2024 Illinois Fighting Illini Football vs Northwestern at Wrigley Field

#22 Illinois Takes Back the Hat, Defeats Northwestern at Wrigley Field 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.