2024 Illinois Fighting Illini football team

2024 Illinois Fighting Illini football
Citrus Bowl champion
Citrus Bowl, W 21–17 vs. South Carolina
Conference	Big Ten Conference
Ranking
Coaches	No. 16
AP	No. 16
Record	10–3 (6–3 Big Ten)
Head coach	Bret Bielema (4th season)
Offensive coordinator	Barry Lunney Jr. (3rd season)
Offensive scheme	Multiple
Defensive coordinator	Aaron Henry (2nd season)
Co-defensive coordinator	Terrance Jamison (2nd season)
Base defense	Multiple 3–4
Home stadium	Memorial Stadium
Seasons ←  2023 2025  →

2024 Big Ten Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 3 Oregon y$^		9	–	0					13	–	1
No. 5 Penn State y^		8	–	1					13	–	3
No. 10 Indiana ^		8	–	1					11	–	2
No. 1 Ohio State #^		7	–	2					14	–	2
No. 16 Illinois		6	–	3					10	–	3
Iowa		6	–	3					8	–	5
Michigan		5	–	4					8	–	5
Minnesota		5	–	4					8	–	5
USC		4	–	5					7	–	6
Rutgers		4	–	5					7	–	6
Washington		4	–	5					6	–	7
Nebraska		3	–	6					7	–	6
Michigan State		3	–	6					5	–	7
UCLA		3	–	6					5	–	7
Wisconsin		3	–	6					5	–	7
Northwestern		2	–	7					4	–	8
Maryland		1	–	8					4	–	8
Purdue		0	–	9					1	–	11
Championship: Oregon 45, Penn State 37
# – College Football Playoff champion ^ – College Football Playoff participant $ – Conference champion y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll

The 2024 Illinois Fighting Illini football team was an American football team that represented the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season. In their fourth season under head coach Bret Bielema, the Fighting Illini compiled a 10–3 record (6–3 in conference games), tied for fifth place in the Big Ten, and outscored opponents by a total of 368 to 282. They concluded the season with a 21–17 victory over South Carolina in the Citrus Bowl. ^[1] With their first ten-win season since 2001, the Illini were ranked No. 16 in the final AP and coaches polls.

The team's statistical leaders included quarterback Luke Altmyer (2,717 passing yards), running back Josh McCray (609 rushing yards), wide receiver Pat Bryant (510 receiving yards), kicker David Olano (89 points scored, 38 of 39 extra points, 17 of 20 field goals), and defensive back Matthew Bailey (94 total tackles, 44 solo tackles). ^[2] Defensive back Xavier Scott had four interceptions and won first-team honors from the media on the 2024 All-Big Ten Conference football team. ^[3]

The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 29	8:00 p.m.	Eastern Illinois *		Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL	BTN	W 45–0	43,849
September 7	6:00 p.m.	No. 19 Kansas *		Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL	FS1	W 23–17	60,670
September 14	11:00 a.m.	Central Michigan *		Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL	Peacock	W 30–9	51,498
September 20	7:00 p.m.	at No. 22 Nebraska	No. 24	Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE	FOX	W 31–24 OT	86,936
September 28	6:30 p.m.	at No. 9 Penn State	No. 19	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA	NBC	L 7–21	109,911
October 12	2:30 p.m.	Purdue	No. 23	Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL (rivalry)	FS1	W 50–49 OT	55,815
October 19	2:30 p.m.	No. 24 Michigan	No. 22	Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL (rivalry)	CBS	W 21–7	60,670
October 26	2:30 p.m.	at No. 1 Oregon	No. 20	Autzen Stadium Eugene, OR	CBS	L 9–38	59,830
November 2	11:00 a.m.	Minnesota	No. 24	Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL	FS1	L 17–25	58,088
November 16	1:30 p.m.	Michigan State		Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL	FS1	W 38–16	52,660
November 23	11:00 a.m.	at Rutgers	No. 25	SHI Stadium Piscataway, NJ	Peacock	W 38–31	47,524
November 30	11:00 a.m.	at Northwestern	No. 23	Wrigley Field Chicago, IL (rivalry)	BTN	W 38–28	26,378
December 31	2:00 p.m.	No. 15 South Carolina	No. 20	Camping World Stadium Orlando, FL (Citrus Bowl)	ABC	W 21–17	47,129
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll (and CFP Rankings, after November 5) – Released prior to game All times are in Central time Source: [4] [5]

Rankings

Further information: 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings

Ranking movements
Legend:██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	Final
AP	—	—	RV	24	19	24	23	22	20	24	—	—	24	22	21	21	16
Coaches	—	—	RV	RV	21	25	23	21	21	24	RV	RV	RV	25	21	21	16
CFP	Not released										—	—	25	23	21	20	Not released

Game summaries

vs Eastern Illinois (FCS)

See also: 2024 Eastern Illinois Panthers football team

Eastern Illinois Panthers (FCS) (0–0) at Illinois Fighting Illini (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers (FCS)	0	0	0	0	0
Fighting Illini	14	17	7	7	45

at Memorial Stadium • Champaign, IL

• Date: August 29
• Game time: 8:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny, 82 °F (28 °C)
• Game attendance: 43,849
• Referee: Ron Snodgrass
• TV announcers (BTN): Mark Followill (play-by-play), Jeremy Leman (analyst), and Kylen Mills (sideline reporter)

