CHICAGO – The Hat is returning to Champaign.
No. 22 Illinois closed the regular season with a 38-28 win over Northwestern at Wrigley Field on Saturday afternoon to take back the Land of Lincoln Trophy.
Aidan Laughery rushed for 172 yards and three touchdowns, both of which were career-best marks. Laughery did so on just 12 carries, averaging 14.3 yards per rushing attempt.
Pat Bryant tied the single-season receiving touchdown record with his 10th score of the season, which came on a 43-yard touchdown in the third quarter. Bryant totaled four catches for 70 yards.
Zakhari Franklin moved into the top 10 on the FBS career reception list, finishing with three receptions for 54 yards.
Luke Altmyer went 10-for-17 with 170 yards and two total touchdowns.
The Illini defense came up with four takeaways in the win over the Wildcats. Xavier Scott posted his fourth interception of the season, Mac Resetich hauled in his first pick of the year, Torrie Cox Jr. secured his third interception of the campaign, and Malachi Hood forced the first fumble of his career.
The Wildcats started with the ball and opened the scoring with a field goal on their first drive of the game, but the Illini found an immediate response on their ensuing possession.
Illinois needed only three plays to drive 73 yards down the field and find the end zone for the first time. A 43-yard catch from Franklin moved the Orange and Blue into Wildcat territory before Laughery recorded a 30-yard touchdown rush to put the Illini in front, 7-3, just under seven minutes into the contest.
Xavier Scott registered his fourth interception of the season to thwart a promising Wildcat drive in the red zone, but Northwestern went back in front via a defensive score.
The Illini answered right back on their next possession. The final play of the first quarter saw Illinois convert on third-and-15 via a 38-yard completion to Collin Dixon, a play that put the Orange and Blue at the Wildcat 5-yard line.
Three plays later, Altmyer found the end zone on a 1-yard quarterback sneak to put the Illini ahead, 14-10, less than two minutes into the second frame.
The two sides combined for three punts over the remainder of the half, and a missed Northwestern field goal as time expired sent Illinois into the break with a 14-10 lead.
The Orange and Blue offense averaged 9.1 yards per play and 7.3 yards per carry across the first two quarters.
Illinois did not need long to extend its lead in the second half. Laughery broke free on the second offensive play of the third quarter, registering a career-long 64-yard rush for his second score of the day less than 60 seconds into the frame.
After the Illini defense forced a three-and-out, the Illinois offense used that momentum to add onto its advantage. Five plays and two-and-a-half minutes later, Pat Bryant hauled in a 43-yard touchdown to push the Illini's edge to 28-10 less than five minutes into the third quarter.
The Wildcats cut their deficit to 28-20 heading into the fourth and got the ball back, but the Illini forced their second turnover of the afternoon via Mac Resetich's first interception of the year.
Laughery continued to add onto his career-best outing, finding the end zone for his third score of the day on a 31-yard touchdown rush. The carry brought him over 170 yards on the day and the Illini's advantage back to two scores, 35-20, with 12:15 left in the contest.
On Northwestern's next drive, the Illini registered their third takeaway, with Malachi Hood posting the first forced fumble of his career and Matthew Bailey diving on the loose ball inside the Wildcat 10-yard line. Illinois extended its lead on a 24-yard David Olano field goal, 38-20, with 11 minutes to go.
The Illini defense came up with their fourth takeaway and third interception of the afternoon, with Cox making his third pick of the season with 6:35 remaining.
No. 22 Illinois, winners of its last three games, closed the regular season with nine wins for the first time since 2007. Going 6-3 in Big Ten play, the Illini posted six conference victories in a season for the first time since also doing so during the 2007 campaign.
HIGHLIGHTS
PRESS CONFERENCE
POSTGAME NOTES
Team Notes
- Bret Bielema improved to 27-22 during his Illinois career. Since Robert Zuppke went undefeated in two of his first three seasons at Illinois from 1913-15, Bielema's 27-22 start is the second-best through 49 games by an Illini head coach, behind only Mike White (29-19-1, 1980-83).
