Illinois Defeats Northwestern 38-28 Behind Strong Third Quarter
Illinois defeated Northwestern 38-28 in Week 14, with the Illini pulling away in the second half to cover the 9-point spread. The game featured eight lead changes and remained competitive throughout, with Northwestern holding a 10-7 first-quarter advantage before Illinois took control.
The turning point came in the third quarter when Aidan Laughery's 64-yard run extended Illinois' lead. Illinois' offense, led by quarterback Luke Altmyer, established early momentum with key completions to Collin Dixon and Zakhari Franklin that moved the ball into Northwestern territory. Patrick Bryant led all receivers with 70 receiving yards for Illinois.
Northwestern's Ryan Boe completed 42 passes while Cam Porter rushed for 53 yards, but the Wildcats couldn't maintain their early pace. Illinois scored 14 points in the third quarter alone, compared to Northwestern's 10, ultimately deciding the matchup. The game finished over the 43.5-point total, with Illinois' 38 points and Northwestern's 28 combining for 66 total points in an entertaining Big Ten contest.
AI-generated recap · Aug 29, 2026
| Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Illinois | 7 | 7 | 14 | 10 | 38 |
 Northwestern | 10 | 0 | 10 | 8 | 28 |
Scoring Timeline
Drive Chart
Box Score
| Statistic | Illinois | Northwestern |
|---|---|---|
| Passing | 10-17 | 29-61 |
| Pass Yards | 170 | 329 |
| Rush Yards | 215 | 113 |
| Total Yards | 385 | 442 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 4 |
| 3rd Down | 4-10 | 9-19 |
| Penalties | 7-50 | 2-10 |
| Possession | 25:28 | 34:32 |
Player Leaders
Player Leaders
Play-by-Play
Jack Lausch run for 4 yds to the NU 29
Cam Porter run for 1 yd to the NU 30
Jack Lausch pass complete to Bryce Kirtz for 17 yds to the NU 47 for a 1ST down
Jack Lausch pass complete to Bryce Kirtz for 8 yds to the ILL 45
Jack Lausch pass incomplete
Jack Lausch run for 12 yds to the ILL 33 for a 1ST down
Jack Lausch pass complete to A.J. Henning for 12 yds to the ILL 21 for a 1ST down
Cam Porter run for 16 yds to the ILL 5 for a 1ST down
Cam Porter run for 2 yds to the ILL 3
Jack Lausch pass incomplete
Jack Lausch pass incomplete
Luke Akers 21 Yd Field Goal
Luke Akers kickoff for 61 yds , Kenari Wilcher return for 23 yds to the ILL 27
Aidan Laughery run for no gain to the ILL 27
Luke Altmyer pass complete to Zakhari Franklin for 43 yds to the NU 30 for a 1ST down
Aidan Laughery 30 Yd Run (David Olano Kick)
Joseph Himon II run for 8 yds to the NU 33
Ryan Boe pass complete to A.J. Henning for 9 yds to the NU 42 for a 1ST down
Ryan Boe pass incomplete
Jack Lausch pass complete to Thomas Gordon for 9 yds to the ILL 49
Cam Porter run for 2 yds to the ILL 47 for a 1ST down
Jack Lausch run for 14 yds to the ILL 33 for a 1ST down
Jack Lausch pass complete to Joseph Himon II for 4 yds to the ILL 29
Caleb Komolafe run for 17 yds to the ILL 12 for a 1ST down
Jack Lausch pass incomplete
Caleb Komolafe run for 2 yds to the ILL 10
Jack Lausch pass intercepted Xavier Scott return for 5 yds to the ILL 5
Josh McCray run for 3 yds to the ILL 8
Devin Turner 13 Yd Interception Return (Luke Akers Kick)
Luke Akers kickoff for 50 yds , Hank Beatty return for 20 yds to the ILL 35
Josh McCray run for 11 yds to the ILL 46 for a 1ST down
Luke Altmyer pass complete to Pat Bryant for 16 yds to the NU 38 for a 1ST down
MCCRAY, Josh rush to the left for a gain of 1 yard to the NU37 (FITZGERALD, Robert;FLAKES, Brendan), clock 01:06. PENALTY UI Holding on DAVIS, J.C. enforced 10 yards from the NU38 to the NU48 [NHSG]. NO PLAY (replay the down).
