CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois earned its second consecutive win with a 24-6 victory over Maryland at Gies Memorial Stadium. The Fighting Illini improve to 5-1 at home and 7-3 overall.
Illinois was led by a pair of touchdown passes from quarterback Luke Altmyer to wide receiver Hudson Clement, along with a rushing touchdown from Kaden Feagin, his sixth this season. A 33-yard Illinois field goal from David Olano capped off the scoring in the fourth quarter.
Altmyer finished the day with 234 total yards (172 passing, 62 rushing) and moved into a tie with Juice Williams (2006-09) for the second-most touchdown passes in program history (56). He also becomes the first Illini in history with back-to-back seasons of 20 or more touchdown passes.
Clement paced the Illini with 72 receiving yards, earning his second and third career scores in an Illinois uniform.
Matthew Bailey highlighted the Illini defense with ten total tackles, while Gabe Jacas and Pat Farrell combined for Maryland’s fourth sack allowed this season. The sack moves Jacas into a tie with Scott Davis (1983-87) for second-most in program history (23.0). The Illini defense held the Terrapins to just six points, including zero points allowed in the second half.
Illinois travels to Madison, Wisconsin, for its final road test of the regular season against Wisconsin. Kickoff time and broadcast information will be announced at a later date.
HIGHLIGHTS
PRESS CONFERENCES
POSTGAME NOTES
Team Notes
- Illinois head coach Bret Bielema set the program record for wins in a head coach’s first five seasons. Bielema has won 35 games at Illinois, passing Mike White’s 34 wins from 1980-84.
- Illinois is one win away from tying the program record for wins during a two-year period. The Illini have 17 wins over the last two seasons, its most wins over a two-year period since 1989-90, when the Illini tied the program record for wins in a two-year period with 18 under John Mackovic.
- Most wins over a two-year period in Illinois history:
- 18 — 1989-90; 1902-03; 1901-02
- 17 — 2024-25; 1983-84; 1982-83; 1903-04
- Illinois has 7+ wins in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2010-11.
- Illinois has 7+ wins three times in a four-year span for the first time since 1981-84.
- Illinois has 22 Big Ten wins in Bret Bielema‘s first five seasons at Illinois. It is Illinois’ most Big Ten wins in a five-year period since winning 23 Big Ten games from 1990-94.
- Illinois has 30 wins over the last four seasons, tied for its most wins over a four-year period since winning 31 games from 1981-84.
- Illinois has 35 wins over the last five seasons, tied for its most wins over a five-year period since winning 36 games from 1988-92.
- Illinois is 11-2 at Gies Memorial Stadium over the last two seasons, tied for the program’s most wins over a two-year period in the stadium’s history.
- The Illini rushed for a season-high 225 yards.
- Illinois has now posted 200+ rushing yards for the third time this season.
- Illinois’ 225 rushing yards are its most in a Big Ten game since tallying 357 yards on the ground in the team’s 9-OT win at Penn State on Oct. 23, 2021.
- Illinois’ 225 rushing yards are its most in a Big Ten home game since totaling 430 yards on the ground against Minnesota on Nov. 3, 2018.
- Illinois held Maryland out of the end zone, forcing the Terps to kick two field goals in the red zone.
- The Illini have now prevented a touchdown in three games this season, all at home.
Player Notes
- Luke Altmyer finished with 172 passing yards and two touchdown passes while rushing for 62 yards on 11 carries.
- Became the first Illini in history with back-to-back seasons of 20+ touchdown passes.
- Tied with Juice Williams (2006-09) for second-most touchdown passes in program history (56).
- Had multiple touchdown passes for the seventh time this season and for the third consecutive game.
- Eclipsed 7,000 career passing yards, the seventh Illini in history to reach the milestone.
- Hudson Clement hauled in three catches for 72 yards and two touchdowns.
- Posted the third multi-touchdown game of his career, and his first as an Illini.
- Hauled in his second and third receiving touchdowns of the season and the 11th and 12th such scores of his career.
- Has a touchdown catch in back-to-back games.
- Kaden Feagin finished with 81 yards on 14 carries and a rushing score.
- Sixth rushing touchdown this season and 11th of his career.
- Matthew Bailey led the Illini defense with 10 tackles (8 solo).
- Bailey’s 10 tackles marked a season high, while his 8 solo stops were the most of his career.
