CHAMPIONS — No. 23 University of Illinois found a way to hold off a furious Purdue comeback and win 50-49 in overtime at Memorial Stadium.
Staff writer Joey Wright shares 11 quick thoughts on the wild things that happened in Champaign.
The fierce Big Ten battle ended with No. 23 Illinois scoring a hard-fought come-from-behind victory over Purdue at Memorial Stadium.
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The heated Big Ten battle at Memorial Stadium will go into overtime with No. 23 Illinois and Purdue tied at 43 points.
Purdue had 357 yards of offense in the second half, building a 27-3 lead that peaked when Illinois kicker David Olano kicked a 49-yard field goal with 10:57 left in the third quarter. I overcame it.
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Illinois leads Purdue 27-20 after three quarters of the Big Ten game at Memorial Stadium.
Illinois took a 24-3 halftime lead into the third frame, taking the lead with David Olano’s 49-yard field goal with 10:57 left in the frame. But Purdue struck back, first with a 53-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Braun to Jamal Edlin at 7:53, then on Illinois’ next play from scrimmage with a 16-yard touchdown pass by Will Helt. He made a fumble return.
Purdue added a 24-yard field goal with 49 seconds left, cutting the lead to 27-20 going into the final quarter.
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Halftime: Illinois leads Purdue 24-3 at halftime of the Big Ten game at Memorial Stadium.
Illinois took a 10-0 lead in the second quarter thanks to David Olano’s 30-yard field goal and Josh McCray’s 11-yard touchdown rush, and Purdue closed the gap on Spencer Porras’ 22-yard field goal. Ta. 5 minutes and 41 seconds left in the second quarter.
Illinois extended its lead when Zahari Franklin caught an 8-yard touchdown pass from Altmaier with 2 minutes left in the first half and 1:56 left in the second frame. Luke Zalzin recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, and Altmaier found McCray for a 6-yard touchdown pass with 19 seconds left to put the Illini ahead 24-3.
One of the early highlights for Illinois was a 41-yard pass from Luke Altmaier to Collin Dixon, marking the longest reception of the Tallmadge, Ohio, native’s career. This play still stands as the longest play from scrimmage to this point.
Illinois’ wide receivers may not be catching a ton of passes, but they still play a key role in the offense.
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End of first quarter:
CHAMPAIGN — Illinois leads Purdue 10-0 after the first quarter of a Big Ten game at Memorial Stadium.
After forcing the Boilermakers to punt on their first drive of the game, the Illini began an eight-play, 38-yard drive that ended with David Olano’s 30-yard field goal. The highlight of the drive was a 41-yard pass from Luke Altmaier to Collin Dixon, marking the Tallmadge, Ohio native’s longest reception of the season.
Illinois’ wide receivers may not be catching a ton of passes, but they still play a key role in the offense.
Illinois added a touchdown with seconds left in the frame when Josh McCray rushed for an 11-yard score with 10 seconds left. Purdue begins the second quarter facing second down at its own 32-yard line.