Luke Altmyer pass complete to Josh McCray for 5 yds to the NU 43
Luke Altmyer pass incomplete
Luke Altmyer pass complete to Collin Dixon for 38 yds to the NU 5 for a 1ST down
Josh McCray run for 3 yds to the NU 2
Josh McCray run for 1 yd to the NU 1
Luke Altmyer 1 Yd Run (David Olano Kick)
Ethan Moczulski kickoff for 57 yds , Joseph Himon II return for 13 yds to the NU 21
Ryan Boe pass complete to A.J. Henning for 4 yds to the NU 25
Cam Porter run for no gain to the NU 25
Ryan Boe pass incomplete
Hunter Renner punt for 43 yds , Hank Beatty returns for 10 yds to the ILL 42
Ca'Lil Valentine run for 1 yd to the ILL 43
Luke Altmyer pass incomplete
Luke Altmyer pass complete to Tanner Arkin for 3 yds to the ILL 46
Hugh Robertson punt for 47 yds , A.J. Henning returns for 11 yds to the NU 18
Cam Porter run for 9 yds to the NU 27
Jack Lausch pass complete to Thomas Gordon for 6 yds to the NU 33 for a 1ST down
Jack Lausch pass incomplete
Jack Lausch pass complete to A.J. Henning for 7 yds to the NU 40
(08:29) LAUSCH, Jack pass to the right complete for 8 yards to LANG, Marshall caught at the NU47 and advanced to the NU48 (BAILEY, Matthew), out of bounds, clock 08:25. PENALTY UI Holding on BAILEY, Matthew enforced 10 yards from the NU40 to the NU50 and results in automatic 1ST DOWN [SG]. NO PLAY (replay the down).
Ryan Boe pass incomplete
Jack Lausch pass incomplete
Northwestern Penalty, False Start (Ben Wrather) to the NU 45
Jack Lausch pass incomplete
Hunter Renner punt for 41 yds , Hank Beatty returns for 5 yds to the ILL 19
Illinois Penalty, False Start (Collin Dixon) to the ILL 14
Aidan Laughery run for 11 yds to the ILL 25
Aidan Laughery run for 14 yds to the ILL 39 for a 1ST down
Aidan Laughery run for 9 yds to the ILL 48
Aidan Laughery run for 3 yds to the NU 49 for a 1ST down
Luke Altmyer pass intercepted Devin Turner return for no gain to the NU 14
Joseph Himon II run for 7 yds to the NU 21
Ryan Boe pass incomplete
Jack Lausch pass complete to Thomas Gordon for 4 yds to the NU 25 for a 1ST down
Joseph Himon II run for 6 yds to the NU 31
Caleb Komolafe run for 1 yd to the NU 32
Jack Lausch pass complete to A.J. Henning for 8 yds to the NU 40 for a 1ST down
Jack Lausch pass incomplete
Jack Lausch pass incomplete
Jack Lausch pass complete to A.J. Henning for 26 yds to the ILL 34 for a 1ST down
Caleb Komolafe run for 8 yds to the ILL 26
Jack Lausch pass complete to Thomas Gordon for 8 yds to the ILL 18 for a 1ST down
Cam Porter run for 5 yds to the ILL 13
Jack Lausch pass incomplete
Northwestern Penalty, Delay Of Game (-5 Yards) to the ILL 18
Jack Lausch sacked by Malachi Hood for a loss of 8 yards to the ILL 26
Luke Akers 44 Yard Field Goal Missed
End of 2nd Quarter
Luke Akers kickoff for 56 yds , Kenari Wilcher return for 22 yds to the ILL 31
Luke Altmyer pass complete to Pat Bryant for 5 yds to the ILL 36
Aidan Laughery 64 Yd Run (David Olano Kick)
Ethan Moczulski kickoff for 48 yds , Coco Azema return for 5 yds to the NU 22
Cam Porter run for 3 yds to the NU 25
Cam Porter run for 6 yds to the NU 31
Jack Lausch pass incomplete
Hunter Renner punt for 31 yds, fair catch by Hank Beatty at the ILL 38
Josh McCray run for 7 yds to the ILL 45
Josh McCray run for 2 yds to the ILL 47
Jordan Anderson run for 4 yds to the NU 49 for a 1ST down
Luke Altmyer pass complete to Pat Bryant for 6 yds to the NU 43
Pat Bryant 43 Yd pass from Luke Altmyer (David Olano Kick)
Jack Lausch run for no gain to the NU 25
Jack Lausch pass incomplete
Jack Lausch pass complete to A.J. Henning for 25 yds to the 50 yard line for a 1ST down
Caleb Komolafe run for 2 yds to the ILL 48
Ryan Boe pass complete to A.J. Henning for 11 yds to the ILL 37 for a 1ST down
Ryan Boe pass complete to Hayden Eligon II for 18 yds to the ILL 19 for a 1ST down
Cam Porter run for 3 yds to the ILL 16
Ryan Boe pass incomplete
Ryan Boe pass incomplete
Luke Akers 34 Yd Field Goal
Luke Akers kickoff for 60 yds , Kenari Wilcher return for 13 yds to the ILL 18
Ca'Lil Valentine run for a loss of 2 yards to the ILL 16
Luke Altmyer pass complete to Zakhari Franklin for 8 yds to the ILL 24