Game information

First quarter (4:15) ILL – Pat Bryant 15-yard pass from Luke Altmyer (David Olano kick) (Drive: 10 plays, 77 yards, 5:12; Illinois 7–0) (0:43) ILL – Tanner Arkin 5-yard pass from Luke Altmyer (David Olano kick) (Drive: 4 plays, 25 yards, 1:49; Illinois 14–0) Second quarter (10:10) ILL – David Olano 39-yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 53 yards, 4:45; Illinois 17–0) (4:43) ILL – Pat Bryant 28-yard pass from Luke Altmyer (David Olano kick) (Drive: 2 plays, 29 yards, 0:38; Illinois 24–0) (1:30) ILL – Malik Elzy 34 yard pass from Luke Altmyer (David Olano kick) (Drive: 4 plays, 67 yards, 0:59; Illinois 31–0) Third quarter (7:04) ILL – Kaden Feagin 1-yard run (David Olano kick) (Drive: 9 plays, 86 yards, 4:40; Illinois 38–0) Fourth quarter (13:51) ILL – Josh McCray 6-yard run (David Olano kick) (Drive: 9 plays, 87 yards, 4:27; Illinois 45–0)

Statistics	EIU	ILL
First downs	9	27
Total yards	196	488
Rushing yards	49	246
Passing yards	147	242
Passing: comp–att–int	16–32–2	21–29–0
Time of possession	23:59	36:01

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Eastern Illinois	Passing	Pierce Holley	16/32, 147 yards, 2 INT
	Rushing	MJ Flowers	9 carries, 28 yards
	Receiving	DeAirious Smith	5 receptions, 63 yards
Illinois	Passing	Luke Altmyer	19/24, 213 yards, 4 TD
	Rushing	Kaden Feagin	16 carries, 108 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Pat Bryant	5 receptions, 63 yards, 2 TD

vs No. 19 Kansas

See also: 2024 Kansas Jayhawks football team

No. 19 Kansas Jayhawks (1–0) vs Illinois Fighting Illini (1–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 19 Jayhawks	0	10	7	0	17
Fighting Illini	3	10	0	10	23

at Memorial Stadium • Champaign, Illinois

• Date: September 7
• Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 67 °F (19 °C) • Wind: N 8 mph
• Game attendance: 60,670
• Referee: David Alvarez
• TV announcers (FS1): Alex Faust (play-by-play) and Robert Smith (analyst)

Game information

First quarter (3:35) ILL – David Olano 23-yard field goal (Drive: 14 plays, 62 yards, 7:35; Illinois 3–0) Second quarter (12:39) KAN – Tabor Allen 29-yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 64 yards, 5:56; Tied 3–3) (3:32) KAN – Luke Grimm 3-yard pass from Jalon Daniels, Tabor Allen kick (Drive: 7 plays, 81 yards, 3:05; Kansas 10–3) (1:05) ILL – David Olano 50-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 2:27; Kansas 10–6) (0:36) ILL – Xavier Scott 30-yard interception, David Olano kick (Illinois 13–10) Third quarter (4:57) KAN – Lawrence Arnold 13-yard pass from Jalon Daniels, Tabor Allen kick (Drive: 14 plays, 81 yards, 8:17; Kansas 17–13) Fourth quarter (9:34) ILL – Kaden Feagin 1-yard run, David Olano kick (Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:54; Illinois 20–17) (0:58) ILL – David Olano 43-yard field goal (Drive: 15 plays, 42 yards, 6:46; Illinois 23–17)

Statistics	KU	ILL
First downs	18	14
Total yards	65–327	59–271
Rushing yards	33–186	34–79
Passing yards	141	192
Passing: comp–att–int	18–32–3	16–25–0
Time of possession	29:22	30:38

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Kansas	Passing	Jalon Daniels	18/32, 141 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT
	Rushing	Devin Neal	14 carries, 101 yards
	Receiving	Lawrence Arnold	4 receptions, 44 yards, 1 TD
Illinois	Passing	Luke Altmyer	16/25, 192 yards
	Rushing	Kaden Feagin	16 carries, 40 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Zakhari Franklin	9 receptions, 99 yards

vs Central Michigan

See also: 2024 Central Michigan Chippewas football team

Central Michigan Chippewas (1–1) vs Illinois Fighting Illini (2–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Chippewas	3	3	0	3	9
Fighting Illini	7	6	10	7	30

at Memorial Stadium • Champaign, Illinois

• Date: September 14
• Game time: 11:00 a.m. CDT
• Game weather: 79 °F (26 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 51,498
• Referee: Kole Knueppel
• TV announcers (Peacock): Jac Collinsworth (play-by-play), Michael Robinson (analyst), and Caroline Pineda (sideline reporter)
• FightingIllini.com box score

Game information

First quarter ILL – Pat Bryant 11-yard pass from Luke Altmyer (David Olano kick), 7:05. Illinois 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 59 yards, 6:25. CMU – Tristan Mattson 32-yard field goal, 1:58. Illinois 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 61 yards, 5:07. Second quarter ILL – David Olano 49-yard field goal, 1:55. Illinois 10–3. Drive: 6 plays, 26 yards, 2:53. CMU – Tristan Mattson 29-yard field goal, 0:36. Illinois 10–6. Drive: 10 plays, 64 yards, 1:19. ILL – Ethan Moczulski 59-yard field goal, 0:00. Illinois 13–6. Drive: 5 plays, 34 yards, 0:36. Third quarter ILL – Pat Bryant 20-yard pass from Luke Altmyer (David Olano kick), 13:05. Illinois 20–6. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:55. ILL – David Olano 34-yard field goal, 4:43. Illinois 23–6. Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 4:29. Fourth quarter CMU – Tristan Mattson 25-yard field goal, 11:58. Illinois 23–9. Drive: 12 plays, 59 yards, 3:59. ILL – Kadin Feagin 2-yard run (David Olano kick), 9:34. Illinois 30–9. Drive: 4 plays, 46 yards, 2:23.

