2025 Illinois Fighting Illini football team

2025 Illinois Fighting Illini football
Conference	Big Ten Conference
Record	7–3 (4–3 Big Ten)
Head coach	Bret Bielema (5th season)
Offensive coordinator	Barry Lunney Jr. (4th season)
Defensive coordinator	Aaron Henry (3rd season)
Co-defensive coordinator	Terrance Jamison (3rd season)
Home stadium	Gies Memorial Stadium
Seasons ←  2024 2026 →

2025 Big Ten Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 2 Indiana		8	–	0					11	–	0
No. 1 Ohio State		7	–	0					10	–	0
No. 8 Oregon		6	–	1					9	–	1
No. 17 USC		6	–	1					8	–	2
No. 18 Michigan		6	–	1					8	–	2
Washington		4	–	3					7	–	3
Illinois		4	–	3					7	–	3
Nebraska		4	–	3					7	–	3
No. 21 Iowa		4	–	3					6	–	4
Minnesota		4	–	3					6	–	4
Northwestern		3	–	4					5	–	5
UCLA		3	–	4					3	–	7
Rutgers		2	–	5					5	–	5
Maryland		1	–	6					4	–	6
Penn State		1	–	6					4	–	6
Wisconsin		1	–	6					3	–	7
Michigan State		0	–	7					3	–	7
Purdue		0	–	8					2	–	9
Championship: December 6, 2025
$ – Conference champion y – Championship game participant As of November 16, 2025 Rankings from CFP Rankings

The 2025 Illinois Fighting Illini football team represents the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 2025 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by fifth-year head coach Bret Bielema, the Fighting Illini play home games at Gies Memorial Stadium (renamed from "Memorial Stadium" shortly after the start of the 2025 season) ^[1] in Champaign, Illinois.

Offseason

Transfers

Outgoing

Player	Position	Destination
Declan Duley	P	Central Michigan
Morrison Giggetts	WR	Chicago
Zylon Crisler	IOL	Colorado
Ronan Poynton	LB	Drake
Demetrius Hill	S	FIU
Kenari Wilcher	WR	Florida A&M
Enyce Sledge	DL	Florida Atlantic
Steven Scott III	OT	Fresno State
Josh McCray	RB	Georgia
Cal Swanson	QB	Holy Cross
Nick True	TE	Illinois State
Alex Bray	DE	Kansas
Henry Boyer	TE	Kentucky
Joep Engbers	IOL	Liberty
Fabrizio Pinton	K	McNeese
Weston Adams	WR	Montana
Chase Canada	CB	North Texas
Zach Aamland	OL	Rutgers
Blayne Sisson	DB	Southern Illinois
Donovan Leary	QB	Tulane
Carlos Orr-Gillespie	WR	Utah State
Nate Guinn	TE	Utah Tech
Kevin Wigenton II	OL	Virginia
Ethan Moczulski	K	Washington
Hunter Whitenack	OL	Western Michigan
Jake Huber	QB	Wisconsin–La Crosse
Kirkland Michaux	QB	Mary Hardin–Baylor
Hugh Robertson	P	Unknown
Jake Furtney	TE	Withdrawn
Tyler Strain	DB	Withdrawn

Incoming

Player	Position	Previous school
Christian Abney	TE	Ball State
Justin Bowick	WR	Ball State
Eli Coenen	DL	Bemidji State
Tomiwa Durojaiye	DL	Florida State
Ayden Knapik	OL	Idaho
Nathan Knapik	OT	Idaho
Lucas Osada	K	North Carolina
Ethan Hampton	QB	Northern Illinois
Carter Hewitt	DL	Northern Iowa
Keelan Crimmins	P	Purdue
Davin Stoffel	TE	South Dakota State
Tyler McMillan	OL	Southeast Missouri State
Lars Rau	P	Texas State
Murphy Clement	RB	West Virginia
Hudson Clement	WR	West Virginia
Leon Lowery Jr.	DE	Wisconsin
James Thompson Jr.	DL	Wisconsin
Curt Neal	DL	Wisconsin

^{[2] [3]}

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 29	6:30 p.m.	Western Illinois *	No. 12	Gies Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL	Peacock	W 52–3	56,040
September 6	11:00 a.m.	at Duke *	No. 11	Wallace Wade Stadium Durham, NC	ESPN	W 45–19	23,893
September 13	6:00 p.m.	Western Michigan *	No. 9	Gies Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL	FS1	W 38–0	60,670
September 20	6:30 p.m.	at No. 19 Indiana	No. 9	Memorial Stadium Bloomington, IN (rivalry)	NBC	L 10–63	56,088
September 27	11:00 a.m.	No. 21 USC	No. 23	Gies Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL ( Big Noon Kickoff )	FOX	W 34–32	60,670
October 4	11:00 a.m.	at Purdue	No. 22	Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN (rivalry)	BTN	W 43–27	56,551
October 11	11:00 a.m.	No. 1 Ohio State	No. 17	Gies Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL (Illibuck, Big Noon Kickoff)	FOX	L 16–34	60,670
October 25	2:30 p.m.	at Washington	No. 23	Husky Stadium Seattle, WA	BTN	L 25–42	68,630
November 1	11:00 a.m.	Rutgers		Gies Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL	NBC	W 35–13	60,670
November 15	2:30 p.m.	Maryland		Gies Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL	FS1	W 24–6	56,416
November 22	6:30 p.m.	at Wisconsin		Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI	BTN
November 29		Northwestern		Gies Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL (rivalry)
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll - Released prior to game All times are in Central time Source: [4] [5]

