Tag: Illinois

Luke Altmyer throws 2 TD passes as Illinois throttles Maryland

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Luke Altmyer threw two touchdown passes to Hudson Clement and Illinois sent Maryland to its sixth straight loss, 24-6 in Champaign, Ill. on Saturday.

Altmyer completed 15-of-25 passes for 172 yards and had one interception as Illinois (7-3, 4-3 Big Ten) won its second straight game.

Clement caught three passes for 72 yards and the Fighting Illini rushed for 225 yards, including 81 by Kaden Feagin on 14 carries.

Malik Washington completed 25-of-46 passes for 238 yards and one interception for the Terrapins (4-6, 1-6).

Maryland only rushed the ball for 55 yards on 18 attempts.

Maryland needs to beat Michigan and Michigan State to reach bowl eligibility and the loss will likely fuel further debate about the fate of head coach Mike Locksley.

Leading 14-6 to start the second half, the Illini went 67 yards in seven plays (five runs) to increase the lead to 21-6. On second-and-1 at the 23, Altmyer found Clement all alone at the five and he scored his second touchdown of the day.

On their next possession, Illinois drove 61 yards to the Maryland 1-yard line, but the 14-play drive came up empty after Altmyer’s fourth-and-goal pass from the two was incomplete with 1:31 left in the third quarter.

Washington then led the Terps 95 yards to a first-and-goal at the Illinois three, but the defense stiffened, and Washington’s fourth-down pass was incomplete.

Maryland was 3-for-12 on third down and 0-for-2 on fourth.

Illinois drove again and this time got points. After a holding penalty wiped out an Altmyer touchdown run, David Olano’s 33-yard field goal made 24-6 with 4:19 remaining.

Maryland took a 3-0 lead on Sean O’Haire’s 29-yard field goal on the opening drive.

Late in the first quarter, Maryland went for it on fourth-and-1 at the Illinois 49 and failed to convert. Seven plays later, Altmyer found Clement for a 22-yard touchdown and Illinois led 7-3.

After a short punt midway through the second quarter, the Terps started on the Illini 46 and O’Haire later connected from 43 yards to make it 7-6.

Illinois took the ensuing kickoff and went 75 yards in 13 plays. Altmyer hit Clement for 27 yards to the 25 and, seven plays later, Feagin went up the middle for a three-yard touchdown with 1:38 left in the first half.

–Field Level Media

Illinois stands in way of Maryland’s postseason mission

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A five-game losing streak stands to crush Maryland’s bowl hopes as the Terrapins visit Illinois on Saturday.

Maryland (4-5, 1-5 in the Big Ten) needs to find success in a hurry with games at Champaign, Ill, home against No. 18 Michigan and at Ford Field against Michigan State.

Since surrendering a 20-0 second half lead against visiting Washington on Oct. 4 and losing 24-20, the Terrapins have been reeling. They suffered a 35-20 loss at Rutgers last Saturday.

“Despite a few challenging weeks here the last four or five weeks, our team keeps showing up and giving the type of effort we need to have,” Maryland coach Mike Locksley said. “They’re coming in and they’re putting in the work.”

The losing skid fed public discourse about Locksley’s future. Now in his seventh season and sporting a 16-40 record against the Big Ten, Locksley said “no” when asked if he felt he was coaching for his job over the final three games. His contract runs through 2027.

Things are looking brighter for Bret Bielema at Illinois (6-3, 3-3). The Fighting Illini are coming off a bye with a trip to Wisconsin sandwiched between home games with Maryland and Northwestern.

Quarterback Luke Altmyer led Illinois to a 35-13 rout of Rutgers to snap a two-game skid before the open week. He threw for 235 yards and ran for 88. He had a career-high five touchdowns – four passing and one rushing and was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season.

Wide receiver Hank Beatty had his third touchdown reception of the season. He has 49 catches for 730 yards for an Illinois offense that is averaging 33.1 points per game, which would be the highest total in school history ahead their 32.5 average in 2010.

“There’s just so many good things happening on the offensive side right now, it’s fun to see it play out,” Bielema said.

Illinois is postseason eligible in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2010-11. The team is 10-2 at home over the past two seasons.

“Illinois will obviously be a tough task on the road, but I know that our team is excited about the opportunity and being able to put the last four or five weeks behind us and getting back on the right side of the ledger,” Locksley said.