Statistics	CMU	ILL
First downs	19	20
Total yards	62–309	58–379
Rushing yards	33–142	29–137
Passing yards	167	242
Passing: comp–att–int	15–29–1	19–29–0
Time of possession	20:03	30:57

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Central Michigan	Passing	Joe Labas	12/25, 125 yards, 1 INT
	Rushing	Myles Bailey	6 carries, 49 yards
	Receiving	Evan Boyd	3 receptions, 38 yards
Illinois	Passing	Luke Altmyer	19/29, 242 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Josh McCray	8 carries, 54 yards
	Receiving	Pat Bryant	7 receptions, 102 yards, 2 TD

at No. 22 Nebraska

See also: 2024 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team

No. 24 Illinois Fighting Illini (3–0) at No. 22 Nebraska Cornhuskers (3–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
No. 24 Fighting Illini	7	3	7	7	7	31
No. 22 Cornhuskers	10	7	0	7	0	24

at Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, Nebraska

• Date: September 20
• Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny
• Game attendance: 86,936
• Referee: Greg Blum
• TV announcers (FOX): Tim Brando (play-by-play), Devin Gardner (analyst), and Josh Sims (sideline)

Game information

First Quarter (11:54) ILL – Pat Bryant 27 yard pass from Luke Altmyer, David Olano kick (Drive: 6 plays, 78 yards, 2:08, Illinois 7–0) (3:15) NEB – John Hohl 21 yard field goal (Drive: 18 plays, 72 yards, 8:39, Illinois 7–3) (0:32) NEB – Isaiah Neyor 6 yard pass from Dylan Raiola, John Hohl kick (Drive: 4 plays, 37 yards, 2:09, Nebraska 10–7) Second Quarter (11:37) ILL – David Olano 26 yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 3:48, 10–10) (0:16) NEB – Isaiah Neyor 11 yard pass from Dylan Raiola, John Hohl kick (Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 3:06, Nebraska 17–10) Third Quarter (1:55) ILL – Tanner Arkin 3 yard pass from Luke Altmyer, David Olano kick (Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 5:00, 17–17) Fourth Quarter (14:57) NEB – Janiran Bonner 1 yard pass from Dylan Raiola, John Hohl kick (Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 1:58, Nebraska 24–17) (10:36) ILL – Brandon Henderson 6 yard pass from Luke Altmyer, David Olano kick (Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:21, 24–24) Overtime ILL – Pat Bryant 4 yard pass from Luke Altmyer, David Olano kick (Drive: 2 plays, 25 yards, Illinois 31–24)

Statistics	ILL	NEB
First downs	25	20
Total yards	66–381	68–345
Rushing yards	39–166	31–77
Passing yards	215	297
Passing: comp–att–int	21–27–0	23–35–1
Time of possession	29:38	30:22

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Illinois	Passing	Luke Altmyer	21/27, 215 yards, 4 TD
	Rushing	Kaden Feagin	12 carries, 69 yards
	Receiving	Pat Bryant	5 reception, 74 yards, 2 TD
Nebraska	Passing	Dylan Raiola	23/35, 284 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Dante Dowdell	20 carries, 72 yards
	Receiving	Isaiah Neyor	4 receptions, 90 yards, 2 TD

at No. 9 Penn State

See also: 2024 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

No. 19 Illinois Fighting Illini (4–0) at No. 9 Penn State Nittany Lions (3–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 19 Fighting Illini	7	0	0	0	7
No. 9 Nittany Lions	7	0	7	7	21

at Beaver Stadium • University Park, Pennsylvania

• Date: September 28
• Game time: 6:30 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Cloudy, 66 °F (19 °C)
• Game attendance: 109,911
• Referee: Jeffrey Servinski
• TV announcers (NBC): Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (analyst), and Kathryn Tappen (sideline reporter)

Game information
First quarter UI – Carson Goda, 4-yard TD pass from Luke Altmyer, David Olano kick, 9:36 (UI 7–0) PSU – Tyler Warren, 3-yard TD run, Sander Sahaydak kick, 5:34 (TIE 7–7) Second quarter No scoring Third quarter PSU – Nicholas Singleton, 4-yard TD run, Sahaydak kick, 8:38 (PSU 14–7) Fourth quarter PSU – Kaytron Allen, 5-yard TD run, Ryan Barker kick, 1:55 (PSU 21–7)

Statistics	ILL	PSU
First downs	17	24
Total yards	57–219	65–374
Rushing yards	32–34	44–239
Passing yards	185	135
Passing: comp–att–int	16–25–1	15–21–0
Time of possession	26:11	33:49

