DURHAM, N.C. – No.11 Illinois defeated Duke, 45-19, on Saturday afternoon at Wallace Wade Stadium to improve the Fighting Illini to 2-0 on the season. The Illini outscored Duke, 31-6, in the second half to run away with the victory.
The Illinois defense forced five turnovers in the game, four fumbles and one interception, while the Illini protected the ball for the length of the game to win the turnover battle +5. Matthew Bailey, Tanner Heckel, and Gabe Jacas all forced fumbles, Duke muffed a first-quarter punt, and Heckel added a fourth-quarter interception to help the Illini secure the game.
Offensively, Luke Altmyer threw for 296 yards, completing 22 of his 31 passes with three touchdowns. Hank Beatty led the team in receiving with eight catches for a career-high 128 yards for his second-straight 100-yard receiving game. He also added a 25-yard rushing touchdown. Justin Bowick caught four passes for 50 yards and a touchdown, while Collin Dixon had three catches for 36 yards and a score.
Kaden Feagin led the team in rushing with 17 carries for 48 yards and a touchdown.
After a tight 14-13 game in the first half, Illinois' turning point came on its first possession of the third quarter when Duke was called for multiple players wearing the same number on an Illinois punt. The Illini used the opportunity and marched down the field and scored on Altmyer finding Bowick on a slant for a 4-yard touchdown to make the score, 21-13.
Matthew Bailey forced a fumble on the subsequent Duke possession, and the Orange and Blue offense only needed four plays to go 61 yards and find the end zone once again. The scoring drive was capped by a 25-yard rushing touchdown when Beatty, a former high school quarterback, took the snap out of the wildcat formation and sprinted in untouched for his first career rushing touchdown, 28-13.
The Blue Devils would score a touchdown to cut into the Illinois lead, 28-19, after they failed on their two-point conversion attempt with four minutes remaining in the third quarter.
David Olano opened the fourth quarter with a 35-yard field goal to extend the lead back to 12 points, 31-19. Heckel fully extended to snuff the following Blue Devil scoring chance. Altmyer orchestrated the offense in a time-consuming scoring drive, eating up nearly seven minutes of game time capped by a 2-yard touchdown pass from Altmyer to Dixon, 38-19.
Heckel forced a fumble on the first play of Duke's next drive, which led to a 23-yard rushing touchdown by Ca'Lil Valentine to finalize the game, 45-19, in favor of Illinois.
Bret Bielema won his 30th game at Illinois, passing Bob Blackman (29-36-1, 1971-76) and moving into a tie with John Mackovic (30-16-1, 1988-91) for the seventh-most wins in history by an Illinois head coach.
Illinois returns to Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 13, when the No. 11 Fighting Illini welcome in Western Michigan. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.
PRESS CONFERENCES
POSTGAME NOTES
TEAM NOTES
- Head coach Bret Bielema won his 30th game at Illinois, passing Bob Blackman (29-36-1, 1971-76) and moving into a tie with John Mackovic (30-16-1, 1988-91) for the seventh-most wins in history by an Illinois head coach.
- Most Wins at Illinois
- Robert C. Zuppke (1913-41), 131-81-13 (.618)
- Ray Eliot (1942-59), 83-73-11 (.532)
- Mike White (1980-87), 47-41-3 (.533)
- Ron Turner (1997-2004), 35-57 (.380)
- Ron Zook (2005-2011), 34-51 (.400)
- Pete Elliott (1960-66), 31-34-1 (.477)
- John Mackovic (1988-91), 30-16-1 (.663)
- Bret Bielema (2021-25), 30-22 (.577)
- Among head coaches that have led Illinois to 30+ wins, Bielema's .577 winning percentage is the third-best of all-time, behind only Robert C. Zuppke (.618) and John Mackovic (.663).
- Head coach Bret Bielema is now the fourth-fastest to 30 wins in Illinois history.
- Fastest to 30 Wins
- Robert Zuppke - 44 games (1914-19)
- John Mackovic - 45 games (1988-91)
- Mike White - 50 games (1980-84)
- Bret Bielema - 52 games (2021-25)
- Ray Eliot - 59 games (1942-48)
- Pete Elliott - 64 games (1960-66)
- Ron Turner - 67 games (1997-2002)
- Ron Zook - 75 games (2005-11)
- Head coach Bret Bielema won his 12th road/neutral game at Illinois.