Locksley served as the offensive coordinator at Illinois from 2005-08.

Maryland trailed 21-17 at the half against Rutgers last Saturday but gained only 83 total yards in the second half, managing just a 44-yard field goal by Sean O’Haire.

A bright spot was Malik Washington, who had a career-high 164 rushing yards on just eight attempts (20.5 yards per rush), setting a school record for rushing yards by a freshman quarterback. That included a 73-yard first quarter touchdown run.

“It’s a 4-5 football team but … [they] came in last week against Rutgers, scored on the second play of the game with a quarterback run game, “Bielema said. “He’s very, very talented. Very opportunistic group, so a tremendous challenge coming here.”

Maryland leads the Big Ten and ranks second nationally with 17 interceptions and has at least one pick in seven straight games.

The Terrapins lead the all-time series 2-1. The teams last met Oct. 14, 2023 at Maryland and Altmyer passed for two touchdowns in a 27-24 Illinois win.

–Field Level Media

Nov 1, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer (9) scores a touchdown during the first half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Luke Altmyer (5 TDs) helps Illinois snap skid with Rutgers rout

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Luke Altmyer passed for four touchdowns and ran for another, and Gabe Jacas had two sacks as Illinois routed visiting Rutgers 35-13 on Saturday in Champaign, Ill., stopping a two-game losing streak.

Altmyer finished 19-for-31 passing for 235 yards while matching a career high for passing touchdowns and tossing one interception. He added a game-high 88 yards on seven carries after entering the game with 20 yards on the ground this season.

Rutgers (4-5, 1-5 Big Ten) capitalized on arguably the lone Illinois blemish of the game, turning Farell Gnago’s interception of Altmyer on a tipped pass into a 40-yard Jai Patel field goal with 5:45 left in the second quarter.

The kick pulled the Scarlet Knights to within 7-6 of the Illini (6-3, 3-3). Patel connected from 26 yards on Rutgers’ second possession.

Altmyer and the attack soared from there, visiting the end zone on four consecutive possessions following the interception. Each scoring drive covered at least 65 yards in eight plays or more.

Illinois started the streak with Altmyer’s 3-yard scoring run with 2:04 left in the second quarter. After forcing a Rutgers punt, the Illini got the ball back and proceeded on their quickest scoring drive of the game to grab a 21-6 halftime lead.

Gains of 16 and 29 yards on passes to Hudson Clement and Collin Dixon, respectively, got Illinois started before a 14-yard Altmyer run put the hosts in the red zone. Altmyer found Hank Beatty for a 1-yard touchdown four plays later, capping an 8-play, 70-yard drive that took just 58 seconds.

Challenged during the week after allowing 76 combined points in losses to Ohio State and Washington, the Illinois defense responded. The Illini outgained the Scarlet Knights 445-312 while recording nine pass breakups.

Rutgers scored its lone touchdown on a 3-yard pass from Athan Kaliakmanis to KJ Duff with 5:47 to go to account for the final margin.

Kalikamanis completed 25 of 45 passes for 253 yards and a touchdown. Duff had 93 yards on nine catches and Ja’Shon Benjamin had eight carries for 37 yards.

Clement led Illinois with five catches for 84 yards and a score. Dixon also caught a touchdown.

Illinois has won five of six against Rutgers and leads the all-time series 7-3.

–Field Level Media

Oct 11, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini defensive back Torrie Cox Jr. (5) and defensive back Miles Scott (10) react during the second half against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

After ‘unacceptable’ efforts on defense, Illinois takes on Rutgers

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Illinois realizes that stopping a two-game losing streak amounts to corralling opponents more effectively.

The Fighting Illini are yielding an average of 39.6 points per game in Big Ten play entering Saturday afternoon’s matchup against Rutgers in Champaign, Ill.

Illinois (5-3, 2-3) has hovered around that average in successive losses to No. 1 Ohio State and Washington, allowing 76 combined points while continuing habits that defensive coordinator Aaron Henry deemed “unacceptable.”

“Our players, our staff, we’re going to continue to work tirelessly to get the product that you guys expect and we expect on the field,” Henry said. “We know what it’s like to play really good defense around here, and we’ve just got to get back to that brand of football.”

