Pat Bryant caught a four-yard touchdown pass from Luke Altmyer in overtime to give No. 24 Illinois a 31-24 victory over No. 22 Nebraska in Lincoln. The Fighting Illini are 4-0 for the first time since 2011.
TJ Griffin tackled Huskers quarterback Dylan Raiola on 4th-and-29 to complete the victory. Nebraska got off to a terrible start in overtime, with a false start penalty followed by a sack for a loss of nine yards. An intentional grounding penalty on Raiola then sent Nebraska to a 3rd-and-42.
Quarterback Luke Altmyer passed for 215 yards and four touchdowns, completing 20 of 25 passes. Pat Bryant had five receptions for 74 yards and two scores, with Zakhari Franklin adding five catches for 50 yards. Kaden Feagin rushed for 69 yards on 12 carries.
Illinois tied the score at 24-24 with a six-yard catch by offensive lineman Brandon Henderson, playing tight end. The 70-yard drive was highlighted by a 16-yard run by Feagin, who added 15 yards to the score due to a facemask penalty on Malcolm Hartzog Jr. Nebraska’s Altmyer followed up with a 15-yard pass to Malik Elzy, which moved the Fighting Illini to the Huskers’ 14-yard line.
Nebraska had a chance to take the lead on its next possession, but Dylan Raiola overthrew tight end Luke Lindenmeyer for what would have been a 21-yard touchdown on third down. John Hohl then missed a 39-yard field goal.
The Huskers took a 24-17 lead on a one-yard flip from Raiola to Janiran Bonner early in the fourth quarter. Earlier in the drive, the freshman hit QB Isaiah Neyor for a gain of 44 yards. On the next play, Raiola threw off his back foot to Thomas Fidone II for 29 yards.
Friday night in the Big Ten was a hot one with No. 22 Nebraska taking on No. 24 Illinois in Lincoln. The Huskers moved to 3-0 for the first time since 2016, while the Fighting Illini last won their first three games in 2011.
Illinois quickly quieted the raucous crowd at Memorial Stadium by completing a six-play, 78-yard drive that included Luke Altmyer connecting on a 27-yard touchdown pass to Pat Bryant for a 7-0 lead.
Nebraska squandered a chance to tie the score on its second possession on 3rd-and-goal from the 3-yard line when left tackle Turner Corcoran wasn’t ready to pass-block at the snap, forcing Dylan Raiola to rush his throw. Running back Rahmir Johnson was open but didn’t realize he had run out of bounds, resulting in an incomplete pass. The Huskers had to settle for a field goal after an 18-play drive.
Still, the defense quickly got a lift, forcing Hank Beatty to fumble after making a 14-yard catch. Nebraska took over at the Illinois 37-yard line and moved quickly on a 14-yard run by Dante Dowdell and an end-around by Isaiah Neyor for 13 yards. Raiola then hit Neyor in the back of the end zone for a 6-yard touchdown and a 10-7 lead.
The Huskers appeared to take a 16-10 lead with 7:57 left in the second quarter when Neyor caught a 36-yard scoring pass. However, Illinois cornerback Torrie Cox Jr. also appeared to catch the ball. On the field, officials awarded Neyor a touchdown, but replay showed Cox had the ball under control for an interception.
However, Nebraska scored that touchdown on its next drive.
Illinois failed to convert a 4th-and-8 from the Huskers’ 33-yard line, though officials missed Jimari Butler grabbing Altmyer’s facemask. Nebraska took over with 3:18 left before halftime and drove 70 yards in nine plays, capped by an 11-yard pass from Raiola to Neyor, who dragged his right foot into the lane to allow the touchdown to stand.
Illinois plays No. 10 Penn State next Saturday. Kickoff time for that game has not yet been announced. Nebraska travels to Purdue for a noon ET start.