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Illinois	Passing	Luke Altmyer	16/25, 185 yards, TD, INT
	Rushing	Kaden Feagin	13 carries, 64 yards
	Receiving	Zakhari Franklin	4 receptions, 49 yards
Penn State	Passing	Drew Allar	15/21, 135 yards
	Rushing	Kaytron Allen	18 carries, 102 yards, TD
	Receiving	Harrison Wallace III	4 receptions, 50 yards

vs Purdue (rivalry)

See also: 2024 Purdue Boilermakers football team and Illinois–Purdue football rivalry

Purdue Boilermakers (1–4) vs No. 23 Illinois Fighting Illini (4–1) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Boilermakers	0	3	17	23	6	49
No. 23 Fighting Illini	10	14	3	16	7	50

at Memorial Stadium • Champaign, Illinois

• Date: October 12
• Game time: 2:30 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny, 82 °F (28 °C); Wind: SW 8 miles per hour (13 km/h)
• Game attendance: 55,815
• Referee: Ron Snodgrass
• TV announcers (FS1): Eric Collins (play-by-play) and Spencer Tillman (analyst)
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter ILL – David Olano 30-yard field goal, 6:04. ILL 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 3:45. ILL – Josh McCray 11-yard run (David Olano kick), 0:10. ILL 10–0. Drive: 8 plays, 73 yards, 4:26. Second quarter PUR – Spencer Porath 22-yard field goal, 5:41. ILL 10–3. Drive: 9 plays, 74 yards, 4:30. ILL – Zakhari Franklin 8-yard pass from Luke Altmyer (David Olano kick), 1:56. ILL 17–3. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:45. ILL – Josh McCray 6-yard pass from Luke Altmyer (David Olano kick), 0:19. ILL 24–3. Drive: 5 plays, 25 yards, 1:34. Third quarter ILL – David Olano 49-yard field goal, 10:57. ILL 27–3. Drive: 9 plays, 44 yards, 4:03. PUR – Jahmal Edrine 53-yard pass from Ryan Browne (Spencer Porath kick), 7:43 ILL 27–10. Drive: 6 plays, 85 yards, 3:10. PUR – Will Heldt 16-yard fumble recovery (Spencer Porath kick), 7:35. ILL 27–17. PUR – Spencer Porath 24-yard field goal, 0:49. ILL 27–20. Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 2:35. Fourth quarter ILL – Luke Altmyer 13-yard run (David Olano kick), 13:17. ILL 34–20. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:32. PUR – Jaron Tibbs 8-yard pass from Ryan Browne (Max Klare pass), 10:31. ILL 34–28. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:46. ILL – Josh McCray 3-yard run (missed try), 5:05. ILL 40–28. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:26. PUR – Devin Mockobee 2-yard run (Spencer Porath kick), 1:35. ILL 40–35. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 3:30. PUR – Devin Mockobee 13-yard pass from Ryan Browne (Jahmal Edrine pass) 0:46. PUR 43–40. Drive: 3 plays, 43 yards, 0:49. ILL – David Olano 38-yard field goal, 0:00. Tied 43–43. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 0:42. Overtime ILL – Pat Bryant 25-yard pass from Luke Altmyer (David Olano kick), 0:00. ILL 50–43. Drive: 1 plays, 25 yards, TOP 0:00. PUR – Arhmad Branch 3-yard run ( ), 0:00. ILL 50–49. Drive: 2 plays, 25 yards, TOP 0:00.

Statistics	PUR	ILL
First downs	21	28
Total yards	58–536	73–556
Rushing yards	32–239	39–177
Passing yards	297	379
Passing: comp–att–int	18–26–0	20–34–0
Time of possession	26:49	33:11

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Purdue	Passing	Ryan Browne	18/26, 297 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	Ryan Browne	17 carries, 118 yards
	Receiving	Max Klare	6 receptions, 133 yards
Illinois	Passing	Luke Altmyer	20/34, 379 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	Josh McCray	16 carries, 78 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Pat Bryant	4 receptions, 104 yards, 1 TD

vs No. 24 Michigan (rivalry)

See also: 2024 Michigan Wolverines football team and Illinois–Michigan football rivalry

No. 24 Michigan Wolverines (4–2) vs No. 22 Illinois Fighting Illini (5–1) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 24 Wolverines	0	7	0	0	7
No. 22 Fighting Illini	3	10	8	0	21

at Memorial Stadium • Champaign, Illinois

• Date: October 19
• Game time: 2:30 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C), sunny, SW 4 miles per hour (6.4 km/h)
• Game attendance: 60,670
• Referee: Tim O'Dey
• TV announcers (CBS): Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Gary Danielson (analyst), and Jenny Dell (sideline reporter)

Game information

First quarter (12:07) Illinois – David Olano 47-yard field gold (Drive: 7 plays, 46 yards, 2:53; Illinois 3–0) Second quarter (11:35) Illinois – David Olano 32-yard field gold (Drive: 5 plays, 24 yards, 2:37; Illinois 6–0) (7:53) Illinois – Tanner Arkin 2-yard pass from Luke Altmyer (David Olano kick) (Drive: 7 plays, 51 yards, 3:04; Illinois 13–0) (1:40) Michigan – Kalel Mullings 1-yard run (Dominic Zvada kick) (Drive: 12 plays, 72 yards, 6:07; Illinois 13–7) Third quarter (9:16) Illinois – Luke Altmyer 1-yard run (Donovan Leary–Zakhari Franklin pass) (Drive: 8 plays, 55 yards, 3:47; Illinois 21–7) Fourth quarter No scoring plays