Illinois was ranked No. 23 and still harboring an outside chance for a College Football Playoff berth before traveling to Washington, where the Illini defense allowed 449 total yards in a 42-25 loss. The unit produced no sacks, although defensive back Miles Scott had one tackle for loss and defensive linemen Pat Farrell and Angelo McCullom each recorded one-half.

Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer passed for two touchdowns but has thrown three interceptions during his team’s two-game skid.

Limiting Rutgers counterpart Athan Kaliakmanis will be a focus for Illinois. Kaliakmanis helped the Scarlet Knights (4-4, 1-4) earn their first Big Ten win of the season last week, passing for 359 yards and a touchdown and rushing for another score at Purdue.

Jai Patel kicked a 30-yard field goal as time expired to clinch a 27-24 victory.

Rutgers also stood out on the ground, with Antwan Raymond carrying 29 times for 116 yards and a score. While the Scarlet Knights showed power formations more often than in recent weeks, coach Greg Schiano said he doesn’t expect a drastic shift to the running game in November.

“We believe in execution, and that’s what we’re gonna do,” Schiano said. “So there may be a couple of wrinkles here and there, but nothing that I think will be earth-shattering. We’re not going to the triple (option) or anything like that, OK?”

–Field Level Media

Oct 10, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Huskies quarterback Demond Williams Jr. (2) waves over running back Jonah Coleman (1) before a play against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

Washington rolls over No. 23 Illinois behind Demond Williams’ 4 TDs

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Demond Williams passed for four touchdowns, Denzel Boston caught a score and passed for another and the Washington Huskies rolled to a 42-25 win over No. 23 Illinois on Saturday in Seattle.

The Huskies (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten) jumped ahead with a pair of time-consuming scoring drives in the first quarter, going 75 yards in 5:23 and 67 yards in 4:12, each culminating in 13-yard Williams scoring strikes to Dezmen Roebuck.

Washington’s early 14-3 lead as a result of the two scores faded in the second quarter when Illinois (5-3, 2-3) scored on a pair of Luke Altmyer TD passes.

The Illini quarterback found Collin Dixon for a 2-yard score midway through the second quarter, then hit Tanner Arkin for a 5-yard touchdown just moments after a would-be Tacario Davis interception was negated for pass interference.

Davis made good on another defensive opportunity in the third quarter, however.

With Washington leading 28-17 but Illinois driving into Huskies territory, Zaydrius Rainey-Sale rocked Hank Beatty just as Beatty pulled in a long reception. Davis was on the spot to snag the carom and return the interception into Illini territory.

Williams cashed in the ensuing possession when, rolling out of the pocket, he fired a pass on the move to a sliding Boston. The resulting 5-yard grab marked the culmination of 21 straight Washington points after a pair of Jonah Coleman scores.

Coleman ran for a 7-yard TD midway through the third quarter and caught another just before halftime. Washington ran a trick, double-pass with Williams throwing to Boston wide on the left side, then Boston lobbing a 12-yard rainbow to a wide-open Coleman for the score.

Boston’s two-way scoring performance highlighted a 10-reception, 153-yard game. Coleman caught four passes for 32 yards and rushed 14 times for 75 yards.

Jordan Anderson finished a 75-yard Illini drive with a goal-line touchdown run in the fourth quarter but Washington tacked on one more score. Williams threw a 2-yard TD pass to Decker DeGraaf, then the Huskies successfully snuffed out any hope of an Illinois rally thanks to a running-into-the-kicker penalty on a late punt.

Williams completed 26 of 33 passes for 280 yards and ran for 66 yards on 10 carries. Altmyer was 22-of-34 passing for 199 yards for Illinois, and his 48 rushing yards led the team.

–Field Level Media

Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Devin Sanchez (6) tackles Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver Collin Dixon (17) during the second half of the NCAA football game at Gies Memorial Stadium in Champaign on Oct. 11, 2025. Ohio State won 34-16.

No. 23 Illinois feeling rested, prepared for rare road trip to Washington

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Big Ten Conference counterparts Washington and No. 23 Illinois will meet on Saturday in Seattle for what could be a pivotal matchup in finishing out their respective seasons.

Each team comes in off a league loss, though Illinois (5-2, 2-2) returns to action from a much-needed bye week.

The Illini had an opportunity to heal some injuries following their 34-16 loss to top-ranked Ohio State on Oct. 11, including having leading rusher Kaden Feagin ready for Week 9.

