Tag: Illinois Fighting Illini

Nov 16, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini defensive back Xavier Scott (14) tackles Michigan State receiver Aziah Johnson (11) during the first half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Josh McCray’s big day powers Illinois past Michigan State

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Josh McCray rushed for three touchdowns while Luke Altmyer threw for 231 yards and two scores as Illinois earned a 38-16 Big Ten victory over Michigan State on Saturday afternoon in Champaign.

The Illini (7-3, 4-3), who had lost two straight games, never trailed while clinching their fifth winning record in 23 seasons. Altmyer hit 19 of 32 passes, primarily to senior wideouts Pat Bryant (4 catches, 135 yards, 1 TD) and Zakhari Franklin (7 catches, 44 yards, 1 TD) on Senior Day.

Aidan Chiles completed 23 of 40 passes for 256 yards and two touchdowns for the Spartans (4-6, 2-5), but also suffered five sacks and narrowly avoided several others. After losing its third straight, Michigan State must beat Purdue and Rutgers at home to secure a bowl berth in Jonathan Smith’s first year at the helm.

After the teams exchanged punts on their first drives, they swapped touchdown bombs on their second drives.

Bryant got behind two Spartans down the left sideline and caught a 57-yard touchdown pass from Altmyer at the 9:52 mark of the first quarter. Michigan State responded with Aziah Johnson getting wide open down the right sideline on a coverage bust for a 52-yard scoring strike from Chiles two minutes after Illinois’ TD. Jonathan Kim’s extra point went wide right, though, to preserve Illinois’ lead at 7-6.

Illinois answered with a more conventional drive to expand its lead. McCray capped the 13-play, 75-yard march with a 11-yard run — using a stiff-arm maneuver to bounce outside before tightroping down the right sideline for the final 5 yards to take a 14-6 lead with 1:06 left in the first.

The Illini pieced together another long drive to seize a 21-6 cushion with 2:01 to go in the half. Altmyer capped the 12-play, 65-yard march with a 4-yard fade route to Franklin. Kim booted a 38-yard field goal to pull the Spartans within 21-9 at the break.

Michigan State opened the second half with a 75-yard touchdown drive. The Spartans converted two fourth downs, including Chiles’ 5-yard scoring toss to Nate Carter to cut Illinois’ lead to 21-16.

David Olano kicked a 37-yard field goal midway through the third to make it 24-16, then McCray provided an insurance score when he soared over the pile for a 1-yard touchdown to make it 31-16 with 7:30 to go. McCray, who rushed for 61 yards on nine carries, added another 1-yard scoring blast with 1:56 left.

–Field Level Media

Nov 2, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver Pat Bryant (13) is tackled by Minnesota Golden Gophers defensive back Ethan Robinson (2) and Kerry Brown (14) during the first half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Minnesota upsets No. 24 Illinois on late TD

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Max Brosmer threw a go-ahead, 1-yard touchdown pass to Jameson Geers with 5:14 left in the fourth quarter, then visiting Minnesota held on for a 25-17 upset win over No. 24 Illinois on Saturday afternoon in Champaign, Ill.

Brosmer completed 22 of 37 passes for 213 yards and for Minnesota (6-3, 4-2 Big Ten), which earned its fourth straight win and became bowl eligible. Darius Taylor had 22 carries for 131 yards and a touchdown.

Luke Altmyer completed 20 of 33 passes for 226 yards and a touchdown for Illinois (6-3, 3-3), which has lost back-to-back games. Josh McCray had 72 rushing yards and a touchdown and Zakhari Franklin had five catches for 71 yards and a score.

Illinois seized a 17-16 lead with 9:03 to go in the game. Altmyer looked left and fired a strike to Franklin in the end zone for a 21-yard touchdown.

The Golden Gophers answered on the next drive to grab a 22-17 lead. Brosmer rolled right and lobbed a pass to Geers in the right flat for a score.

Minnesota’s Dragan Kesich added a 46-yard field goal to make it 25-17 with 1:52 to play.