Rankings

Further information: 2025 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	12	11	9	9	23	22	17	RV	23	RV	RV	RV
Coaches	12	12	9	8	23	22	17	25	23	—	RV	RV
CFP	Not released										—	—					Not released

Game summaries

vs Western Illinois (FCS)

See also: 2025 Western Illinois Leathernecks football team

Western Illinois Leathernecks (FCS) (0–0) at No. 12 Illinois Fighting Illini (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Leathernecks (FCS)	0	0	0	3	3
No. 12 Fighting Illini	14	17	7	14	52

at Memorial Stadium • Champaign, Illinois

• Date: August 29
• Game time: 6:30 p.m.
• Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 72 °F (22 °C) • Wind: SW at 6 miles per hour (9.7 km/h)
• Game attendance: 56,040
• Referee: Andrew Speciale
• TV announcers (Peacock): Paul Burmeister (play-by-play), Phil Simms (analyst), and Zora Stephenson (sideline reporter)

Game information

First quarter (6:43) Illinois – Luke Altmyer 3-yard pass to Tanner Arkin (David Olano kick) (Drive: 8 plays, 59 yards, 4:14; Illinois 7–0) (3:48) Illinois – Luke Altmyer 3-yard pass to Justin Bowick (David Olano kick) (Drive: 5 plays, 26 yards, 2:48; Illinois 14–0) Second quarter (13:20) Illinois – Aidan Laughery 25-yard rush (David Olano kick) (Drive: 7 plays, 51 yards, 3:43; Illinois 21–0) (7:54) Illinois – David Olano 35-yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 49 yards, 3:25; Illinois 24–0) (3:09) Illinois – Luke Altmyer 13-yard pass to Justin Bowick (David Olano kick) (Drive: 4 plays, 62 yards, 2:34; Illinois 31–0) Third quarter (8:00) Illinois – Hank Beatty 69-yard punt return (David Olano kick) (Drive: 3 plays, 1 yard, 2:13; Illinois 38–0) Fourth quarter (14:57) Western Illinois – Antonio Chadha 20-yard field goal (Drive: 16 plays, 73 yards, 8:03; Illinois 38–3) (8:27) Illinois – Kaden Feagin 7-yard rush (David Olano kick) (Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 6:30; Illinois 45–3) (5:27) Illinois – Aidan Laughery 57-yard rush (David Olano kick) (Drive: 2 plays, 67 yards, 0:55; Illinois 52–3)

Statistics	WIU	ILL
First downs	11	21
Plays–yards	56–163	61–440
Rushes–yards	26–29	37–209
Passing yards	134	231
Passing: comp–att–int	14–29–0	18–22–0
Time of possession	27:18	32:42

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Western Illinois	Passing	Chris Irvin	14/29, 134 yards
	Rushing	Markell Holman	12 rushes, 20 yards
	Receiving	Demari Davis	4 receptions, 65 yards
Illinois	Passing	Luke Altmyer	17/21, 217 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	Aidan Laughery	9 rushes, 101 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Hank Beatty	5 receptions, 108 yards

at Duke

See also: 2025 Duke Blue Devils football team

No. 11 Illinois Fighting Illini (1–0) at Duke Blue Devils (1–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 11 Fighting Illini	7	7	14	17	45
Blue Devils	3	10	6	0	19

at Wallace Wade Stadium • Durham, North Carolina

• Date: September 6
• Game time: 11:00 a.m.
• Game weather:  
• Game attendance:  
• Referee:  
• TV announcers (ESPN): Dave Pasch (play-by-play), Dusty Dvoracek (analyst), and Taylor McGregor (sideline reporter)