Illinois Penalty, Intentional Grounding (Luke Altmyer) to the ILL 11
Illinois Penalty, False Start (James Kreutz) to the ILL 6
Hugh Robertson punt for 34 yds, fair catch by A.J. Henning at the ILL 40
Jack Lausch pass complete to A.J. Henning for 6 yds to the ILL 34
Cam Porter run for 4 yds to the ILL 30 for a 1ST down
Jack Lausch pass complete to Hayden Eligon II for 17 yds to the ILL 13 for a 1ST down
Cam Porter run for 2 yds to the ILL 11
A.J. Henning 11 Yd pass from Jack Lausch (Luke Akers Kick)
Aidan Laughery run for no gain to the ILL 25
Luke Altmyer pass incomplete
Luke Altmyer sacked by Aidan Hubbard for a loss of 11 yards to the ILL 14
Hugh Robertson punt for 35 yds, fair catch by A.J. Henning at the ILL 49
Caleb Komolafe run for no gain to the ILL 49
Caleb Komolafe run for a loss of 1 yard to the 50 yard line
Jack Lausch pass intercepted Mac Resetich return for 28 yds to the NU 42
Aidan Laughery run for 9 yds to the NU 33
Josh McCray run for no gain to the NU 33
Josh McCray run for 2 yds to the NU 31 for a 1ST down
Aidan Laughery 31 Yd Run (David Olano Kick)
Ryan Boe sacked for a loss of 15 yards to the NU 9 Ryan Boe fumbled, recovered by ILL Matthew Bailey , return for 0 yards
Josh McCray run for 3 yds to the NU 6
Luke Altmyer pass incomplete
Luke Altmyer pass incomplete
David Olano 24 yd FG GOOD
Jack Lausch pass incomplete
LAUSCH, Jack pass deep to the left intercepted by COX JR., Torrie at the NU47 intended for JOHNSON II, Calvin. Cox Jr. return for 0 yards to the NU47, End of Play, clock 10:57. PENALTY UI Pass Interference on COX JR., Torrie enforced 15 yards to the NU40 and results in automatic 1ST DOWN [SG]. NO PLAY (replay the down).
Jack Lausch pass incomplete
Jack Lausch pass complete to Drew Wagner for 11 yds to the ILL 49 for a 1ST down
Jack Lausch pass incomplete
Jack Lausch pass incomplete
Jack Lausch pass complete to Cam Porter for 28 yds Cam Porter fumbled, recovered by NU Calvin Johnson II C. Johnson II return for 0 yds for a 1ST down
Jack Lausch pass incomplete
(09:38) LAUSCH, Jack pass to the right complete for 6 yards to HENNING, A.J. caught at the UI15 and advanced to the UI15 (ZARDZIN, Luke), clock 09:31. PENALTY UI Offsides on JACAS, Gabe enforced 5 yards from the UI21 to the UI16 [SG]. NO PLAY (replay the down).
Caleb Komolafe run for 3 yds to the ILL 13
Jack Lausch pass incomplete
Jack Lausch pass incomplete
Josh McCray run for 4 yds to the ILL 17
Josh McCray run for 10 yds to the ILL 27 for a 1ST down
Aidan Laughery run for a loss of 3 yards to the ILL 24
Luke Altmyer pass complete to Zakhari Franklin for 3 yds to the ILL 27
Aidan Laughery run for 4 yds to the ILL 31
Hugh Robertson punt for 45 yds , A.J. Henning returns for 21 yds to the NU 45
Ryan Boe pass incomplete
Ryan Boe pass incomplete
Ryan Boe pass intercepted Torrie Cox Jr. return for 3 yds to the ILL 49
Ca'Lil Valentine run for 5 yds to the NU 46
Ca'Lil Valentine run for 15 yds to the NU 31 for a 1ST down
Ca'Lil Valentine run for no gain to the NU 31
Ca'Lil Valentine run for 2 yds to the NU 29
Ca'Lil Valentine run for a loss of 5 yards to the NU 34
Hugh Robertson punt for 34 yds for a touchback
Jack Lausch pass complete to Thomas Gordon for 6 yds to the NU 26
Jack Lausch pass complete to Calvin Johnson II for 13 yds to the NU 39 for a 1ST down
Jack Lausch pass complete to Calvin Johnson II for 8 yds to the NU 47
Jack Lausch pass complete to Thomas Gordon for 5 yds to the ILL 48 for a 1ST down
Jack Lausch pass incomplete
Jack Lausch pass complete to Calvin Johnson II for 18 yds to the ILL 30 for a 1ST down
Jack Lausch pass complete to Jake Arthurs for 2 yds to the ILL 28
Jack Lausch pass incomplete
Jack Lausch pass complete to Drew Wagner for 13 yds to the ILL 15 for a 1ST down
Jack Lausch pass complete to Thomas Gordon for 15 yds for a TD (Jack Lausch pass to Marshall Lang for Two-Point Conversion)
Luke Akers kickoff for 15 yds , return for no gain to the 50 yard line
(00:57) [NHSG] Kneel down by ALTMYER, Luke at UI48 (team loss of 2), clock 00:53.
(00:30) [NHSG] Kneel down by ALTMYER, Luke at UI47 (team loss of 1), clock 00:00.