Illinois had a chance at a game-winning drive in the final minute. The Fighting Illini had the ball at the Minnesota 16-yard line, but Jah Joyner stripped the ball loose from Altmyer. Danny Striggow pounced on the fumble with 29 seconds left to secure the victory.

The Golden Gophers scored first to grab a 3-0 lead. Kesich made a 20-yard field goal midway through the opening quarter.

Illinois pulled even at 3-3 on a 25-yard field goal by David Olano with 10:08 remaining in the first half.

Minnesota made it 10-3 on the following possession when Taylor broke free for a 29-yard rushing touchdown.

The Fighting Illini fought back. McCray looked as if he might be stopped for a short gain, but he stayed on his feet and burst forward for a 42-yard score.

Kesich made a 45-yard field goal to give Minnesota a 13-10 lead before halftime.

The Golden Gophers increased their lead to 16-10 on Kesich’s third field goal, this time from 38 yards, with 4:36 remaining in the third quarter.

Illinois safety Miles Scott was ejected with 6:11 left in the game. He drew a targeting penalty after delivering a helmet-to-helmet hit against Minnesota wideout Elijah Spence.

–Field Level Media

Oct 18, 2024; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Oregon Ducks running back Jay Harris (22) celebrates scoring a touchdown during the second half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

No. 1 Oregon aims to continue home dominance in clash with No. 20 Illinois

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Oregon football is ranked No. 1 in the nation for the first time in 12 years.

The Ducks’ first game at the top will be Saturday afternoon in a Big Ten matchup against No. 20 Illinois in Eugene, Ore.

Oregon (7-0, 4-0) is 6-1 all time as a No. 1 team and is one of only 10 undefeated FBS teams this season. The Ducks are 7-0 for the sixth time in program history and the first time since 2013, and they have wins over two Top 25 teams this season in Ohio State and Boise State.

Oregon is 35-1 over its last 36 home games and is 44-3 at home since 2017.

So what does No. 1 mean to coach Dan Lanning and the team?

“Who cares?” Lanning said, unable to hold back a grin. “You don’t sit halfway through a meal and say you’re done eating when there’s still a lot of food left on the plate. That’s where we’re at. We’re at the midway point of the season. We’re not done yet. There’s a lot of things that we still want to accomplish. That doesn’t really matter for us.”

Lanning, according to at least one media outlet that covers the Ducks, closed practice to the media for the week leading up to Saturday’s game.

The Ducks are coming off a 35-0 win over Purdue on the road last week. Oregon posted a shutout for the first time since 2012, forced two turnovers, and held Purdue to 93 passing yards.

Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel completed 21 of 25 passes for 290 yards and two touchdowns. Gabriel’s completion percentage (77.0) leads the nation.

Illinois (6-1, 3-1) has been one of the surprise teams in college football this season. The Fighting Illini defeated then-No. 19 Kansas on Sept. 7, then-No. 22 Nebraska on the road on Sept. 20, and topped then-No. 24 Michigan last week.

Only a 21-7 loss to current No. 3 Penn State on Sept. 28 stands as the lone blemish on the Illinois schedule.

Quarterback Luke Altmyer ran for a touchdown and passed for another last week against Michigan, and the Illinois defense had three takeaways.

Illinois will visit Eugene for the second time in program history and the first time since 1995. It will be the program’s first trip west of the Rocky Mountains since the 2019 Redbox Bowl in Santa Clara, Calif.

Saturday will be Illinois’ first regular-season game on the West Coast since a non-conference trip to Washington in 2014. Illinois will face the nation’s top-ranked team for the 16th time in program history, with a 3-12 record in those games.

“This is a group that kind of does what they have to to get things done,” Illinois coach Bret Bielema said Monday. “Super enjoyable ride that we’re on right now and super excited about this weekend’s opportunity and making the most of it.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 5, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Michigan Wolverines quarterback Jack Tuttle (13) looks to pass against the Washington Huskies during the third quarter at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

No. 24 Michigan turns to ‘Uncle Jack’ Tuttle vs. No. 22 Illinois

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Michigan endured two losses and a pair of quarterback changes before its bye last week. Now, the Wolverines’ schedule gets even more difficult.

