2024 Illinois Fighting Illini football team

2024 Illinois Fighting Illini football
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 →

The 2024 Illinois Fighting Illini football team represented the University of Illinois as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Fighting Illini were led by Bret Bielema in his fourth season as the team's head coach. They played their home games at Memorial Stadium located in Champaign, Illinois.

2024 Big Ten Conference football standings
v t e
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

After a win over rival Northwestern in Week 14, the Fighting Illini reached 9 wins for the first time since 2007, and just the second time reaching that mark since their ten-win 2001 campaign.

The Fighting Illini ended the 2024 college football season ranked #21 in the AP Top 25 College Football Poll, #21 in the Coaches Poll, and #20 in the College Football Playoff Poll. The Fighting Illini accepted an invitation to play in the 2024 Citrus Bowl against the South Carolina Gamecocks on December 31st in Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. After a 21–17 victory, the Illini clinched their first bowl win since 2011 and their first 10 win season since 2001.

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 (Purdue Cannon)	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 (Land of Lincoln Trophy)	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: ^[1]^[2]

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)

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

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

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 Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter

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

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

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)

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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, 1 TD
	Receiving	Pat Bryant	7 receptions, 197 yards, 1 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)

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

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	25:32	34:28

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Illinois	Passing	Luke Altmyer	10/17, 170 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Aidan Laughery	12 carries, 172 yards, 3 TD
	Receiving	Pat Bryant	4 receptions, 70 yards, 1 TD
Northwestern	Passing	Jack Lausch	25/48, 287 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Cam Porter	12 carries, 53 yards
	Receiving	AJ Henning	10 receptions, 119 yards, 1 TD

vs No. 15 South Carolina (Citrus Bowl)

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
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)

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

^ "2024 Illinois Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
^ "2024 Football Schedule". University of Illinois Athletics. Retrieved January 5, 2024.

[1] "2024 Illinois Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved January 5, 2024.

[2] "2024 Football Schedule". University of Illinois Athletics. Retrieved January 5, 2024.

[1]

[2]

2024 Illinois Fighting Illini football team

Contents

Schedule

Rankings

Game summaries

vs Eastern Illinois (FCS)

vs No. 19 Kansas

vs Central Michigan

at No. 22 Nebraska

at No. 9 Penn State

vs Purdue (rivalry)

vs No. 24 Michigan (rivalry)

at No. 1 Oregon

vs Minnesota

vs Michigan State

at Rutgers

at Northwestern (rivalry)

vs No. 15 South Carolina (Citrus Bowl)

Roster

References

zproxy.org