Game information

First quarter DUKE – Todd Pelino 40-yard field goal, 10:26. Blue Devils 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 52 yards, 4:34. ILL – Kaden Feagin 1-yard run (David Olano kick), 1:51. Fighting Illini 7–3. Drive: 5 plays, 18 yards, 2:14. Second quarter DUKE – Todd Pelino 40-yard field goal, 11:08. Fighting Illini 7–6. Drive: 14 plays, 52 yards, 5:43. ILL – Cole Rusk 8-yard pass from Luke Altmyer (David Olano kick), 5:01. Fighting Illini 14–6. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:07. DUKE – Andrel Anthony 5-yard pass from Darian Mensah (Todd Pelino kick), 0:08. Fighting Illini 14–13. Drive: 9 plays, 77 yards, 1:03. Third quarter ILL – Justin Bowick 4-yard pass from Luke Altmyer (David Olano kick), 9:34. Fighting Illini 21–13. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:26. ILL – Hank Beatty 25-yard run (David Olano kick), 6:54. Fighting Illini 28–13. Drive: 4 plays, 61 yards, 1:06. DUKE – Andrel Anthony 6-yard pass from Darian Mensah (pass failed), 4:00. Fighting Illini 28–19. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:54. Fourth quarter ILL – David Olano 35-yard field goal, 14:04. Fighting Illini 31–19. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 4:56. ILL – Collin Dixon 2-yard pass from Luke Altmyer (David Olano kick), 4:14. Fighting Illini 38–19. Drive: 12 plays, 89 yards, 6:45. ILL – Ca'Lil Valentine 23-yard run (David Olano kick), 3:58. Fighting Illini 45–19. Drive: 1 play, 23 yards, 0:06.

Statistics	ILL	DUKE
First downs	25	21
Plays–yards	73–419	63–438
Rushes–yards	42–123	24–82
Passing yards	296	356
Passing: comp–att–int	22–31–0	25–39–1
Turnovers	0	5
Time of possession	36:12	23:48

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Illinois	Passing	Luke Altmyer	22/31, 296 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	Kaden Feagin	17 rushes, 48 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Hank Beatty	8 receptions, 128 yards
Duke	Passing	Darian Mensah	23/24, 234 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Jaquez Moore	6 rushes, 30 yards
	Receiving	Cooper Barkate	4 receptions, 88 yards

vs Western Michigan

See also: 2025 Western Michigan Broncos football team

Western Michigan Broncos (0–2) vs No. 9 Illinois Fighting Illini (2–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Broncos	0	0	0	0	0
No. 9 Fighting Illini	3	7	14	14	38

at Gies Memorial Stadium • Champaign, Illinois

• Date: September 13
• Game time: 6:00 p.m.
• Game weather: Cloudy, 90 F, Wind: South East 6 mph
• Game attendance: 60,670
• Referee: Mark Kluczynski
• TV announcers (FS1): Noah Reed (play-by-play) and Robert Smith (analyst)

Game information

First quarter (8:47) ILL – David Olano 28-yard field goal (Drive: 14 plays, 65 yards, 6:13; Illinois 3-0) Second quarter (13:31) ILL – Hank Beatty 6-yard pass from Luke Altmyer, David Olano kick (Drive: 9 plays, 68 yards, 3:53; Illinois 10-0) Third quarter (10:59) ILL – Kaden Feagin 3-yard run, David Olano kick (Drive: 5 plays, 53 yards, 2:01; Illinois 17-0) (2:48) ILL – Luke Altmyer 2-yard run, David Olano kick (Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:54; Illinois 24-0) Fourth quarter (13:31) ILL – Ashton Hollins 6-yard pass from Luke Altmyer, David Olano kick (Drive: 5 plays, 53 yards, 2:08; Illinois 31-0) (5:15) ILL – Ca'Lil Valentine 2-yard run, David Olano kick (Drive: 7 plays, 42 yards, 4:24; Illinois 38-0)

Statistics	WMU	ILL
First downs	12	20
Total yards	204	358
Rushes–yards	34-113	37-162
Passing yards	91	196
Passing: comp–att–int	13-24-0	17-26-0
Time of possession	28:27	31:33

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Western Michigan	Passing	Broc Lowry	10/16, 78 yards
	Rushing	Ofa Mataele	8 carries, 46 yards
	Receiving	Baylin Brooks	3 receptions, 24 yards
Illinois	Passing	Luke Altmyer	17/26, 196 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Kaden Feagin	20 carries, 100 yards, TD
	Receiving	Hank Beatty	6 receptions, 53 yards, TD

at No. 19 Indiana

See also: 2025 Indiana Hoosiers football team and Illinois–Indiana rivalry

No. 9 Illinois Fighting Illini (3–0) at No. 19 Indiana Hoosiers (3–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 9 Fighting Illini	7	3	0	0	10
No. 19 Hoosiers	14	21	14	14	63

at Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, Indiana

• Date: September 20
• Game time: 6:30 p.m.
• Game weather: Clear • Temperature: 75 °F (24 °C) • Wind: S at 2 miles per hour (3.2 km/h)
• Game attendance: 56,088
• Referee: Chris Coyle
• TV announcers (NBC): Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (analyst), and Kathryn Tappen (sideline reporter)