The defending national champions will play four teams currently ranked in the Top 25 among their six remaining regular-season contests, including a road matchup against No. 22 Illinois on Saturday afternoon in Champaign, Ill.

No. 24 Michigan (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) is coming off a 27-17 road loss to unranked Washington on Oct. 5. Wolverines first-year coach Sherrone Moore benched starting quarterback Alex Orji in the second quarter. Orji had replaced opening-game starter Davis Warren after the latter struggled with turnovers.

Orji’s replacement, Jack Tuttle, completed 10 of 18 passes for 98 yards and a touchdown, although he was intercepted once. Tuttle’s college career began at Utah in 2018, but he never appeared in a game for the Utes. He spent four seasons with Indiana before transferring to Michigan before the 2023 campaign.

Tuttle will start against the Fighting Illini (5-1, 2-1) in a pivotal game for the Wolverines. Michigan still has games against No. 2 Oregon (Nov. 2), No. 16 Indiana (Nov. 9), and No. 4 Ohio State (Nov. 30).

“It’s not time to panic, but we have to evaluate what we need to do and how we need to operate,” Moore said.

The 25-year-old Tuttle will start against Illinois. Tuttle was recovering from an elbow injury during the offseason, which limited his practice time until the start of the regular season.

“They (his teammates) call him Uncle Jack, the seventh-year guy that’s done it, seen it, been in the big game, been in all the games,” Moore said. “So he’s done a really good job, and he’ll just continue to progress and do those things right now.”

There’s no uncertainty about the Fighting Illini’s quarterback situation. Luke Altmyer has been razor sharp, throwing for 1,426 yards and 14 touchdowns with just one interception this season. Altmyer had 13 touchdown passes and was intercepted 10 times last season.

“He’s gotten so much better,” Moore said. “He’s just progressed from last year to this year.”

Illinois survived a 50-49 overtime thriller against one-win Purdue last weekend. The Fighting Illini needed a 38-yard field goal from David Alano as time expired to force overtime.

Illinois has dropped its last six meetings with the Wolverines, with its most recent victory coming in 2009. Illinois lost 19-17 in Ann Arbor two seasons ago.

“The last one was pretty big. I thought we had a good enough football team to go up there and win. Unfortunately, it didn’t,” Illinois coach Bret Bielema said. “There’s a lot of things that went into it, a lot of things we could have done better. We didn’t get to rematch these guys last year, so we get a chance to rematch them this year. Those things mean a lot. I think our guys know the growth they’ve had.”

Bielema said preparation has been the key to the team’s success. The Fighting Illini already have matched last season’s win total.

“I learned this from (former Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez), you don’t get ready for Michigan, you don’t get ready for Ohio State, you don’t get ready for Penn State in one week,” Bielema said. “”You do it 365 days a year.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 14, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini running back Kaden Feagin (3) runs the ball against the Central Michigan Chippewas during the first half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Illinois cruises past Central Michigan

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Luke Altmyer went 19-of-29 passing for 242 yards and two touchdowns to lead Illinois to a 30-9 home win over Central Michigan on Saturday in Champaign.

It was the third straight home win to start the season for the Fighting Illini (3-0).

Pat Bryant was Altmyer’s favorite target, catching seven passes for 102 yards and two touchdowns.

Illinois outgained the Chippewas 379-309 and didn’t turn the ball over. The Fighting Illini overcame 10 penalties for 81 yards.

Joe Labas completed 12 of 25 passes for 125 yards and an interception for Central Michigan (1-2), which had three scoring drives that lasted at least 10 plays.

Tristan Mattson kicked field goals of 32, 29 and 25 yards to account for the visitors’ points.

Leading 13-6 at halftime, Illinois zipped 75 yards on four plays on the first drive of the second half to take a two-touchdown lead.

Altmyer completed a 17-yard pass to Zakhari Franklin and added a 33-yard connection with Collin Dixon to start the drive. He then hit Bryant with a 20-yard pass to make it 20-6 with 13:05 left in the third quarter.

