UCLA football: Bruins to play Illinois in Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl

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UCLA will play Illinois in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl in San Francisco on Dec. 31. Game time is 12:30 p.m.

The Bruins fired coach Rick Neuheisel, who coached his last game Friday, a loss to Oregon in the Pac-12 championship game that left UCLA with a 6-7 record. Illinois fired coach Ron Zook after the Illini finished the regular season 6-6.

UCLA will be coached in the bowl game by offensive coordinator Mike Johnson, who was made interim coach when Neuheisel was fired last Monday. Illinois’ interim coach is defensive coordinator Vic Koenning.

The last time the teams played each other was in 2004, with the Bruins winning, 35-17, at Illinois.

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--Chris Foster