Game information

First quarter IU – D'Angelo Ponds 11-yard return of blocked punt (Nico Radicic kick), 9:26. Hoosiers 7–0. ILL – Collin Dixon 59-yard pass from Luke Altmyer (David Olano kick), 8:24. Tied 7–7. 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:02. IU – Omar Cooper Jr. 11-yard pass from Fernando Mendoza (Nico Radicic kick), 4:41. Hoosiers 14–7. 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:43. Second quarter IU – E.J. Williams Jr. 11-yard pass from Fernando Mendoza (Nico Radicic kick), 11:05. Hoosiers 21–7. 7 plays, 56 yards, 3:41. IU – Riley Nowakowski 43-yard pass from Fernando Mendoza (Nico Radicic kick), 6:17. Hoosiers 28–7. 4 plays, 80 yards, 2:19. IU – Elijah Sarratt 9-yard pass from Fernando Mendoza (Nico Radicic kick), 1:09. Hoosiers 35–7. 9 plays, 65 yards, 3:14. ILL – David Olano 46-yard field goal, 0:00. Hoosiers 35–10. 8 plays, 47 yards, 1:09. Third quarter IU – Kaelon Black 40-yard run (Nico Radicic kick), 11:38. Hoosiers 42–10. 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:22. IU – Elijah Sarratt 5-yard pass from Fernando Mendoza (Nico Radicic kick), 5:02. Hoosiers 49–10. 9 plays, 44 yards, 4:57. Fourth quarter IU – Khobie Martin 31-yard run (Nico Radicic kick), 14:09. Hoosiers 56–10. 8 plays, 69 yards, 5:07. IU – Khobie Martin 8-yard run (Nico Radicic kick), 6:38. Hoosiers 63–10. 8 plays, 67 yards, 5:23.

Statistics	ILL	IU
First downs	9	31
Plays–yards	45–161	72–579
Rushes–yards	20–2	49–312
Passing yards	159	267
Passing: comp–att–int	16–25–1	21–23–0
Time of possession	20:17	39:43

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Illinois	Passing	Luke Altmyer	14/22, 146 yards, TD
	Rushing	Kaden Feagin	5 carries, 18 yards
	Receiving	Collin Dixon	4 receptions, 86 yards, TD
Indiana	Passing	Fernando Mendoza	21/23, 267 yards, 5 TD
	Rushing	Khobie Martin	12 carries, 107 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Elijah Sarratt	9 receptions, 92 yards, 2 TD

vs No. 21 USC

See also: 2025 USC Trojans football team

No. 21 USC Trojans (4–0) vs No. 23 Illinois Fighting Illini (3–1) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 21 Trojans	7	3	7	15	32
No. 23 Fighting Illini	7	7	10	10	34

at Gies Memorial Stadium • Champaign, Illinois

• Date: September 27
• Game time: 11:00 a.m.
• Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 84 °F (29 °C) • Wind: W at 4 miles per hour (6.4 km/h)
• Game attendance: 60,670
• Referee: Kole Knueppel
• TV announcers (FOX): Gus Johnson (play-by-play), Joel Klatt (analyst), and Jenny Taft (sideline reporter)

Game information

First quarter (5:49) ILL – Luke Altmyer 2-yard run, David Olano kick (Drive: 10 plays, 70 yards, 5:00; Illinois 7-0) (1:22) USC – Waymond Jordan 1-yard run, Ryon Sayeri kick (Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:27; 7-7) Second quarter (10:49) ILL – Luke Altmyer 3-yard pass from Hank Beatty, David Olano kick (Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:33; Illinois 14-7) (0:02) USC – Ryon Sayeri 21-yard field goal (Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 0:47; Illinois 14-10) Third quarter (11:34) ILL – David Olano 45-yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 49 yards, 3:26; Illinois 17-10) (6:59) ILL – Kaden Feagin 64-yard pass from Luke Altmyer, David Olano kick (Drive: 2 plays, 66 yards, 0:45; Illinois 24-10) (1:46) USC – Waymond Jordan 2-yard run, Ryon Sayeri kick (Drive: 11 plays, 81 yards, 5:08; Illinois 24-17) Fourth quarter (14:34) ILL – Justin Bowick 25-yard pass from Luke Altmyer, David Olano kick (Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:12; Illinois 31-17) (9:54) USC – Makai Lemon 19-yard pass from Jayden Maiava, Jayden Maiava pass to Makai Lemon for two-point conversion (Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 4:40; Illinois 31-25) (1:55) USC – Makai Lemon 16-yard pass from Jayden Maiava, Ryon Sayeri kick (Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:26; USC 32-31) (0:00) ILL – David Olano 41-yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 1:55; Illinois 34-32)

Statistics	USC	ILL
First downs	29	25
Total yards	490	502
Rushes–yards	34-126	35-171
Passing yards	364	331
Passing: comp–att–int	30-43-1	21-27-0
Time of possession	32:34	27:26