Statistics	MICH	ILL
First downs	20	18
Total yards	70–322	57–267
Rushing yards	38–114	38–187
Passing yards	208	80
Passing: comp–att–int	20–32–1	9–19–0
Time of possession	33:34	26:26

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Michigan	Passing	Jack Tuttle	20/32, 208 yards, 1 INT
	Rushing	Kalel Mullings	19 carries, 87 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Colston Loveland	7 receptions, 83 yards
Illinois	Passing	Luke Altmyer	9/18, 80 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Aidan Laughery	9 carries, 54 yards
	Receiving	Pat Bryant	4 receptions, 32 yards

at No. 1 Oregon

See also: 2024 Oregon Ducks football team

No. 20 Illinois Fighting Illini (6–1) at No. 1 Oregon Ducks (7–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 20 Fighting Illini	3	0	6	0	9
No. 1 Ducks	14	21	0	3	38

at Autzen Stadium • Eugene, Oregon

• Date: October 26
• Game time: 2:30 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 70 °F (21 °C) • Wind: SW 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h)
• Game attendance: 59,830
• Referee: Mark Kluczynski
• TV announcers (CBS): Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Gary Danielson (analyst), and Jenny Dell (sideline reporter)

Game information

First quarter (10:49) ORE – Tez Johnson 31-yard pass from Dillon Gabriel, Atticus Sappington kick (Drive: 9 plays, 83 yards, 4:05; Oregon 7–0) (6:05) ORE – Justius Lowe 34-yard pass from Dillon Gabriel, Atticus Sappington kick (Drive: 7 plays, 58 yards, 2:41; Oregon 14–0) (1:34) ILL – David Olano 38-yard field goal (Drive: 6 plays, 46 yards, 2:00; Oregon 14–3) Second quarter (12:20) ORE – Dillon Gabriel 7-yard run, Atticus Sappington kick (Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 4:14; Oregon 21–3) (6:09) ORE – Noah Whittington 18-yard run, Atticus Sappington kick (Drive: 6 plays, 54 yards, 3:13; Oregon 28–3) (0:29) ORE – Noah Whittington 2-yard pass from Dillon Gabriel, Atticus Sappington kick (Drive: 8 plays, 89 yards, 2:03; Oregon 35–3) Third quarter (0:46) ILL – Ca'Lil Valentine 4-yard run, two-point run failed (Drive: 16 plays, 95 yards, 6:42; Oregon 35–9) Fourth quarter (9:04) ORE – Andrew Boyle 44-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 40 yards, 3:05. Oregon 38–9)

Statistics	ILL	ORE
First downs	18	27
Total yards	67–293	67–527
Rushing yards	32–132	39–229
Passing yards	161	298
Passing: comp–att–int	17–35–2	20–28–1
Time of possession	28:45	31:15

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Illinois	Passing	Luke Altmyer	17/35, 162 yards, 2 INT
	Rushing	Aidan Laughery	12 carries, 69 yards
	Receiving	Zakhari Franklin	6 receptions, 72 yards
Oregon	Passing	Dillon Gabriel	18/26, 291 yards, 3 TD, INT
	Rushing	Jordan James	15 carries, 83 yards
	Receiving	Tez Johnson	6 receptions, 102 yards, TD

vs Minnesota

See also: 2024 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team

Minnesota Golden Gophers (5–3) vs No. 24 Illinois Fighting Illini (6–2) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Golden Gophers	3	10	3	9	25
No. 24 Fighting Illini	0	10	0	7	17

at Memorial Stadium • Champaign, Illinois

• Date: November 2
• Game time: 11:00 a.m. CDT
• Game weather: • Sunny Temperature: 52 °F (11 °C) • Wind: 9 mph
• Game attendance: 58,088
• Referee: Larry Smith
• TV announcers (FS1): Tim Brando (play-by-play), Devin Gardner (analyst), and Josh Sims (sideline reporter)

Game information

First quarter (6:21) MINN – Dragan Kesich 20-yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 42 yards, 4:48; Minnesota 3–0) Second quarter (10:08) ILL – David Olano 25-yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 65 yards, 6:26; Tied 3–3) (6:55) MINN – Darius Taylor 29-yard run, Dragan Kesich kick (Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 3:13; Minnesota 10–3) (3:28) ILL – Josh McCray 42-yard run, David Olano kick (Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:26; Tied 10–10) (0:19) MINN – Dragan Kesich 45-yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 3:09; Minnesota 13–10) Third quarter (4:36) MINN – Dragan Kesich 38-yard field goal (Drive: 12 plays, 44 yards, 6:33; Minnesota 16–10) Fourth quarter (9:03) ILL – Zakhari Franklin 21-yard pass from Luke Altmyer, David Olano kick (Drive: 5 plays, 54 yards, 2:08; Illinois 17–16) (5:14) MINN – Jameson Geers 1-yard pass from Max Brosmer, two-point pass failed (Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:49; Minnesota 22–17) (1:52) MINN – Dragan Kesich 46-yard field goal (Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 1:25; Minnesota 25–17)

Statistics	MINN	ILL
First downs	21	20
Total yards	361	352
Rushing yards	148	126
Passing yards	213	226
Passing: comp–att–int	22–37–0	20–33–0
Time of possession	34:59	25:01

