Illinois grinds out tough win over Maryland
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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Illini’s first game out of the bye week was a hard-fought, gritty one as they battled their way to a 24-6 win over the Maryland Terrapins at Gies Memorial Stadium.
While the final score might tell a different story, the Orange and Blue were stumbling out of the gates, punting on three of their first four drives.
Leading 7-6 late in the second quarter, Illinois opted to roll the dice on a fourth-and-short in the red zone, rather than kicking a field goal.
The gamble ended up paying off, as offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. dialed up a play that got wide receiver Hank Beatty wide open in the flat for an easy conversion.
Three plays later, the crowd popped as Kaden Feagin capped off the 13-play, 75-yard drive with a rushing touchdown, and it was all Illinois from there.
Defensive coordinator Aaron Henry’s unit, which has received its fair share of criticism this season, stepped up in a big way, keeping the Terrapins scoreless in the second half.
Just last week, Maryland’s stand-out quarterback Malik Washington went nuclear against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, rushing for 164 yards and a touchdown, with 98 yards and a touchdown through the air as well.
The Illini kept the true freshman QB under wraps for the most part, holding him to just six yards on the ground and 238 passing yards.
On the offensive side of the ball, Illinois closed out the victory by leaning on the run game, gashing the Maryland defense for 152 rushing yards in the second half.
Senior quarterback Luke Altmyer was an integral piece of that rushing attack, both on designed QB runs and timely scrambles, as he finished with 62 yards on the ground.
Junior wide receiver Hudson Clement continued to impress as well, reeling in two touchdowns and tallying 72 receiving yards.
Through the first eight games of the season, the transfer from West Virginia averaged just over 26 receiving yards per game. In the past two games, Clement has averaged 78 receiving yards and scored all three of his touchdowns on the season.
To close out the regular season, the Illini will take on the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium before returning to Champaign for an in-state rivalry game against the Northwestern Wildcats.
After a win tonight and two favorable games and a bowl game remaining on the schedule, the door remains wide open for Illinois to finish with its second straight 10-win season.
STAT STUFFERS:
ILL Luke Altmyer: 172 passing yards, 62 rushing yards, two passing touchdowns, one interception
MD Malik Washington: 238 passing yards, six rushing yards, one interception
ILL Hudson Clement: three catches, 72 receiving yards, two touchdowns
UP NEXT:
The Illini will take the final road trip of their 2025 regular season, as they travel to Madison to take on the Wisconsin Badgers at iconic Camp Randall Stadium.
Kickoff time and broadcast information has yet to be released.
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