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
USC	Passing	Jayden Maiava	30/43, 364 yards, 2 TD, INT
	Rushing	Waymond Jordan	20 carries, 94 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Makai Lemon	11 receptions, 151 yards, 2 TD
Illinois	Passing	Luke Altmyer	20/26, 328 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Kaden Feagin	14 carries, 60 yards
	Receiving	Collin Dixon	4 receptions, 90 yards

at Purdue

See also: 2025 Purdue Boilermakers football team and Illinois–Purdue football rivalry

No. 22 Illinois Fighting Illini (4–1) at Purdue Boilermakers (2–2) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 22 Fighting Illini	0	27	13	3	43
Boilermakers	7	7	7	6	27

at Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, Indiana

• Date: October 4
• Game time: 11:00 a.m.
• Game weather:  
• Game attendance:  
• Referee:  
• TV announcers (BTN): Mark Followill (play-by-play), Yogi Roth (analyst), and Rhett Lewis (sideline reporter)

Game information

First quarter (7:27) PUR – Ryan Browne 1-yard run, Spencer Porath kick (Drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 4:05; Purdue 7-0) Second quarter (14:56) ILL – David Olano 35-yard field goal (Drive: 14 plays, 58 yards, 7:31; Purdue 7-3) (12:50) ILL – Hank Beatty 62-yard pass from Luke Altmyer, David Olano kick (Drive: 1 play, 62 yards, 0:23; Illinois 10-7) (3:52) ILL – Kaden Feagin 6-yard run, David Olano kick (Drive: 8 plays, 94 yards, 5:03; Illinois 17-7) (2:25) ILL – Ca'Lil Valentine 25-yard run, David Olano kick (Drive: 2 plays, 80 yards, 0:38; Illinois 24-7) (1:13) PUR – Corey Smith 60-yard pass from Ryan Browne, Spencer Porath kick (Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 1:12; Illinois 24-14) (0:00) ILL – David Olano 42-yard field goal (Drive: 5 plays, 51 yards, 1:13; Illinois 27-14) Third quarter (11:44) ILL – David Olano 45-yard field goal (Drive: 6 plays, 38 yards, 3:16; Illinois 30-14) (9:01) PUR – Antonio Harris 41-yard run, Spencer Porath kick (Drive: 6 plays, 81 yards, 2:39; Illinois 30-21) (5:16) ILL – David Olano 34-yard field goal (Drive: 4 plays, -7 yards, 1:56; Illinois 33-21) (1:19) ILL – Kaden Feagin 1-yard run, David Olano kick (Drive: 5 plays, 68 yards, 2:56; Illinois 40-21) Fourth quarter (12:34) PUR – Devin Mockobee 1-yard run, two-point pass conversion failed (Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 3:45; Illinois 40-27) (1:06) ILL – David Olano 40-yard field goal (Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 1:31; Illinois 43-27)

Statistics	ILL	PUR
First downs	22	25
Total yards	507	453
Rushes–yards	41–117	25–151
Passing yards	390	302
Passing: comp–att–int	19–22–0	30–50–2
Time of possession	34:32	25:28

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Illinois	Passing	Luke Altmyer	19/22, 390 yards, TD
	Rushing	Ca'Lil Valentine	22 carries, 95 yards, TD
	Receiving	Hank Beatty	5 receptions, 186 yards, TD
Purdue	Passing	Ryan Browne	30/50, 302 yards, TD
	Rushing	Antonio Harris	4 carries, 69 yards, TD
	Receiving	Michael Jackson III	14 receptions, 94 yards

vs No. 1 Ohio State

See also: 2025 Ohio State Buckeyes football team and Illibuck

No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes (5–0) vs No. 17 Illinois Fighting Illini (5–1) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 1 Buckeyes	10	10	7	7	34
No. 17 Fighting Illini	0	3	7	6	16

at Gies Memorial Stadium • Champaign, Illinois

• Date: October 11
• Game time: 11:00 a.m.
• Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 67 °F (19 °C) • Wind: NE at 10 miles per hour (16 km/h)
• Game attendance: 60,670
• Referee: Tim O'Dey
• TV announcers (FOX): Gus Johnson (play-by-play), Joel Klatt (analyst), and Jenny Taft (sideline reporter)