Mattson’s third field goal pulled the Chippewas within 23-9 with 12 minutes to go in the fourth quarter.

Central Michigan’s failed onside kick gave the Fighting Illini the ball at the Chippewas’ 46-yard line, and Kaden Feagin capped the ensuing four-play drive with a 2-yard run to close the scoring with 9:34 left.

Feagin’s score came one play after Central Michigan was called for pass interference in its own end zone. Ca’Lil Valentine also had a 22-yard run to the Chippewas’ 17-yard line on the drive for Illinois.

Illinois grabbed a 7-0 lead with 7:05 remaining in the first quarter on an 11-yard touchdown pass from Altmyer to Bryant.

The teams traded field goals before Ethan Moczulski connected on a school-record 59-yard field goal for the Fighting Illini to end the first half.

–Field Level Media

Nov 11, 2023; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini running back Reggie Love III (23) eludes the tackle of Indiana Hoosiers defensive back Louis Moore (20) during the first half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Illinois holds off Indiana in overtime

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John Paddock threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Williams in overtime to give Illinois a 48-45 win over Indiana in a Big Ten crossover on Saturday.

With Illinois facing third-and-6, Paddock scrambled from pressure to his right and hit a wide-open Williams for the game-winning score.

Paddock finished 24-of-36 passing for 507 yards and four touchdowns for Illinois (5-5, 3-4 Big Ten).

Brendan Sorsby went 22 of 33 for three touchdowns in defeat for Indiana (3-7, 1-6).

Indiana got the ball first in overtime and took a 45-42 lead on Chris Freeman’s 41-yard field goal.

Indiana had trailed 42-34 in regulation but tied the game at 42 with 28 seconds left on a 26-yard touchdown pass from Sorsby to DeQuece Carter and a subsequent two-point pass from Sorsby to E.J. Williams.

Trailing 27-26, Illinois took a 33-27 lead with 5:18 left in the third quarter on a 42-yard touchdown pass from Paddock to Isaiah Williams.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Reggie Love scored on a 37-yard touchdown run to give the Fighting Illini a 39-27 lead as the conversion attempt failed.

Indiana responded, cutting the Illinois lead to 39-34 with 12:25 left on Sorsby’s 5-yard touchdown run.

Illinois then took a 42-34 lead with 5:04 remaining on Caleb Griffin’s 21-yard field goal.

The first half was full of offense, with the teams combining for 53 points.

Indiana scored two straight touchdowns to take a 27-12 lead.

Donaven McCulley caught his second 6-yard touchdown pass of the game from Sorsby with 8:22 left in the second quarter, and then Sorsby scored on an 18-yard touchdown run with 5:44 to go until halftime.

Illinois answered with back-to-back touchdowns, first cutting Indiana’s lead to 27-19 on a 20-yard touchdown pass from Paddock to Casey Washington with 3:05 remaining in the second quarter.

Paddock hit Pat Bryant on a 13-yard touchdown pass with 18 seconds remaining in the second.

–Field Level Media

Oct 28, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers quarter back Athan Kaliakmanis (8) runs for a first down against the Michigan State Spartans during the fourth quarter at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports

Minnesota looks for big November push, beginning with Illinois

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Minnesota will try to become bowl eligible when it hosts Illinois in a Big Ten Conference matchup on Saturday afternoon in Minneapolis.

The Golden Gophers (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten) are looking for their third win in a row after knocking off then-No. 24 Iowa and Michigan State in their two most recent games. They sit in a four-way tie for first place in the West Division along with Iowa, Wisconsin and Nebraska.

Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck told his team to focus solely on this week’s game against Illinois and not to get caught up in the division standings.

“When you get to November, the people that don’t win in November don’t have a chance,” Fleck said. “We’re all at a point where every game matters. That’s what we told our team. We made it to November, where it matters. Now what we do with that is up to us.

“One-game championship seasons. The only thing on our mind is Illinois. Period.”