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Minnesota	Passing	Max Brosmer	22/37, 213 yards, TD
	Rushing	Darius Taylor	22 carries, 131 yards, TD
	Receiving	Daniel Jackson	5 receptions, 74 yards, TD
Illinois	Passing	Luke Altmyer	20/33, 226 yards, TD
	Rushing	Josh McCray	7 carries, 72 yards, TD
	Receiving	Pat Bryant	5 receptions, 72 yards

vs Michigan State

See also: 2024 Michigan State Spartans football team

Michigan State Spartans (4–5) vs Illinois Fighting Illini (6–3) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Spartans	6	3	7	0	16
Fighting Illini	14	7	3	14	38

at Memorial Stadium • Champaign, Illinois

• Date: November 16
• Game time: 1:30 p.m. CST
• Game weather: • Cloudy Temperature: 51 °F (11 °C) • Wind: 13 mph
• Game attendance: 52,660
• Referee: Chris Coyte
• TV announcers (FS1): Alex Faust (play-by-play) and Robert Smith (analyst)
• FightingIllini.com box score

Game information

First quarter (09:52) ILL TD: Pat Bryant 57-yard pass from Luke Altmyer (David Olano kick) ILL 7–0; 2 plays, 74 yards, 1:04 (07:53) MSU TD: Aziah Johnson 52-yard pass from Aidan Chiles (Jonathan Kim miss) ILL 7–6; 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:59 (01:06) ILL TD: Josh McCray 11-yard run (David Olano kick) ILL 14–6; 13 plays, 75 yards, 6:47 Second quarter (02:01) ILL TD: Zakhari Franklin 4-yard pass from Luke Altmyer (David Olano kick) ILL 21–6; 12 plays, 64 yards, 6:09 (01:02) MSU FG: Jonathan Kim 38-yard field goal ILL 21–9; 9 plays, 55 yards, 00:59 Third quarter (09:35) MSU TD: Nathan Carter 5-yard pass from Aidan Chiles (Jonathan Kim kick) ILL 21–16; 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:25 (05:45) ILL FG: David Olano 37-yard field goal ILL 24–16; 8 plays, 56 yards, 3:50 Four quarter (07:30) ILL TD: Josh McCray 1-yard run (David Olano kick) ILL 31–16; 8 plays, 49 yards, 5:16 (01:56) ILL TD: Josh McCray 1-yard run (David Olano kick) ILL 38–16; 4 plays, 38 yards, 2:10

Statistics	MSU	ILL
First downs	18	18
Total yards	343	369
Rushing yards	87	138
Passing yards	256	231
Passing: comp–att–int	23–40–0	19–32–0
Time of possession	28:32	31:28

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Michigan State	Passing	Aidan Chiles	23/40, 256 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Aidan Chiles	12 carries, 40 yards
	Receiving	Montorie Foster Jr.	7 receptions, 76 yards
Illinois	Passing	Luke Altmyer	19/32, 231 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Josh McCray	9 carries, 61 yards, 3 TD
	Receiving	Pat Bryant	4 receptions, 135 yards, 1 TD

at Rutgers

See also: 2024 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team

No. 25 Illinois Fighting Illini (7–3) at Rutgers Scarlet Knights (6–4) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 25 Fighting Illini	0	9	6	23	38
Scarlet Knights	3	14	0	14	31

at SHI Stadium • Piscataway, New Jersey

• Date: November 23
• Game time: 11:00 a.m. CST
• Game weather: • Sunny Temperature: 49 °F (9 °C) • Wind: 17 mph
• Game attendance: 47,524
• Referee: Larry Smith
• TV announcers (Peacock): Andrew Siciliano (play-by-play), Michael Robinson (analyst), and Caroline Pineda (sideline)
• FightingIllini.com box score

Statistics	ILL	RUTG
First downs	24	30
Total yards	431	388
Rushing yards	182	213
Passing yards	249	197
Passing: comp–att–int	12–26–0	19–37–0
Time of possession	25:38	34:18

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Illinois	Passing	Luke Altmyer	12/26, 249 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Luke Altmyer	11 carries, 74 yards, TD
	Receiving	Pat Bryant	7 receptions, 197 yards, TD
Rutgers	Passing	Athan Kaliakmanis	19/37, 175 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Kyle Monangai	28 carries, 122 yards
	Receiving	Ian Strong	6 receptions, 66 yards, TD

at Northwestern (rivalry)

See also: 2024 Northwestern Wildcats football team and Illinois–Northwestern football rivalry

No. 23 Illinois Fighting Illini (8–3) at Northwestern Wildcats (4–7) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 23 Fighting Illini	7	7	14	10	38
Wildcats	10	0	10	8	28

at Wrigley Field • Chicago, Illinois

• Date: November 30
• Game time: 11:00 a.m. CST
• Game weather: 18 °F (−8 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 26,378
• Referee: Kole Knueppel
• TV announcers (BTN): Chris Vosters (play-by-play), Matt Millen (analyst), and Kylen Mills (sideline reporter)
• FightingIllini.com box score