Game information

First quarter (9:35) OSU – Jayden Fielding 26-yard field goal (Drive: 12 plays, 67 yards, 5:25; Ohio State 3–0) (3:40) OSU – CJ Donaldson 1-yard run, Jayden Fielding kick (Drive: 6 plays, 35 yards, 3:15; Ohio State 10–0) Second quarter (6:43) OSU – Jayden Fielding 31-yard field goal (Drive: 6 plays, 25 yards, 2:39; Ohio State 13–0) (3:48) OSU – Bo Jackson 17-yard pass from Julian Sayin, Jayden Fielding kick (Drive: 5 plays, 26 yards, 2:50; Ohio State 20–0) (1:05) ILL – David Olano 24-yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 69 yards, 2:43; Ohio State 20–3) Third quarter (10:06) ILL – Aidan Laughery 1-yard run, David Olano kick (Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 4:54; Ohio State 20–10) (2:08) OSU – CJ Donaldson 2-yard run, Jayden Fielding kick (Drive: 14 plays, 63 yards, 7:52; Ohio State 27–10) Fourth quarter (13:25) OSU – Jeremiah Smith 2-yard pass from Julian Sayin, Jayden Fielding kick (Drive: 7 plays, 24 yards, 3:08; Ohio State 34–10) (4:25) ILL – Collin Dixon 4-yard pass from Luke Altmyer, pass failed (Drive: 9 plays, 61 yards, 4:07; Ohio State 34–16)

Statistics	OSU	ILL
First downs	17	22
Plays–yards	64–272	71–295
Rushes–yards	27–47	37–106
Passing yards	166	248
Passing: comp–att–int	19–27–0	30–44–1
Time of possession	33:11	26:49

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Ohio State	Passing	Julian Sayin	19/27, 166 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Bo Jackson	10 carries, 47 yards
	Receiving	Jeremiah Smith	5 receptions, 42 yards, TD
Illinois	Passing	Luke Altmyer	30/44, 248 yards, TD, INT
	Rushing	Aidan Laughery	8 carries, 50 yards, TD
	Receiving	Cole Rusk	5 receptions, 68 yards

at Washington

See also: 2025 Washington Huskies football team

No. 23 Illinois Fighting Illini (5–2) at Washington Huskies (5–2) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 23 Fighting Illini	3	14	0	8	25
Huskies	14	7	7	14	42

at Husky Stadium • Seattle, Washington

• Date: October 25
• Game time: 3:30 p.m.
• Game weather:  
• Game attendance:  
• Referee:  
• TV announcers (BTN): Jeff Levering (play-by-play), Jake Butt (analyst), and Brooke Fletcher (sideline reporter)

Game information

First quarter (9:31) WASH – Dezmen Roebuck 13-yard pass from Demond Williams Jr., Grady Gross kick (Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:23; Washington 7-0) (5:05) ILL – David Olano 33-yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 39 yards, 4:20; Washington 7-3) (0:46) WASH – Dezmen Roebuck 13-yard pass from Demond Williams Jr., Grady Gross kick (Drive: 8 plays, 67 yards, 4:12; Washington 14-3) Second quarter (7:26) ILL – Collin Dixon 2-yard pass from Luke Altmyer, David Olano kick (Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 8:20; Washington 14-10) (1:55) ILL – Tanner Arkin 5-yard pass from Luke Altmyer, David Olano kick (Drive: 10 plays, 79 yards, 4:15; Illinois 17-14) (0:40) WASH – Jonah Coleman 12-yard pass from Denzel Boston, Grady Gross kick (Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 1:15; Washington 21-17) Third quarter (7:45) WASH – Jonah Coleman 7-yard run, Grady Gross kick (Drive: 11 plays, 90 yards, 5:37; Washington 28-17) Fourth quarter (14:39) WASH – Denzel Boston 6-yard pass from Demond Williams Jr., Grady Gross kick (Drive: 7 plays, 36 yards, 2:50; Washington 35-17) (11:07) ILL – Jordan Anderson 1-yard run, Luke Altmyer pass to Cole Rusk for two-point conversion (Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:32; Washington 35-25) (8:16) WASH – Decker DeGraaf 2-yard pass from Demond Williams Jr., Grady Gross kick (Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:51; Washington 42-25)

Statistics	ILL	WASH
First downs	22	27
Total yards	337	449
Rushes–yards	29-138	33-157
Passing yards	199	292
Passing: comp–att–int	22-34-2	27-34-0
Time of possession	30:21	29:39

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Illinois	Passing	Luke Altmyer	22/34, 199 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Luke Altmyer	7 carries, 48 yards
	Receiving	Hank Beatty	6 receptions, 73 yards
Washington	Passing	Demond Williams Jr.	26/33, 280 yards, 4 TD
	Rushing	Jonah Coleman	14 carries, 75 yards, TD
	Receiving	Denzel Boston	10 receptions, 153 yards

vs Rutgers

See also: 2025 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team

Rutgers Scarlet Knights (4–4) vs Illinois Fighting Illini (5–3) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Scarlet Knights	0	6	0	7	13
Fighting Illini	7	14	14	0	35

at Gies Memorial Stadium • Champaign, Illinois

• Date: November 1
• Game time: 11:00 a.m.
• Game weather: Sunny • Temperature: 47 °F (8 °C) • Wind: W at 8 miles per hour (13 km/h)
• Game attendance: 60,670
• Referee: Ron Snodgrass
• TV announcers (NBC): Paul Burmeister (play-by-play), Jason Garrett (color commentator), and Zora Stephenson (sideline reporter)

