For the last regular season game on the last day of the month, No. 23 Illinois (9-3, 6-3) took to the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field to battle against in-state rival Northwestern (4-7, 2-6). In the frigid 22-degree weather of the Windy City, the Illini, dressed in white and orange, scored 38 points for the third game in a row. With this, they secured their ninth victory and retook the Land of Lincoln Trophy.
Red zone defense, rapid offense
The Wildcats made forward progress quickly and easily in their first possession against the Illini. However, Illinois’ defense timed its quarterback pressures perfectly in the red zone. Illinois forced Northwestern to resort to a field goal rather than a touchdown despite being at the three-yard line.
When the Illini got on offense, they wasted no time and got on the board in just three plays. Junior quarterback Luke Altmyer threw a long dart on the left side to senior wide receiver Zakhari Franklin for a 43-yard gain. Then, sophomore running back Aidan Laughery found a gap in Northwestern’s defense and rushed 30 yards straight into the end zone to give Illinois a 7-3 lead.
Excitement, disappointment, recovery
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Northwestern’s offense moved the ball quickly and effectively and finished with 137 yards in just the first 15 minutes. After Illinois’ touchdown, Northwestern made its way into the red zone once again. This time, junior defensive back Xavier Scott leaped up to intercept the football for the first interception since the game against Oregon.
The joy from this pick did not last long, however. One of Altmyer’s passes got tipped and landed in the arms of a Wildcats defender, who rushed into the end zone for a pick-six.
But of course, as the Illini have been all season, they were resilient and responded to the Wildcats. After a 38-yard catch by redshirt freshman wide receiver Collin Dixon and a few rushes later, the Illini were back in scoring position. On the one-yard line, Altmyer snuck the ball into the end zone and retook the lead 14-10 early in the second quarter.
Laughery goes long, Bryant scores big
The third quarter started with a bang for the Illini. Laughery decided his 30-yard run in the first quarter wasn’t impressive enough, so he kicked it up a notch to start the second half. The Gibson City native found another hole in the middle and went for a career-long 64-yard rush into the end zone.
Countless times this season, the Illini attempted to rush through the middle but hit brick walls and made no gains. However, against the Wildcats, the Illini had much better luck and strategically made their way through the defense. In total, Laughery finished with 172 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
The recurring theme of complementary football existed for the Illini once more. Their defense forced a three-and-out Wildcats possession, and Altmyer was back in charge of his squad for another scoring drive.
Despite two interceptions, Altmyer was not afraid to get things done in the air. He threw a long bomb to senior wide receiver Pat Bryant, who ran into the end zone to give the Illini an 18-point advantage (28-10).
Fired up in the fourth
Similar to the start of the third quarter, the Illini began strongly and smartly. Sophomore defensive back Mac Resetich got Illinois fans on their feet with the second interception of the game and a 28-yard return.
Back on offense, Laughery continued his elite footwork and vision on the field to rush another 31 yards for an additional touchdown. Northwestern’s run defense struggled all day, and Laughery took advantage of this.
Soon after, sophomore linebacker Malachi Hood forced freshman Wildcats quarterback Ryan Boe to fumble the ball, which then got recovered by sophomore defensive back Matthew Bailey. Sophomore kicker David Olano kicked a 24-yard field goal to maintain a strong lead, and things continued to look bright for the Illini. They had some of the most success with their red zone defense, forcing stops when the Wildcats had plenty of opportunities to score.
After weeks of play with no interceptions, the Illini finished with three against the Wildcats. Junior defensive back Torrie Cox Jr. picked off Boe to put Illinois’ offense on the field once again and essentially sealed the deal for the team. Illinois emerged on top and finished the season how it started: a winning team.
@tess_eken