Feagin, who has 338 yards and five touchdowns on the season, sustained a sprained AC joint in the Ohio State loss. His running back counterpart Ca’Lil Valentine, coach Bret Bielema said, will also be ready after taking some time off in the previous week to recover from an undisclosed injury.

Illinois has dealt with plenty of significant injuries through the first half of the campaign, most notably the loss of 2024 All-Big Ten defensive back Xavier Scott. His absence looms for an Illini pass defense that ranks No. 95 nationally with 240 yards allowed per game and only two interceptions against 12 touchdowns allowed.

Washington (5-2, 2-2) has passed with some success in 2025, ranking No. 32 nationally at 269.6 yards per game. Quarterback Demond Williams Jr. has thrown for 10 touchdowns in seven games, with the dual-threat signal-caller contributing to a multifaceted rushing attack at the core of the Huskies’ offense.

Williams has four rushing scores to supplement Jonah Coleman’s 12, with Adam Mohammed adding two. In five wins, the Huskies are rushing for 214.4 yards per game.

In losses, however, Washington has averaged only 50.5 rushing yards after netting just 40 in last week’s 24-7 loss to Michigan. The midseason injury bug has tested the Huskies’ efforts to mount a ground attack.

“When you lose your starting left tackle (Carver Willis, knee), you lose your starting left guard (John Mills, undisclosed) and you lose your starting wide tight end (Quentin Moore, undisclosed), then you lose your backup left tackle (Maximus McCree, undisclosed), there are some challenges running the football,” Washington coach Jedd Fisch said on Monday.

Outside of a disastrous Sept. 20 loss at Indiana, the Illinois defense has been solid against the run, holding opponents to 151 yards or fewer in its other six games.

Continuing on that pace could be central to an Illini road win at Washington. So, too, would be handling the conditions at Husky Stadium.

The famed venue, where rain is expected on Saturday, has a reputation as one of the loudest in college football, Bielema said.

“Ever since I’ve been in college coaching, everybody’s talked about Husky Stadium,” he said. “And not just the stadium itself, but the fans and the way they make that place electric. We’ll have to do some crowd-noise preparation this week.”

Saturday marks the first meeting between the two programs as counterparts in the Big Ten, and the first matchup of any kind since a 44-19 Huskies win in 2014. Washington has won four straight in the series, with the last Illinois win coming in the 1964 Rose Bowl Game.

–Field Level Media

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Carnell Tate (17) catches a touchdown pass during the first half of the NCAA football game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Oct. 4, 2025.

No. 17 Illinois prepares for ‘tremendous challenge’ vs. No. 1 Ohio State

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Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck didn’t mince words when describing how to defend Ohio State’s multi-faceted offense.

“You’re picking your poison,” he said.

He’s right because the No. 1 Buckeyes (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) rolled to a 42-3 win over Minnesota last Saturday.

Now, No. 17 Illinois (5-1, 2-1) will try to stop quarterback Julian Sayin, receivers Carnell Tate and Jeremiah Smith, and running back Bo Jackson in a conference game Saturday afternoon in Champaign, Ill.

“It’s a very explosive offense, got some guys on the perimeter,” Fighting Illini coach Bret Bielema said. “Very, very good up front, the offensive line, good tight-end package and wide receivers, obviously. “They have good athletes, and they execute very well all over the field. It’s a tremendous challenge. They’re the No. 1 team in the country for a reason.”

Minnesota tried to contain Smith, but that left Tate to set career highs in catches (nine) and yards (183) and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Smith was “limited” to seven receptions for 67 yards and two TDs as Sayin completed 23 of 27 passes for 326 yards.

“You have to take what the defense gives you,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said.

In Tate’s case, five of his catches came on the first play of drives in the opening half.

The Buckeyes average 37.4 points a game while the Illini are not far behind at 37, with quarterback Luke Altmyer leading the way with a 73.6 percent completion rate. He has 12 touchdown passes and no interceptions this season.

Altmyer will face an Ohio State defense that has allowed an average of 5 points per game to lead the nation and has yielded just two touchdowns.

Altmyer threw for a career-high 390 yards on 19 of 22 completions with a 62-yard TD pass to Hank Beatty, who had five catches for a career-best 186 yards in a 43-27 win at Purdue last Saturday.