Game information

First quarter (4:04) ILL – Kaden Feagin 7-yard pass from Luke Altmyer, David Olano kick (Drive: 12 plays, 99 yards, 6:11; Illinois 7-0) Second quarter (13:41) RUTG – Jai Patel 26-yard field goal (Drive: 13 plays, 67 yards, 5:23; Illinois 7-3) (5:45) RUTG – Jai Patel 40-yard field goal (Drive: 10 plays, 24 yards, 4:49; Illinois 7-6) (2:04) ILL – Luke Altmyer 3-yard run, David Olano kick (Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:41; Illinois 14-6) (0:29) ILL – Hank Beatty 1-yard pass from Luke Altmyer, David Olano kick (Drive: 8 plays, 70 yards, 0:58; Illinois 21-6) Third quarter (10:40) ILL – Hudson Clement 20-yard pass from Luke Altmyer, David Olano kick (Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:20; Illinois 28-6) (3:25) ILL – Collin Dixon 7-yard pass from Luke Altmyer, David Olano kick (Drive: 11 plays, 65 yards, 5:47; Illinois 35-6) Fourth quarter (5:47) RUTG – KJ Duff 3-yard pass from Athan Kaliakmanis, Jai Patel kick (Drive: 8 plays, 73 yards, 4:33; Illinois 35-13)

Statistics	RUTG	ILL
First downs	19	26
Plays–yards	72–312	69–445
Rushes–yards	27–59	38–210
Passing yards	253	235
Passing: comp–att–int	25–45–0	19–31–1
Time of possession	27:25	32:35

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Rutgers	Passing	Athan Kaliakmanis	25/45, 253 yards, TD
	Rushing	Ja'shon Benjamin	8 carries, 37 yards
	Receiving	KJ Duff	9 receptions, 93 yards, TD
Illinois	Passing	Luke Altmyer	19/31, 235 yards, 4 TD, INT
	Rushing	Luke Altmyer	7 carries, 88 yards, TD
	Receiving	Hudson Clement	5 receptions, 84 yards, TD

vs Maryland

See also: 2025 Maryland Terrapins football team

Maryland Terrapins (0–0) vs Illinois Fighting Illini (6–3) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	Total
Terrapins			0
Fighting Illini			0

at Gies Memorial Stadium • Champaign, Illinois

• Date: November 15
• Game time: 2:30 p.m.
• Game weather:  
• Game attendance:  
• Referee:  
• TV announcers (FS1): Noah Reed (play-by-play) and Robert Smith (analyst)

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	MD	ILL
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Maryland	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Illinois	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at Wisconsin

See also: 2025 Wisconsin Badgers football team

Illinois Fighting Illini (0–0) at Wisconsin Badgers (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	Total
Fighting Illini			0
Badgers			0

at Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, Wisconsin

• Date: November 22
• Game time:  
• Game weather:  
• Game attendance:  
• Referee:  
• TV announcers ( ):  

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	ILL	WIS
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Illinois	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Wisconsin	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

vs Northwestern

See also: 2025 Northwestern Wildcats football team and Illinois–Northwestern football rivalry

Northwestern Wildcats (0–0) vs Illinois Fighting Illini (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	Total
Wildcats			0
Fighting Illini			0

at Gies Memorial Stadium • Champaign, Illinois

• Date: November 29
• Game time:  
• Game weather:  
• Game attendance:  
• Referee:  
• TV announcers ( ):  

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

Statistics	NU	ILL
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Northwestern	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Illinois	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