Game information

First quarter (9:31) NU – Luke Akers 21-yard field goal (Drive: 12 plays, 72 yards, 5:29; Northwestern 3–0) (8:12) UI – Aidan Laughery 30-yard run, David Olano kick (Drive: 3 plays, 73 yards, 1:14; Illinois 7–3) (2:14) NU – Devin Turner 13-yard interception, Luke Akers kick (Northwestern 10–7) Second quarter (13:21) UI – Luke Altmyer 1-yard run, David Olano kick (Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 3:46; Illinois 14–10) Third quarter (14:15) UI – Aidan Laughery 64-yard run, David Olano kick (Drive: 2 plays, 69 yards, 0:39; Illinois 21–10) (10:08) UI – Pat Bryant 43-yard pass from Luke Altmyer, David Olano kick (Drive: 5 plays, 62 yards, 2:36; Illinois 28–10) (5:35) NU – Luke Akers 34-yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 59 yards, 4:33; Illinois 28–13) (1:34) NU – A. J. Henning 11-yard pass from Jack Lausch, Luke Akers kick (Drive: 5 plays, 40 yards, 2:35; Illinois 28–20) Fourth quarter (12:15) UI – Aidan Laughery 31-yard run, David Olano kick (Drive: 4 plays, 42 yards, 1:54; Illinois 35–20) (11:06) UI – David Olano 24-yard field goal (Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 0:57; Illinois 38–20) (1:00) NU – Thomas Gordon 15-yard pass from Jack Lausch, Marshall Lang pass (Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 1:42; Illinois 38–28)

Statistics	ILL	NW
First downs	14	28
Total yards	382	442
Rushing yards	212	113
Passing yards	170	329
Passing: comp–att–int	10–17–2	29–61–3
Time of possession	25:28	34:32

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Illinois	Passing	Luke Altmyer	10/17, 170 yards, TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Aidan Laughery	12 carries, 172 yards, 3 TD
	Receiving	Pat Bryant	4 receptions, 70 yards, TD
Northwestern	Passing	Jack Lausch	25/48, 287 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Cam Porter	12 carries, 53 yards
	Receiving	A. J. Henning	10 receptions, 119 yards, TD

vs No. 15 South Carolina (Citrus Bowl)

See also: 2024 South Carolina Gamecocks football team and 2024 Citrus Bowl (December)

2024 Citrus Bowl
No. 15 South Carolina Gamecocks (9–3) vs No. 20 Illinois Fighting Illini (9–3) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 15 Gamecocks	3	0	7	7	17
No. 20 Fighting Illini	7	0	7	7	21

at Camping World Stadium • Orlando, Florida

• Date: Tuesday, December 31, 2024
• Game time: 2:00 p.m. CST
• Game attendance: 47,129
• TV announcers (ABC/ESPN Radio): Mark Jones (play-by-play), Roddy Jones (analyst), and Quint Kessenich (sideline)/Shawn Kelley (play-by-play), Rene Ingoglia (analyst), and Marilyn Payne (sideline)

Game information

First quarter (7:24) SCAR – Alex Herrera 29-yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 47 yards, 5:48; South Carolina 3–0) (0:00) ILL – Zakhari Franklin 15–yard pass from Luke Altmyer, David Olano kick (Drive: 11 plays, 66 yards, 5:13; Illinois 7–3) Second quarter No scoring plays Third quarter (10:50) SCAR – Oscar Adaway III 36-yard run, Alex Herrera kick (Drive: 5 plays, 58 yards, 1:24; South Carolina 10–7) (2:23) ILL – Josh McCray 3-yard run, David Olano kick (Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 4:36; Illinois 14–10) Fourth quarter (14:56) SCAR – Joshua Simon 6-yard pass from LaNorris Sellers, Alex Herrera kick (Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:27; South Carolina 17–14) (7:29) ILL – Josh McCray 9-yard run, David Olano kick (Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 7:27; Illinois 21–17)

Statistics	SCAR	ILL
First downs	20	22
Total yards	390	357
Rushing yards	130	183
Passing yards	260	174
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	24–35–0	13–22–1
Time of possession	31:16	28:44

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
South Carolina	Passing	LaNorris Sellers	24/34, 260 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Oscar Adaway III	14 carries, 69 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Joshua Simon	6 receptions, 69 yards, 1 TD
Illinois	Passing	Luke Altmyer	13/22, 174 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Josh McCray	13 carries, 114 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Hank Beatty	4 receptions, 90 yards