The game, coupled with a 34-32 win against then-No. 21 Southern California on Sept. 27, showed that Illinois has bounced back from a humiliating 63-10 loss at then-No. 19 Indiana on Sept. 20.

“Bret is one of the better coaches in the country. He’s a resilient guy, and they’re a resilient team,” Day said Tuesday. “I think it says a lot about them to rebound the way they did, get a win against USC and then go play the way they did last week. We all know that going through a tough loss can bring a bunch of people together. I think they’ve done that. We know we’re going to get their best shot here on Saturday.”

The Illini may be bolstered by the return from injuries of center Josh Kreutz and running back Aidan Laughery.

“I like our guys. I like our attitude. I like our demeanor,” Bielema said Monday. “I don’t know if we’ve ever played a game yet where we put it all together for four quarters and there would be no better time than this week. This is a team you need your best from the opening snap to the last snap.

“When you play Ohio State, it’s a really good opportunity to see where you stand in college football. They’ve held up their end of the bargain, and hopefully we’re starting to hold up ours.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 4, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver Hank Beatty (80) runs into Purdue Boilermakers defensive back An'Darius Coffey (24) during the second quarter at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Luke Altmyer, No. 22 Illinois too strong for Purdue

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Luke Altmyer passed for a career-best 390 yards and a touchdown and Kaden Feagin rushed for two scores, lifting No. 22 Illinois to a 43-27 victory against Purdue on Saturday in West Lafayette, Ind.

Angelo McCollum had 1 1/2 sacks for the Fighting Illini (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten), who forced two fumbles.

Devin Mockobee scored on a 1-yard run with 12:34 to go to pull Purdue (2-3, 0-2) within 13 points at 40-27. Illinois sacked Boilermakers quarterback Ryan Browne on the ensuing two-point conversion attempt.

Browne was 30 of 50 for 302 yards and a touchdown while adding a 1-yard rushing TD to open the scoring.

Altmyer completed 19 of his 22 passes and David Olano kicked field goals of 35, 42, 45 and 40 yards.

Illinois erupted over its final five possessions of the first half, racking up 331 yards over that span.

That included 267 yards through the air behind a near-perfect performance from Altmyer, who completed 13 of 14 passes with a touchdown before intermission.

Hank Beatty surpassed his career high for receiving yards ahead of halftime with 137 on four catches. He added another catch for 49 yards.

Beatty hauled in a 62-yard scoring pass from Altmyer with 12:50 remaining in the second quarter to give Illinois the lead for good at 10-7.

Ca’Lil Valentine added 22 carries for 95 yards and a TD.

Illinois scored 24 unanswered points to open the second quarter before Browne hit Corey Smith for a 60-yard touchdown pass with 1:13 left before halftime. Smith, who entered the game with 49 yards on four catches this season, broke free after Illinois defenders bit on an underneath route.

The Fighting Illini moved in position for a 42-yard Olano field goal that put Illinois ahead 27-14 at halftime.

Michael Jackson III had 14 catches for 94 yards for Purdue while Smith contributed 83 yards on three receptions.

Antonio Harris (four carries, 69 yards) and Mockobee (11 carries, 58 yards) both had rushing TDs for Purdue.

–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. 23 Illinois regroups, slips past No. 21 USC 34-32

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David Olano’s 41-yard field goal as time expired helped No. 23-ranked Illinois avoid a late collapse, as the Illini held off No. 21 Southern California 34-32 on Saturday at Champaign, Ill.

The Illini (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten) built a two-touchdown lead in the second half behind a strong all-around performance from quarterback Luke Altmyer. He became the first Illinois player to pass, rush and catch for a touchdown in the same game since Kurt Kittner in 1999.

But while Illinois scored on six of its nine possessions, and only punted once, a pair of fumbles at the goal line gave USC (4-1, 2-1) an opportunity to rally after a slow offensive start.

Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava was intercepted for the first time on the season when he was picked off by Dylan Rosiek in the third quarter. USC managed just 17 points for the game’s first 50 minutes after entering with an average of 52.5 points per game.

Maiava regrouped down the stretch, connecting with Makai Lemon on touchdown passes of 19 and 16 yards in the fourth quarter. USC converted a two-point conversion following the first, then took a 32-31 lead with 1:55 remaining on the second Lemon TD.