Illinois (3-5, 1-4) is coming off a bye as it prepares to travel north. The Fighting Illini have lost three of their last four games, including a brutal 25-21 loss to Wisconsin in their most recent contest that included an 18-point fourth-quarter comeback by the Badgers.

Illinois coach Bret Bielema took advantage of the bye to lead a few additional practices and take part in recruiting trips before turning his focus to Minnesota.

Bielema is 9-0 all-time against the Golden Gophers, including 2-0 since he took over at Illinois in 2021. The Fighting Illini have not won three games in a row against Minnesota since 1993-95.

Instead of speaking about his success against the program, Bielema instead focused on Minnesota’s strengths. He said Fleck always leads a strong team.

“Though it’s different faces (from last year’s meeting), it’s a lot of the same content,” Bielema said. “They’re going to run the football. They’re very efficient in what they do. Their quarterback is really a good game manager. Their defense is extremely aggressive. …

“It’s a challenging week.”

Minnesota quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis has completed 54.6 percent of his passes for 1,123 yards, seven touchdowns and seven interceptions. His top target is wideout Daniel Jackson, who has 36 catches for 507 yards and six touchdowns.

Fleck said Kaliakmanis was showing improvement each week not only as a passer but also in terms of everything from pocket movement to decision-making to leadership.

“I just see more confidence in him building the more he plays,” Fleck said. “He’s doing those things better than he did at the beginning of the year. You can see this presence starting to form with him.”

On the ground, Minnesota running back Darius Taylor leads the team with 591 rushing yards and four touchdowns. He is averaging 5.7 yards per carry.

Meanwhile, Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer has completed 63.2 percent of his passes for 1,671 yards, 10 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Speedy wide receiver Isaiah Williams has a team-high 46 receptions for 562 yards and one score.

Kaden Feagin is Illinois’ top rusher with 329 yards and two touchdowns. The 250-pound running back is averaging 4.9 yards per carry.

This will be the 76th meeting between the programs. Minnesota leads the all-time series 40-32-3.

–Field Level Media

Sep 2, 2023; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer (9) puts a hand to the helmet of Toledo Rockets linebacker CJ Wilson Jr. (33) on a run during the first half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Illinois visits Kansas for first meeting since 1968

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Quarterback Luke Altmyer saved Illinois from a deflating first-week loss to Toledo, engineering a late drive that set up a 29-yard field goal by Caleb Griffin for a 30-28 win on Saturday.

Altmyer and the Fighting Illini try to make it 2-0 on Friday night when they travel to Lawrence, Kan., for their first meeting with Kansas since 1968.

The Ole Miss transfer made his debut with Illinois one to remember. He completed 18 of 26 passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns while running for a team-high 69 yards on nine carries. His 33-yard pass to Casey Washington on fourth down keyed the 64-yard drive that turned defeat into victory.

“His presence, his calmness, his demeanor was very impressive,” Illinois coach Bret Bielema said. “I thought he had great poise and great confidence.”

Less impressive was a defense that did most of the heavy lifting last year when the Illini contended for the Big Ten West title. Toledo rolled up 27 first downs and 416 total yards, creating a time of possession advantage of nearly six minutes.

Illinois will have to defend much better against a 1-0 Jayhawks team that hopes to have its leader, quarterback Jalon Daniels, back after he was sidelined by a back injury for Friday’s 48-17 rout of FCS opponent Missouri State.

Daniels wasn’t needed in the season opener, not with backup Jason Bean carving up the Bears for 276 yards and two touchdowns on 22-of-28 passing.

“He continues to get better,” Kansas coach Lance Leipold said of Bean. “He’s done everything we’ve asked. You’ve seen him get more mature and more confident.”

The final score aside, the Jayhawks had to work for most of their first game. Missouri State led 10-7 at one point and was still within 27-17 after scoring on the first play of the fourth quarter, even though Kansas outgained the Bears 521-217.

The Illini own a 3-2 lead in the all-time series with the Jayhawks. Friday night’s matchup will be their first in Lawrence since 1892.

–Field Level Media