- He has four games in his career with double-digit tackles, all coming within his last 17 games.
- Gabe Jacas tallied two total tackles, 0.5 sacks, and 0.5 tackles for loss.
- Tied Scott Davis (1983-87) for second in program history with 23.0 sacks.
- Combined with Pat Farrell for Maryland’s fourth sack allowed this season.
- Miles Scott secured an interception at the end of the second quarter while making five tackles.
- Made his first interception of the season and the fifth of his career.
POSTGAME QUOTES
Head Coach Bret Bielema
Opening Statement: “We’re super excited, obviously we didn’t play a clean game for four quarters, but did enough to win. I thought going into this week we just needed to have what I call ‘November 1-0 mentality’, just a daily focus on getting better. The only way we can get to Saturday is to take care of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. We didn’t play clean that first half but I really liked the way they responded. I thought our offense came out in that second half and took that first drive for a score. We had some bumps in the road, but I thought the game really flipped on that fourth down stop. They had first and goal inside the five yard line and our defense really rose to the challenge there, it was a really good moment for them.
Offensively, we did enough things to put the game away. Even just the little things, David Olano’s kick made it a three-score game at the end, which really changed the dynamics from there on out. Super excited about the win, James went out early, I know he got hit in the head, it didn’t look like it was anything over the top but he wasn’t able to return. Aidan Laughery, he was cleared, I don’t know if he got in today, he wasn’t really into the flow of practice until Thursday or Friday so we should have him back going forward. We’ve got a tough opponent next week. I know Wisconsin had a setback today, but they have been playing very good down the stretch here. Obviously, we know a little bit about that place so we’ll go up there and see what we can do.
Super excited to be a 7-3 football team, I know we wish we were 10-0 but those three setbacks we had to learn from. I thought they have done a good job. Kind of like last year, we’ve just got to keep sawing wood, we can only take advantage of today. We’re a good football team that hopefully gets better every week and this weekend has been another step in the right direction.”
On Ca’Lil Valentine having back to back games with more than 200 yards: “For me, personally, I think Ca’Lil Valentine just continues to take steps forward. I thought Kaden Feagin since the first bye week, the way he’s been running in practice, and even against Rutgers, I know he tried to bounce that one, but I just think he’s really continued to take a step forward. I felt all along that those three running backs were pretty good but the way our offensive line played today was also pretty inspiring. I thought they covered guys up and then we got Luke [Altmyer] in there for the run game as well. It makes it hard to defend those kinds of guys.
The emergence of playing consistent football, I can’t say enough about Barry Lunney Jr. I know that we are on pace to break a record for points scored and he’s just a really confident play caller. He’s got a lot of tools around him, obviously having a three-year starting quarterback helps out a lot, but I couldn’t say enough about Barry and our entire offensive staff doing a great job putting that game plan together.”
On Luke Altmyer’s improvisational ability: “He does a lot of crazy things. Also, some of those designed runs make the defense defend an extra person, he just thrives off of it. When Ca’Lil [Valentine] got that holding call, I was letting some people know my opinion on that and he was all fired up. He gets really feisty and I think that’s the part that other people, as we get further into this thing, the good part is he’s playing really good football and the bad part is that he’s in his final phase of playing for us. I have to really enjoy these moments while we have the time together, but I tell our seniors all the time that I’m trying to prepare them for the moment when I’m not with you. I’m not going to be with you in that next phase when you go to the NFL. Those guys need to understand the urgency that they have, especially in the latter part of the season. In college football, in November, especially the starting quarterback, that’s when you’re really defined. Luke’s ability to play down the stretch is a really big deal.”
On analytics, game management and working with Ben Miller: “Ben Miller was our guest captain today and he and I have now been together for five years. This is his third year in the analyst role. He has the book and I go through the analytics with him. I don’t go 100 percent by the analytics, but we use them, and then I get a feel for where we’re at and what we’re doing. From the first drive, he’s giving me what the book says on offense. On defense, he takes the book and uses it as if he’s the opposing offense, so we know when they’re likely to go for it on fourth down. It’s advanced math, but it’s also feel and understanding.
On that particular fourth-and-one-and-a-half call, I asked Barry [Lunney] if he felt good about the call. He said yes. We felt great about the angles. Two of our best players were involved. Good coaches put their best players in great positions, and he does that routinely. The results speak for themselves for the last two games.”
