Tag: Illinois Fighting Illini

Ohio State Buckeyes running back Bo Jackson (25) scores a touchdown over Illinois Fighting Illini defensive back Matthew Bailey (7) during the first half of the NCAA football game at Gies Memorial Stadium in Champaign on Oct. 11, 2025.

No. 1 Ohio State turns turnovers into romp past No. 17 Illinois

Posted on | by Field Level Media

CJ Donaldson Jr. ran for two touchdowns, Julian Sayin passed for two more scores and No. 1 Ohio State scored 21 points off turnovers in a 34-16 victory over No. 17 Illinois 34-16 on Saturday at Champaign, Ill.

Sayin was 19-of-27 passing for 166 yards and Jeremiah Smith had five receptions for 42 yards for Ohio State (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten). The Buckeyes entered the game having allowed 25 points, the fewest in the nation.

Luke Altmyer was 30-of-44 passing for 248 yards with one touchdown and one interception for Illinois (5-2, 2-2) while Hank Beatty had seven receptions for 48 yards. The Illini outgained the Buckeyes 295 yards to 272 in the defeat.

Ohio State led 20-10 in the third quarter before going 63 yards on a 14-play drive that used up 7:52 and culminated in Donaldson’s 1-yard run for a 27-10 advantage with 2:12 left in the third.

Altmyer was then strip-sacked by cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. at the Illini 24-yard line and Smith scored on a 2-yard reception to make it 34-10 with 13:25 remaining.

A 4-yard TD pass from Altmyer to Collin Dixon with 4:28 to play made it 34-16 after a failed two-point conversion.

The Buckeyes took advantage of numerous Illini mistakes for a 20-3 halftime lead.

Up 3-0, Buckeyes linebacker Payton Pierce intercepted Altmyer at midfield and Ohio State capped a six-play 35-yard drive with a 1-yard run from Donaldson for a 10-0 lead.

After Illinois punter Keelan Crimmins inadvertently downed himself at the 35 when his knee touched the ground fielding the snap, Jayden Fielding made a 31-yard field goal to give Ohio State a 13-0 lead.

After the Buckeyes’ Kayden McDonald recovered a fumble at the Illinois 26, Bo Jackson scored on a 17-yard reception with 3:48 remaining in the first half for a 20-0 lead.

The Illini drove to the 1-yard line late in the first half but a false start led to a 24-yard field goal by David Olano with 1:08 left to keep two Ohio State streaks alive: not conceding a first-half touchdown or allowing a TD in the red zone in nine tries by opponents this season.

The latter streak was snapped early in the third quarter when Illinois’ Aidan Laughery ran in from the 1 on fourth down to make it 20-10. It was the first rushing TD allowed by the Buckeyes this season.

— Field Level Media

Sep 27, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer (9) scores a touchdown during the first half against the Southern California Trojans at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

No. 22 Illinois brings high-powered offense into Purdue showdown

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Even with a high-profile hiccup, No. 22 Illinois keeps clicking behind an explosive offense entering Saturday afternoon’s game against Big Ten Conference rival Purdue in West Lafayette, Ind.

The Fighting Illini (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten) are averaging 35.8 points a game, and yes, that includes the 63-10 loss in its conference opener at then-No. 19 Indiana on Sept. 20.

Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer rallied to rebound last week, earning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors in a 34-32 home win against then-No. 21 Southern California, passing for 328 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for one TD and even catching a scoring pass.

Altmyer’s 11 touchdown passes are tied for ninth-best in the country.

While wideout Hank Beatty has been splashy as the nation’s only player with passing, rushing, receiving and punt-return TDs, Justin Bowick is tops on the team with four touchdown receptions.

Illinois offensive coordinator Barry Lunney said he thinks the 6-foot-4 Bowick’s size will be a concern for Purdue and going forward. A Ball State transfer, Bowick was limited to 20 receptions and three TDs last season due to injury. He began his collegiate career at Eastern Illinois.

“He’s a threat no matter where he’s at; he’s a good football player, and he’s going to continue to play for us and make an impact in games,” Lunney said. “But obviously, he’s done a great job with his opportunities. … J-Bo, he’s been a nice threat for us.”

Purdue (2-2, 0-1), meanwhile, is coming off a bye week in which it sought to make bygones out of the past two games.

During a 33-17 home loss to Southern Cal on Sept. 13 and a 56-30 defeat at then-No. 24 Notre Dame a week later, the Purdue defense yielded 32 plays of at least 10 yards. That included 11 plays of more than 20 yards.

Meanwhile, Purdue’s offense averaged only 2.3 yards per carry in those defeats and is averaging just 3.1 this season.

“It gave us a lot of time to sit back and really, truly evaluate,” Boilermakers defensive coordinator Mike Scherer said. “No one’s feelings are getting hurt. Nothing like that. There’s no egos, there’s no nothing. We look at it and say, ‘OK, here’s what’s been good, here’s what’s been bad. How do we move forward and play better?’”

Purdue will aim to ramp up the pressure against Altmyer and the Illinois attack. Defensive back Myles Slusher recorded Purdue’s lone sack at Notre Dame as the defense generated just two tackles for loss.

Offensively, the Boilermakers showed some pizzazz, as quarterback Ryan Browne caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from Devin Mockobee in addition to throwing for 250 yards and a score against Notre Dame.

“I think where he’s at, I think he’s playing really well,” Purdue coach Barry Odom said of Browne. “I think he can play better. Ryan will tell you that, too.”

Purdue leads the all-time series 48-46-6, but Illinois boasts recent bragging rights after earning a 50-49 overtime victory at home last season. Altmyer passed for a career-best 379 yards while accounting for four total touchdowns, including three through the air.

–Field Level Media

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

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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