- Bielema has won nine games for the first time in his Illinois career and has led the Illini to their first nine-win season since 2007.
- It's the eighth nine-win season in program history.
- 1892, 1902, 1904, 1983, 1989, 2001, 2007
- Bielema's 18 Big Ten wins through his first four seasons at Illinois are the most since John Mackovic won 22 in his first four seasons (1988-91).
- Bielema is third in Big Ten wins through four seasons among the Illini's 13 head coaches in modern history (post 1940).
- Mike White – 24 (1980-83).
- John Mackovic – 22 (1988-91)
- Bret Bielema – 18 (2021-pres.)
- Bielema improves to 5-2 as a head coach against Northwestern.
- Improves to 3-1 as head coach at Illinois.
- Illinois has 22 wins over the last three seasons, the program's most in a three-year span since 1999-01 (23 wins).
- Illinois' six Big Ten wins are tied for the most since the Illini went 6-2 in Big Ten games in 2007.
- Third six-win Big Ten season since 1990 (2001, 2007).
- Illinois has five wins when ranked this season, the most since recording eight such wins during the 1990 season.
- The Illini improve to 6-10 in the battle for the Land of Lincoln trophy.
- Have won three of the last four meetings.
- Improve to 58-55-5 all-time against Northwestern.
- Illinois improves to 3-0 against Northwestern at Wrigley Field.
- Illinois has defeated Northwestern and Purdue in the same season for the first time since 2010.
- Illinois has closed the regular season with three-straight wins for the first time since 2007.
- The Illini have won three games in November for the first time since 2007.
- Illinois has scored at least 38 points in three-straight Big Ten games for the first time since 2010 (Oct. 23 - 43 vs. Indiana; Oct. 30. - 44 vs. Purdue; Nov. 6 - 65 at Michigan).
- The Illini defense forced four turnovers for the fourth time this season.
- Second game with three interceptions.
- Illinois held Northwestern to just seven rushing yards in the second half.
- The Illini outgained the Wildcats 125-7 on the ground in the second half.
Player Notes
- RB Aidan Laughery rushed 12 times for a career-high 172 and a career-best three touchdowns.
- Recorded the first 100-yard game of his career.
- Rushed for three touchdowns for the first time in his career.
- His 64-yard touchdown rush in the third quarter was the longest rush of his career and also marked the first two-touchdown game of his career.
- His 30-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter was the previous longest scoring play of his career.
- Most rushing yards in a single game by an Illinois running back since Chase Brown ran for 180 yards on Oct. 15, 2022, vs. Minnesota.
- WR Pat Bryant caught four passes for 70 yards and a touchdown.
- Equaled the single-season program record with his 10th receiving touchdown of the season in the third quarter.
- Matches Brandon Lloyd (2001) and David Williams (1985).
- Has at least one reception in 24-straight games, a streak that dates back to 2023.
- Has at least four catches in nine games this season.
- WR Zakhari Franklin caught three passes for 54 yards.
- Now has 317 receptions in his career, eighth-most all-time in FBS history.
- QB Luke Altmyer completed 10 of his 17 passes for 170 yards and a touchdown.
- His 21 touchdown passes on the season have matched Nathan Scheelhaase (2013) and Jon Beutjer (2002) for fifth-most in a single season in program history.
- Has a 144.90 passing efficiency on the season, would be second-best single-season mark in program history.
- DB Jaheim Clarke recorded a career-high 12 tackles to go along with a pass breakup and a QB hurry.
- LB Ryan Meed also recorded double-digit tackles with 10.
- LB Malachi Hood recorded three tackles to go along with the first 2.0 sacks and forced fumble of his career.
- Recorded his first sack on third down in at the end of the second quarter, pushing Northwestern out of the red zone.
- Led to a missed field goal to end the first half.
- His second sack forced a fumble, which was recovered by Illinois.
- DB Torrie Cox Jr. tallied the third interception of the season in the fourth quarter.
- DB Xavier Scott recorded his fourth interception of the season, sixth of his career, in the first quarter.
- DB Mac Resetich intercepted his first pass of the season in the fourth quarter.