On if he told the coaching staff he could run or they asked him to do it: “Team effort, for sure. There’s weeks, days, where I’m like yeah, I can really supplement this game with my legs, and he feels the same way some weeks, obviously trying to protect me. Those are big shots. And sometimes I take on those runs, and it’s quite honestly probably been the reason I haven’t really been in that action a whole lot earlier in the season, just protecting my body a little bit, that’s understandable. But I’m a competitor, that’s a tool that I have in my game. God’s gifted me with great ability to run, and so I kind of do whatever it takes to win, and that’s what we’re doing here late in the season, because it’s hard to win in this league in November. It’ll be hard to defend, I’m certainly going to the coaches, all ideas possible to create a positive place for it.”
On how he views his last stretch of college football: “I’m just grateful and very thankful for my time here. I’m just trying to play well, I’m trying to do my job. Bottom line is I went out there and played four quarters of football and I needed to play well for us to win, and that’s the bottom line. I compete at a high level. I throw my body around, I love the pain of the game, I just try to do my best, but me thinking ahead to what’s next in the future and down the line after this season will only hinder me from playing my best football in a four quarter game. Especially this late in the season. It’s tough to win. Especially when you’re about to go on the road to Wisconsin and going to play a rival game here to finish it out. I’m aware that it’s coming to an end, and I’m being intentional about my relationships, and every single snap that I get on that field, looking around sometimes, appreciating the fans, appreciating my teammates, and throwing my body around, that’s what I’ll miss most.”
On his pair of touchdowns: “Yeah, the first one was just a double-move, out and up. We watched film during the week and saw that these guys like to jump routes, so we figured an out and up to the field would work. He ended up biting on it, Luke [Altmyer] threw a great ball and we connected on it. That was that. The other one was just a fake block for a screen to Hank [Beatty] and then I released up the sideline. They bit on that one again, it was open, and Luke threw a great ball again. So, you know, we just executed.”
On Barry Lunney Jr.: “Really good play caller, really good dude. Love him to death. He puts us in great plays and great situations to execute them. At the end of the day, it’s not always about the play call, it’s about us executing it, but he puts us in great situations. He’s a leader. Whether it’s with his feet, with his arm, talking to guys on the sideline, he’s a leader. And we’re happy to have him. He’s got a competitive streak. You see it, getting gritty on the ground, getting those extra yards. The whole team sees it. Lots of guys slide or whatever, but you can tell that competitive nature comes out.”
On the identity of the Illinois defense: “Yeah, it’s hard not to say tough, smart, dependable. I mean, it’s what they preach all the time. I wish I could find a better one for you but I mean, that’s truly what it is. We’re trying to be tough in all phases, mentally or physically, through the long drives, or through knowing the situation end of half, end of game, all those different things. That kind of transitions into being smart, being aware, and then being dependable and just having the guy on your right, the guy on your left and trusting them that they’re gonna do their best, and ultimately you got to do your best.
On Aaron Henry keeping the defense together: “That’s just the dude he is. He’s a great personality guy, he’s someone that cares about you personally, he’s a great character. He emphasizes being together. A saying is like: the team that can stay the closest, or the team that can get the closest in today’s era with the transfer portal and all of those things, they will be the most successful, and so ultimately he’s that staple, he’s easy to follow, easy to get around, or to believe in, so I think that plays a role in these ups and downs.”
On how the defense slowed down Maryland’s quarterback, Malik Washington: “That’s a great player, I think he will continue to develop and I think he could be a really great player in this conference. But we did do some good things to slow him down, and they didn’t try all that much to get him going in the run game, but when they did, you know we had the answers there. We were able to execute it and it didn’t turn into something big.”
On if he is taking in his final games differently: “Yeah, no doubt. I was taking it all in after the game today. I was just walking around, looking at the lights and everything. It was just like, what a tremendous opportunity that I’ve been blessed to be a part of. Coming into the program, where it was, and even just the atmosphere today, when you showed up in 2022, that was not what you got. What Coach B is building and what this team is building is just an awesome thing to be a part of. The gratitude to have a little small piece in that. A lot of people don’t get the opportunity to play college football, and so, a lot of gratitude these past few weeks, and just finding every opportunity to spend time with my brothers.”