Roster

2025 Illinois Fighting Illini football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class WR 0 Justin Bowick Jr WR 1 Mario Sanders II Jr WR 2 Ashton Hollins  Jr RB 3 Kaden Feagin Jr QB 4 Carson Boyd Fr RB 5 Ca'lil Valentine So WR 7 Alexander Capka-Jones Sr WR 8 Malik Elzy Jr QB 9 Luke Altmyer Sr QB 10 Ethan Hampton  Sr WR 11 Brayden Trimble Fr QB 12 Trey Petty  Fr WR 13 Hudson Clement  Jr TE 14 Cole Rusk Sr QB 15 Jershaun Newton Fr TE 16 Logan Farrell Fr WR 17 Collin Dixon  So WR 18 Michael Bartolotta Sr RB 20 John Forster  Fr RB 21 Aidan Laughery  Jr RB 22 Cedric Wyche II Fr TE 23 Jordan Anderson  Jr RB 25 Aaron Ball  Fr RB 27 Corey Rashad  So RB 31 Murphy Clement  Fr TE 39 Trey Peters Fr OL 54 Griffin Rousseau Fr OL 55 T. J. McMillen  So OL 56 J. J. Hirdes Fr OL 57 Zach Barrett  Fr OL 58 Melvin Priestly Sr OL 63 Dezmond Schuster Sr OL 64 Josh Kruetz Sr OL 65 Kellen Francis  So OL 66 Brandon Hansen So OL 68 Michael McDonough Fr OL 70 Tyler McMillan  Jr OL 71 Nathan Knapik  Fr OL 72 Ayden Knapik Sr OL 73 Josh Gesky Sr OL 74 J. C. Davis  Sr OL 75 Brandon Henderson Jr OL 76 Dylan Frechette Fr OL 78 Eddie Tuerk  Fr OL 79 Zafir Stewart  Fr WR 80 Hank Beatty Sr TE 82 Jake Furtney  Fr WR 83 Tysean Griffin  Fr TE 84 Grant Smith Fr TE 85 Tanner Arkin Sr TE 86 Christian Abney Jr WR 87 Tyler McClure Sr TE 88 Davin Stoffel  So TE 89 Tanner Hollinger  Fr	Defense Pos. # Name Class DB 0 Mac Resetich Jr DB 1 Kaleb Patterson  Jr DB 2 Saboor Karriem Jr OLB 3 Alec Bryant Sr OLB 4 Daniel Brown  Jr DB 5 Torrie Cox Jr. Sr DB 6 Jaheim Clarke Jr DB 7 Matthew Bailey  Jr DL 8 Jeremiah Warren  So OLB 9 Leon Lowery Jr. Sr DB 10 Miles Scott Sr DB 11 Donovan Turner Jr DB 12 Amar Reynolds  Fr DB 13 Xanai Scott Fr DB 14 Xavier Scott Sr DB 15 Andre Lovett Jr. Fr DB 16 Tanner Heckel So OLB 17 Gabe Jacas Sr OLB 18 Mason Muragin  So DB 19 Tyson Rooks  Jr DB 20 Tyler Strain Sr DB 21 Ben Clawson  Jr DB 22 R. J. Jones III Fr DB 24 Vernon Woodward III  Fr DB 25 Des Straughton Fr OLB 26 Ismael Kante Jr LB 28 Dylan Rosiek  Sr LB 29 T. J. Griffin  Jr LB 30 JoJo Hayden  So DB 32 Tywan Cox Fr LB 33 Grant Beerman Fr OLB 34 Erik Gayle Fr DB 35 Grayson Griffin  Sr DL 36 Tomiwa Durojaiye  Jr LB 38 Jack Paris Fr LB 39 Kenenna Odeluga Sr LB 41 James Kruetz  Jr LB 42 Luke Zardzin  Sr OLB 43 Joe Barna So DL 44 Angelo McCullom So LB 45 Malachi Hood  Jr LB 47 Easton Baker  Fr OLB 48 Carter Smith  Fr OLB 51 Clayton Leonard  Jr DL 52 Pat Farrell  So DL 54 Demetrius John  Fr DL 56 Guillermo Gallardo  Jr DL 90 James Thompson Jr.  Sr DL 91 Cameron Brooks Fr DL 92 Gentle Hunt  Sr DL 94 Carter Hewitt  Sr DL 95 Isaiah White Fr DL 96 Eli Coenen  So DL 99 Curt Neal  Jr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class K 24 David Olano Jr K/P 27 Lucas Osada So LS 36 Lane Hansen Sr P 40 Keelan Crimmins Sr LS 44 Patrick Mahoney III  So P 81 Lars Rau So	Head coach Bret Bielema Coordinators/assistant coaches Thad Ward – Assistant head coach/running backs 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 Justin Stepp – Wide receivers Trent Harris – Outside linebackers Ben Miller – Senior head coach analyst Myers Hendrickson – Senior analyst Mike Neu – Senior offensive assistant Joe Kim – Skill development coordinator Chris Hurd – Senior special teams assistant Alex Panos – Assistant outside linebackers Artur Sitkowski – Assistant quarterbacks Byron Bell – Assistant offensive line Danny Cameron – Assistant tight ends Matt Ellerbrock – Assistant linebackers Dan Ellington – Assistant wide receivers Houston Griffith – Assistant defensive backs Antonio James – Assistant defensive line Ryan Simerson – Assistant secondary James White – Assistant running backs Harper Cole – Offensive skill and special teams assistant Blake Smithback – Offensive front assistant Tank Wright – Director, Strength and Conditioning G. C. 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: 9/25/2025

References

1. "Larry Gies Makes Transformational $100 Million Gift to Illinois Athletics" (Press release). Illinois Fighting Illini. September 9, 2025. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
2. "Illinois Football Transfer Portal". ON3.
3. "Illinois Fighting Illini 2025 College Football Transfer Portal". 247Sports.
4. Neveau, James (December 11, 2024). "Illinois football schedule 2025 set as Illini will battle Ohio State, Indiana". NBC5.com. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
5. "2025 Illinois Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved December 20, 2024.