The story behind the photo ...

With Dad busy at work, one of Illinois wrestling coach Mike Poeta's children (Nico, left) and a family friend (Payt Titus) watched through his legs at Thursday's unique showdown against Missouri inside a tailgate tent at Lot 31 near Memorial Stadium.

The boys are buddies brought together by youth wrestling. Payt, an 11-year-old fifth-grader at Jefferson Elementary in Charleston, got a kick out of photo editor Robin Scholz's online work.

"He'll tell everyone -- twice -- that he made the Champaign paper," said his dad, Mitch, owner and CEO at Titus Equine. "He'll think he made TMZ ... it's a big deal."

The first-of-its-kind setting was a hit -- from outcome (the Illini upset the Tigers) to experience (drinks, dinner, entertainment).

"It was nothing like I had ever been to," Mitch said. "I've been to a lot of stinky gymnasiums (for youth wrestling) but this deal was cool ... a really cool atmosphere."

Email Jim Rossow at [email protected]

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