Maiava’s second scoring pass to Lemon capped a nine-play, 80-yard drive after USC linebacker Eric Gentry forced a fumble from Ca’Lil Valentine, who was breaking toward the end zone on a potential win-sealing Illinois score.

The Illini also coughed up the ball just shy of the end zone in the second quarter on Braylon Conley’s takeaway from Kaden Feagin.

Illinois recovered after conceding the lead, marching into Trojans territory behind Feagin runs of 6, 8 and 9 yards, and an Altmyer carry of 13 yards. Altmyer finished with 28 rushing yards, including 12 on a first-quarter touchdown.

The Illini quarterback also scored on a 3-yard pass reception from Hank Beatty and threw a 25-yard score to Justin Bowick early in the fourth quarter.

Altmyer hooked up with Feagin on a 64-yard touchdown. Feagin walked a tight rope at the sideline to complete the long, third-quarter score that put Illinois ahead 24-10.

Altmyer was 20-of-26 passing for 328 yards. Maiava finished 30 of 43 for 364 yards.

Waymond Jordan carried 20 times for USC, gaining 94 rushing yards and scoring a pair of touchdowns.

Illinois earned its first victory over USC since a 14-13 decision in 1989.

–Field Level Media

Nov 23, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) throws a pass during the fourth quarter against the UCLA Bruins at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

After ugly loss, No. 23 Illinois plots turnaround vs. No. 21 USC

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Illinois coach Bret Bielema hopes to turn the page from a disastrous game, welcoming 21st-ranked Southern California to Champaign, Ill., to face the 23rd-ranked Fighting Illini on Saturday.

“The first thing we have to do is address what we did as coaches,” Bielema said of getting his team back on track after a 63-10 loss to Indiana in a top-20 showdown.

“I thought we had a good football team (before last week) and feel that same way (now). I know that we can rebound.”

Added Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry, according to On3.com, “We lost a football game and it (expletive) sucks — pardon my language — but nobody died. We’re still here. We will bounce back. We’ll be good. I’m going to make sure this defense is locked and loaded on Saturday.”

Illinois (3-1, 0-1 Big Ten) climbed to No. 9 on the strength of winning its first three games by a combined 135-22 margin, but the Illini had no answers for the Hoosiers.

Compounding the lopsided loss that snapped a seven-game winning streak dating back to last November was the news that the Illini will be without All-Big Ten defensive back Xavier Scott for the foreseeable future.

Scott was a scratch from the Indiana contest after sustaining an apparent ankle injury Sept. 13 vs. Western Michigan, and Bielema announced on Monday the standout of the Illinois secondary will be sidelined for “most of the season.”

The absence comes at a bad time, ahead of USC’s first visit to Champaign since 1996. That game ended up as a 55-3 Trojans victory.

USC (4-0, 2-0) brings one of the nation’s sixth-leading passer, Jayden Maiava (1,223 yards), as well as the fourth-most prolific pass-catcher, Makai Lemon (438 receiving yards).

Lemon caught a season-high eight passes for 127 yards, hauling in his third touchdown reception of the year in USC’s 45-31 win last week over Michigan State. He also rushed for a score.

Maiava connected on 20 of 26 passes for 234 yards, his lowest output of 2025. However, he threw for three touchdowns after going without a passing score in USC’s Big Ten-opening win on Sept. 13 at Purdue.

Maiava is averaging 305.8 yards per game, which ranks eighth nationally, and is the only quarterback ranked in the top 15 of that category who has yet to throw an interception.

“(Maiava’s output) is a product of just him being more comfortable with what we’re doing and knowing exactly where his feet are supposed to be on every play,” USC coach Lincoln Riley said.

Along with Lemon, Maiava’s leading weapon in the passing game through the first contests was Ja’Kobi Lane. However, Lane missed last week’s game with an unspecified injury, and his status for Week 5 was unclear even after he practiced on Tuesday.

Like Maiava, Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer has nine touchdown passes without a pick, but Altmyer managed just 146 passing yards at Indiana. The Illini quarterback said following the game that Illinois’ options now were to “feel bad for yourself, or get up and take advantage of the next opportunity.”

Altmyer’s top target has been Hank Beatty, who has 21 receptions for 302 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, of wideout Justin Bowick’s eight total receptions, three were TD grabs.

–Field Level Media