Roster

2024 Illinois Fighting Illini football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class QB 0 Trey Petty Fr WR 1 Mario Sanders II So WR 2 Ashton Hollins  So RB 3 Kaden Feagin So WR 4 Zakhari Franklin Sr RB 5 Ca'lil Valentine Fr RB 6 Josh McCray Jr WR 7 Kenari Wilcher So WR 8 Malik Elzy So QB 9 Luke Altmyer Jr QB 10 Donovan Leary  So QB 11 Jake Huber Jr QB 12 Kirkland Michaux Jr WR 13 Pat Bryant Sr TE 14 Cole Rusk Jr WR 15 Alexander Capka-Jones Jr QB 16 Cal Swanson  Fr WR 17 Collin Dixon  Fr WR 18 Michael Bartolotta Jr WR 20 Morrison Giggetts Fr RB 21 Aidan Laughery  So RB 22 Petey Olaleye  Fr RB 23 Jordan Anderson  So RB 25 Aaron Ball Fr RB 27 Corey Rashad  Fr WR 28 Karson Kaiser Fr TE 39 Jake Furtney Fr TE 41 Clayton Leonard  So TE 42 Jake Petrow Fr TE 43 Nick True  Fr OL 53 Devin Hale Jr OL 55 T. J. McMillen  Fr OL 56 Magnus Møller  So OL 57 Zach Barrett Fr OL 58 Melvin Priestly Jr OL 60 Joep Engbers  Fr OL 62 Sam Tsagalis  So OL 63 Dezmond Schuster Jr OL 64 Josh Kruetz Jr OL 65 Kellen Francis So OL 66 Brandon Hansen Fr OL 67 Steven Scott III Fr OL 70 Zach Aamland  Fr OL 71 Hunter Whitenack Jr OL 72 Zy Crisler Sr OL 73 Josh Gesky Jr OL 74 J. C. Davis Sr OL 75 Brandon Henderson So OL 78 Kevin Wigenton II Jr OL 79 Zafir Stewart Fr WR 80 Hank Beatty Jr WR 81 Carlos Orr-Gillespie Fr WR 83 Tysean Griffin Fr TE 84 Carson Goda Sr TE 85 Tanner Arkin Jr WR 86 Weston Adams  So WR 87 Tyler McClure Jr TE 88 Henry Boyer  So TE 89 Tanner Hollinger Fr	Defense Pos. # Name Class DB 0 Chase Canada So DB 1 Demetrius Hill Jr DB 2 Saboor Karriem So OLB 3 Alec Bryant Jr OLB 4 Daniel Brown Jr DB 5 Torrie Cox Jr. Jr DL 6 Dennis Briggs Jr. Sr DB 7 Matthew Bailey  So DB 8 Terrance Brooks Jr OLB 9 Seth Coleman Sr DB 10 Miles Scott Jr DL 11 Alex Bray So DB 12 Amar Reynolds Fr DB 14 Xavier Scott Jr DB 16 Tanner Heckel Fr OLB 17 Gabe Jacas Jr OLB 18 Mason Muragin  Fr DB 19 Tyson Rooks  So DB 20 Tyler Strain Jr DB 21 Ben Clawson  So DB 22 Kaleb Patterson  So DL 23 Terah Edwards Sr DB 24 Vernon Woodward III Fr DB 25 Jaheim Clarke So DB 26 Mac Resetich So DL 27 Enyce Sledge So LB 28 Dylan Rosiek  Jr DB 29 T. J. Griffin  So OLB 30 JoJo Hayden  Fr DB 32 C. J. Bufkin Sr DL 33 Ezekiel Holmes Sr LB 34 Ryan Meed Sr DB 35 Grayson Griffin  Jr DB 36 Blayne Sisson Fr DB 37 Sage Luther Sr LB 39 Kenenna Odeluga Jr LB 40 Ronan Poynton  Fr LB 41 James Kruetz  So LB 42 Luke Zardzin  Jr OLB 43 Joe Barna Fr DL 44 Angelo McCullom Fr LB 45 Malachi Hood  So LB 47 Easton Baker Fr OLB 48 Carter Smith Fr OLB 49 Harrysson Ngassa Fr DL 52 Pat Farrell  Fr OLB 54 Demetrius John Fr DL 55 Jeremiah Warren  Fr DL 56 Guillermo Gallardo Jr DL 78 Eddie Tuerk Fr DL 92 Gentle Hunt Sr DL 93 Henry Engel  Fr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class P 19 Hugh Robertson Jr K 24 David Olano So K 27 Ethan Moczulski So P 31 Declan Duley  Fr LS 36 Lane Hansen Jr LS 44 Patrick Mahoney III  Fr LS 51 Aidan Hall Sr K/P 98 Fabrizio Pinton Jr	Head coach Bret Bielema Coordinators/assistant coaches Barry Lunney Jr. – Offensive coordinator/Quarterbacks Aaron Henry – Defensive coordinator/secondary Terrance Jamison – Co-defensive coordinator/Defensive line Robby Discher – Special teams coordinator/Tight ends Archie McDaniel – Linebackers Bart Miller – Offensive line Corey Parker – Defensive Backs Clint Sintim – Outside linebackers Justin Stepp – Wide receivers Thad Ward – Running backs/Assistant head coach Ben Miller – Senior head coach analyst Dana Dimel – Senior offensive assistant Myers Hendrickson – Senior analyst Chris Hurd – Senior special teams assistant Byron Bell – Assistant offensive line Danny Cameron – Assistant tight ends Houston Griffith – Assistant wide receivers Dele Harding – Assistant running backs Trent Harris – Assistant outside linebackers Grant Morgan – Assistant linebackers Alex Panos – Assistant defensive line Kevin Laeone Richardson II – Assistant defensive backs Ryan Simerson – Assistant secondary Artur Sitkowski – Assistant quarterbacks Tank Wright – Director, Strength and Conditioning GC Yerry – Associate Director, Strength and Conditioning Matt Manninger – Assistant, Strength and Conditioning Nick Elicone – Assistant, Strength and Conditioning Tyler Mayo – Assistant, Strength and Conditioning Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster Last update: 11/16/2024

References

1. "2024 Illinois Fighting Illini Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
2. "2024 Illinois Fighting Illini Stats". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
3. "Big Ten Announces Football All-Conference Teams and Individual Awards". BigTen.org. Big Ten Conference. December 3, 2024. Retrieved December 4, 2024.
4. "2024 Illinois Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
5. "2024 Football Schedule". University of Illinois Athletics. Retrieved January 5, 2024.