No. 24 Illinois football (4-0, 1-0) won 31-24 Friday on a warm, raucous night at No. 22 Nebraska (3-1, 0-1).

Key plays and officiating decisions went both ways throughout the night, but the Illini emerged on top. In their first conference matchup since a heartbreaking loss to Northwestern in 2023, Illinois managed a tough crowd and looked like a ranked program.

Illinois’ secondary was the top unit on the defensive side of the ball through three weeks, but the defensive line stepped up on the first drive. After a first play first down for the Cornhuskers, they got stuffed for a three-yard run. Nebraska’s star freshman quarterback was pressured on the next two snaps, which forced two incompletions.

The good start for Illinois carried over onto the offense. Offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr.’s game plan was aggressive in the first quarter, utilizing everyone’s strengths. Junior quarterback Luke Altmyer found senior receiver Zakhari Franklin for seven yards early, beginning a lethal passing attack.

With a yard to gain on third down, Altmyer threw a 50/50 ball to senior receiver Pat Bryant. The sure-handed Bryant hauled in the jump ball, amping up the Illini sideline. Three plays later, Bryant found himself wide open in the endzone. A nasty double move had the defender spinning around, and Illinois quieted the crowd early for a 7-0 lead.

It wasn’t silent for long, as the 400th consecutive sellout for Nebraska received a solid second drive to cheer for. With the Illini overcompensating to defend the run, Huskers freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola rebounded from a rough first effort.

After 17 plays, 72 yards and 8.5 minutes off the clock, Nebraska faced a key third and a goal from the three. The Illini got a big stop and held the Huskers to a field goal after two drives.

Back-to-back blunders for the Illini handed the ball right back to the marching offense. Altmyer found junior receiver Hank Beatty for a first-down gain, but the wideout got stripped and turned the ball over. The inexcusable turnover in Husker territory led to a quick strike touchdown and a 10-7 Nebraska lead at the end of the first quarter.

A first-play 16-yard gain was called back due to a penalty. It didn’t hold the Illini down as Altmyer continued his stellar start. An eight-play drive took nearly four minutes off the game clock, but injuries and penalties gave the defense more rest. They were held up inside the Husker 10 but evened the score at 10.

With the game knotted, it was Illinois’ turn to force a turnover. In Illini territory, Raiola dropped back and tossed a jump ball deep downfield. While the Nebraska receiver got two hands on the ball first, junior corner Torrie Cox Jr. made the play of his life. With one hand, he stripped the ball from Nebraska and held on as he hit the turf.

The Illini marched right back down the field until a controversial call. Illinois stayed on the field for fourth-and-eight from the Husker 36. The call to not kick a field goal was risky, but Altmyer snapped the ball with one second on the play clock.

The replay shows a Nebraska rusher grab and yank Altmyer’s facemask, but no flag was thrown. Altmyer and head coach Bret Bielema shared their intense frustrations with the officials but turned the ball over on downs.

Raiola and the offense took advantage of the missed call and ran a clinical three-minute drive. It ended with a touchdown pass to the corner of the endzone with 16 seconds remaining, and the crowd was pumped. After a pretty solid first half, the Illini trailed 17-10 but received the ball to begin the third quarter.

Neither team did much on their first drive of the half, with two punts. The only play of note was Illinois losing Franklin to injury, hurting their passing attack. Junior running back Josh McCray answered the call with a massive third-down catch. A one-handed snag late in the third quarter turned fourth-and-eight into fourth-and-one.

An aggressive night for the Illini stayed true, and they kept the offense on the field at the Nebraska 38. McCray was rewarded for his catch and picked up the necessary yard. A Husker defender also punched McCray during the play, giving the Illini an extra 15 yards. Four plays later, Illinois found the end zone for the second time, tying the game, 17-17.

Despite the Illini generating pressure on Raiola nearly every play, it was a quick, successful drive for the Huskers. Illinois’ secondary had arguably their worst two plays of the season on consecutive plays. Two wide-open receivers got Nebraska inside the Illinois five. A touchdown flip gave Nebraska their seven-point lead again less than two minutes later.

It took six drives for Illinois, but the run game finally got going. The first four plays earned 31 yards on the ground and opened up a 15-yard pass to sophomore receiver Malik Elzy.

As sure as the sky being blue, another fourth-down opportunity arose for the Illini. Lunney reached deep in the vault, and Altmyer found sophomore offensive lineman Brandon Henderson in the endzone. A big man touchdown on their third fourth-down conversion attempt of the night was fitting, and it was tied again.

This time, the defense answered the call. Two sacks resulted in a three-and-out, and the ball was back in Altmyer’s hands. Beatty returned the ball to the 46 for great field position and a chance to take the lead.

To Illinois’ dismay, fires can be extinguished. Altmyer fumbled in the backfield on the second play, and Nebraska was back in action. Ten plays later, the Huskers kicker comes on for a 39-yard attempt for the lead.

With three minutes to go, the kick was shanked left, and the Illini ran off the field, celebrating their stop. The offense couldn’t cash in the final minutes, and the exciting affair went to overtime.

Losing the coin toss, Illinois took the field first, driving into the Nebraska student section. They were unfazed and scored after two plays, with Bryant wide open again. With their backs against the wall, the Illinois defense stopped Raiola again. Defensive coordinator Aaron Henry brought the intensity, sacking Nebraska behind the sticks on the first two plays.

“Just the brotherhood — this team is so tightly knit,” Altmyer said after the game about the team’s will to win.

Illinois is now 6-2 in their last eight matchups against teams they lost to the previous year. Bielema has shown he can get his teams up for revenge games, and Friday night was no different.

“Don’t want to live in the past,” said Bielema when asked about last year’s contest. “We kept fighting in overtime. Our defense put the pressure on that Q (Raiola).”

The Illini rushed the field after the final stop, clinching their second-ranked win of the season and advancing to 4-0.

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