- Road/Neutral Wins at Illinois
- at Duke, 2025
- vs. #14 South Carolina, 2024
- at Northwestern, 2024
- at Rugers, 2024
- at #22 Nebraska, 2024
- at Minnesota, 2023
- at Maryland, 2023
- at Northwestern, 2022
- at Nebraska, 2022
- at Wisconsin, 2022
- at #20 Minnesota, 2021
- at #7 Penn State, 2021
- The Illini defense recorded five takeaways, the fifth consecutive game in which they have forced at least one turnover, dating back to Nov. 23, 2024, at Rutgers.
- Illinois' five takeaways are its most since forcing six at Northwestern on Nov. 26, 2022.
- Illinois' 45 points are its most in a road game since registering 48 at Purdue on Nov. 7, 2015.
- The Illini's 45 points are tied for the third-most in a regulation game under Bret Bielema
- 52 vs. Western Illinois on Aug. 29, 2025
- 47 vs. Northwestern on Nov. 27, 2021
- 45 vs. Eastern Illinois on Aug. 29, 2024
- Illinois' 45 points are the most Duke has allowed at home since conceding 47 against Miami on Nov. 27, 2021.
- The Illini have scored at least 38 points in each of their last three road games.
- Illinois has scored 45+ points in the first two games of the season for the second time in program history and the first time since 1942. The 1942 Illini started the season with wins over South Dakota (46-0) and Butler (67-0).
- The Illini held the Blue Devils to 19 points, the fewest points Duke has scored at home since scoring 14 on Sept. 30, 2023, vs. Notre Dame.
- Illinois earned its first nonconference road win since Sept. 7, 2019, at Connecticut.
- The Illini's 26-point margin of victory is the team's biggest road win since posting a 38-point margin of victory (41-3) at Northwestern on Nov. 26, 2022.
- Illinois did not punt in the second half, scoring on five consecutive drives before finishing the sixth and final second-half drive in victory formation.
- The Illini improved to 2-1 all-time against the Blue Devils in the teams' first meeting since 1965.
- Illinois started the season with zero turnovers in its first two games for the first time since 2001.
PLAYER NOTES
- Luke Altmyer concluded the afternoon with 296 yards on 22-for-31 passing and three touchdowns.
- Marked his sixth game with at least three passing touchdowns.
- Last 21 games at Illinois (after 4 INT game vs. Penn State in 2023): 373-587 (63.5%), 4,542 yards, 38 passing touchdowns, 9 interceptions
- Cole Rusk registered the first catch of his Illini career on an 8-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter.
- Kaden Feagin tallied his second rushing score of the season and the seventh such score of his career on his 1-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.
- Ended the afternoon with 17 carries for 48 yards.
- Hank Beatty finished with a career-high 128 yards on eight catches.
- Secured the second 100-yard receiving outing of his career (both efforts have come across the first twi games this season).
- His eight receptions equaled his career-best mark, which he set in Week 1 against Western Illinois (Aug. 29).
- His 25-yard rushing score on a trick play marked the first rushing touchdown of his career.
- Was just the second rush of his career.
- Had 153 total yards of offense.
- Justin Bowick hauled in his third touchdown of the season on a 4-yard reception in the third quarter.
- Finished with four receptions for 50 yards.
- Collin Dixon snagged the first receiving touchdown of his career in the fourth quarter.
- Closed the day with three catches for 36 yards.
- Ca'Lil Valentine posted his second career touchdown, and his first of the season, on a 23-yard score in the fourth quarter.
- Gabe Jacas registered his third sack of the season across the first two games.
- Jacas moved into sole possession of fifth place on the Illini's all-time career sacks list.
- 1. Simeon Rice (1992-95) - 44.5
- 2. Scott Davis (1983-87) - 23.0
- 3. Fred Wakefield (1997-2000) - 21.0
- 4. Mike Poloskey (1988-91) - 20.0
- 5. Gabe Jacas (2022-Present) - 19.0
- His forced fumble in the second quarter was the sixth of his career and his second of the season.
- Tyler Strain's fumble recovery in the first quarter was the first of his career.
- Matthew Bailey was a part of two defensive takeaways for the Illini, recording a fumble recovery on Gabe Jacas' strip sack in the second quarter, then forcing a fumble to halt a Duke drive midway through the third quarter.
- Bailey now has three fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles in his collegiate career
- Tanner Heckel recorded the first interception of his career, halting a Duke drive inside the Illinois 30-yard line at the 11:09 mark of the fourth quarter and the Illini leading 31-19, before getting a strip sack with just over four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
- Was the first sack and the first forced fumble of his career.
