No. 21 Illinois beats No. 14 South Carolina 21-17 in the Citrus Bowl for its 10th win of the season

Cheez-It Citrus Bowl a boon for Orlando tourism

The Citrus Bowl, played annually in Orlando since 1947, is the seventh-oldest bowl game in the country. It traditionally features top teams from the Big Ten and SEC, drawing fans from across the country. This year, it’s the final of three bowl games hosted in Orlando, the most of any city.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - 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 on Tuesday.

Illinois’ defense helped seal the win by stopping South Carolina with a little more than three minutes remaining. Gamecocks freshman quarterback JaNorris Sellers threw behind receiver Joshua Simon in the end zone on a fourth-and-four play at the Illinois 7 yard line, giving the ball back to the Illini, who ran out the clock.

Josh McCray #6 of the Illinois Fighting Illini runs with the ball against O'Donnell Fortune #3 of the South Carolina Gamecocks in the fourth quarter during the 2024 Cheez-It Citrus Bowl at Camping World Stadium on December 31, 2024 in Orlando, Florid

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McCray sealed the victory with a 60-yard run on a third-and-two play from the 15 yard line as Illinois (10-3) closed out the fifth 10-win season in program history and its first since 2001.

McCray rushed for 114 yards on 13 carries, including a 3-yard TD run in the third quarter. Luke Altmeyer threw for 174 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Hank Beatty caught four passes for 90 yards, and running back Aidan Laughery rushed for 67 yards on 16 carries.

The teams exchanged the lead five times in the game, and neither team led by more than one score. Illinois took its final lead on McCray’s touchdown run with 7:29 remaining.

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Sellers completed 24 of 34 passes for 260 yards and a touchdown for the Gamecocks (9-4), who fell short of the fifth 10-win season in program history. He threw a 6-yard TD pass to Simon in the third quarter for his only score.

Oscar Adaway III rushed for 69 yards on 14 carries, including a 36-yard TD run early in the fourth quarter that gave South Carolina a shortlived lead. Adaway made seven catches for an additional 37 yards.

Josh McCray #6 of the Illinois Fighting Illini celebrates after winning the Most Valuable Player of the 2024 Cheez-It Citrus Bowl against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Camping World Stadium on December 31, 2024 in Orlando, Florida. The Illinois Fig

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Takeaways

Illinois and South Carolina were looking to make program history by winning the 10th game of the season in the Citrus Bowl. Illinois’ experience with the junior Altmeyer under center won the day. South Carolina’s Sellers put on an impressive display, and the future looks bright for both teams in 2025.

Up next

South Carolina looks to build on its strong finish and six-game winning streak to close out the regular season. The Gamecocks will be in Atlanta to face Virginia Tech on Aug. 31 in its opener.

Illinois will look to build on a strong showing this season and open its 2025 season on Aug. 30 against Western Illinois.

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