enjoy being able to root for other coaches in the B1G that are not only good coaches but seem like good folk, and I'm grateful that Bret is back in the B1G for that reason. He certainly found and exposed a deficiency in our defense torching us with those crossing routes the entire first half. Here's hoping Illinois continues to surprise and thrive the rest of the season and onward.

[@michaelesmond1028]

You caused the environment Bert😂 but hey what ever the hell white out energy is man

[@Jimmy-ko1fq]

Way to talk what he said out of context

[@markwalters6964]

PSU has a clear talent advantage. Illinois had some momentum but made some miscues. Bret’s building a good program, has a ways to go. Let’s see if PSU for once can handle the big boys. Franklin has underwhelmed in that area.

[@Dartsgreat]

@@markwalters6964this is 100% accurate. penn state is great, illinois was probably 10 points worse than penn state. but idk if penn state is going to be able to handle the real top programs, that difference is probably bigger than the two teams last night

[@brettk9316]

USC struggling and Ohio st is home. Penn st can go 11-1 or 12-0 still. But playoffs do I think they can keep up with a Bama/Texas. Probably not.

[@kcameron991]

Talk talk talk

[@robertmcmenomy719]

Has Bret gained more weight?

[@sbrown4556]

I have never seen a team as unintimidated to the "white out energy" as this Illinois team and coaching staff. The noise was a problem, but no one on the Illinois sideline was in awe of anything. Altmyer looked incredibly relaxed on the sideline. That speaks to coach Bielema and staff, and how they prepare their team. If their team were a stock, I'd buy it.

[@PSUSPORTSNOW]

They had 6 pre snap penalties, 2 timeouts taken because they couldn’t get the plays communicated and then multiple busted plays toward the end of the game

[@tedbierbaueriii3492]

​@@PSUSPORTSNOWAmen

[@kevinchandler179]

Whiteout didn't effect anything???? Lol You guys had the ball at the 2 yardline and missed a 45 yard field goal, penalties and our elite defense combined to show everyone what a Whiteout really is, and how it can change a football game!!! WE ARE

[@davidk7212]

To be fair they gashed our defense in the first half. Luke tore up our secondary way too bad. Ohio State is gonna wreck us if we don't clean it up.

[@thehappyhermit01]

That grounding call when the receiver slipped was bogus.

[@gavinfichter1798]

You wanna talk about bogus calls? Really?

[@psubri171]

It was a bad call. But the refs tried. Their best to have Illinois win. So stop your crying. You got dominated

[@claytonhall989]

@@psubri17121-7 is “dominated?” I guess we have different definitions of that word.

[@cgoldens]

@@psubri171whatever pedo state

[@thehappyhermit01]

@@psubri171 You mean like OSU and Mich. do to you? K.

[@sumdude4281]

PSU fans can't even spell the coaches name right. I knew PSU was a crappy school academically but man... *Edit, my comment was a jab at the PSU joke misspelling, which is lame.

[@M0shiM0shi89]

He’s not important enough to have his name spelled correctly. Hence he is called Bert

[@sumdude4281]

@@M0shiM0shi89 Whatever helps you sleep at night.

[@Scooter6792]

It’s a joke

[@BigFan2025]

Sour grapes ! Ha ha

[@smitty810]

They're misspelling it on purpose genius as a jab for his comments earlier in the week.

[@Lancer-y5g]

Both teams were very unimpressive. Mediocre football

[@johnvillella1087]

Cope, you lost by 14 should’ve lost by 20

[@althings2930]

@@johnvillella1087yet Penn st will go 10-2 and lose to the only teams that have elite talent like them. Proud of Illinois like always

[@Dartsgreat]

@@johnvillella1087 penn state may not win 9 games, i hope they win out as an illinois fan, but let’s face reality.

[@Shibby.]

@@Dartsgreatwho are we losing to? Only hard games remaining are USC and OSU

[@Dartsgreat]

@@Shibby. you’ll likely drop one of those games, and have one more let down. mistaken to say 9 games meant 10, but i hope you go undefeated

[@stickytriggers5513]

Was this the guy that said "the white out" is a joke?

[@brettk9316]

Yep