#11 Illinois Gets Road Win at Duke, 45-19

Game Recap: Football | September 6, 2025

RECAP

DURHAM, N.C. – No.11 Illinois defeated Duke, 45-19, on Saturday afternoon at Wallace Wade Stadium to enhance the Fighting Illini to 2-0 on the season. The Illini outscored Duke, 31-6, within the second half to run away with the victory.

The Illinois protection pressured 5 turnovers within the sport, 4 fumbles and one interception, whereas the Illini protected the ball for the size of the sport to win the turnover battle +5. Matthew Bailey, Tanner Heckel, and Gabe Jacas all pressured fumbles, Duke muffed a first-quarter punt, and Heckel added a fourth-quarter interception to assist the Illini safe the sport.

Offensively, Luke Altmyer threw for 296 yards, finishing 22 of his 31 passes with three touchdowns. Hank Beatty led the crew in receiving with eight catches for a career-high 128 yards for his second-straight 100-yard receiving sport. He additionally added a 25-yard dashing landing. Justin Bowick caught 4 passes for 50 yards and a landing, whereas Collin Dixon had three catches for 36 yards and a rating.

Kaden Feagin led the crew in dashing with 17 carries for 48 yards and a landing.

After a decent 14-13 sport within the first half, Illinois’ turning level got here on its first possession of the third quarter when Duke was referred to as for a number of gamers sporting the identical quantity on an Illinois punt. The Illini used the chance and marched down the sector and scored on Altmyer discovering Bowick on a slant for a 4-yard landing to make the rating, 21-13.

Matthew Bailey pressured a fumble on the next Duke possession, and the Orange and Blue offense solely wanted 4 performs to go 61 yards and discover the top zone as soon as once more. The scoring drive was capped by a 25-yard dashing landing when Beatty, a former highschool quarterback, took the snap out of the wildcat formation and sprinted in untouched for his first profession dashing landing, 28-13.

The Blue Devils would rating a landing to chop into the Illinois lead, 28-19, after they failed on their two-point conversion try with 4 minutes remaining within the third quarter.

David Olano opened the fourth quarter with a 35-yard subject purpose to increase the lead again to 12 factors, 31-19. Heckel absolutely prolonged to snuff the next Blue Devil scoring likelihood. Altmyer orchestrated the offense in a time-consuming scoring drive, consuming up practically seven minutes of sport time capped by a 2-yard landing move from Altmyer to Dixon, 38-19.

Heckel pressured a fumble on the primary play of Duke’s subsequent drive, which led to a 23-yard dashing landing by Ca’Lil Valentine to finalize the sport, 45-19, in favor of Illinois.

Bret Bielema gained his thirtieth sport at Illinois, passing Bob Blackman (29-36-1, 1971-76) and transferring right into a tie with John Mackovic (30-16-1, 1988-91) for the seventh-most wins in historical past by an Illinois head coach. 

Illinois returns to Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 13, when the No. 11 Fighting Illini welcome in Western Michigan. Kickoff is scheduled for six p.m. CT.

PRESS CONFERENCES

POSTGAME NOTES

TEAM NOTES

• Head coach Bret Bielema gained his thirtieth sport at Illinois, passing Bob Blackman (29-36-1, 1971-76) and transferring right into a tie with John Mackovic (30-16-1, 1988-91) for the seventh-most wins in historical past by an Illinois head coach.
  
  • Most Wins at Illinois
    
    • Robert C. Zuppke (1913-41), 131-81-13 (.618)
    • Ray Eliot (1942-59), 83-73-11 (.532)
    • Mike White (1980-87), 47-41-3 (.533)
    • Ron Turner (1997-2004), 35-57 (.380)
    • Ron Zook (2005-2011), 34-51 (.400)
    • Pete Elliott (1960-66), 31-34-1 (.477)
    • John Mackovic (1988-91), 30-16-1 (.663)
    • Bret Bielema (2021-25), 30-22 (.577)

  • Among head coaches which have led Illinois to 30+ wins, Bielema’s .577 successful share is the third-best of all-time, behind solely Robert C. Zuppke (.618) and John Mackovic (.663).

• Head coach Bret Bielema is now the fourth-fastest to 30 wins in Illinois historical past.
  • Fastest to 30 Wins
    • Robert Zuppke – 44 video games (1914-19)
    • John Mackovic – 45 video games (1988-91)
    • Mike White – 50 video games (1980-84)
    • Bret Bielema – 52 video games (2021-25)
    • Ray Eliot – 59 video games (1942-48)
    • Pete Elliott – 64 video games (1960-66)
    • Ron Turner – 67 video games (1997-2002)
    • Ron Zook – 75 video games (2005-11)

• Head coach Bret Bielema gained his twelfth street/impartial sport at Illinois.
  • Road/Neutral Wins at Illinois
    • at Duke, 2025
    • vs. #14 South Carolina, 2024
    • at Northwestern, 2024
    • at Rugers, 2024
    • at #22 Nebraska, 2024
    • at Minnesota, 2023
    • at Maryland, 2023
    • at Northwestern, 2022
    • at Nebraska, 2022
    • at Wisconsin, 2022
    • at #20 Minnesota, 2021
    • at #7 Penn State, 2021

• The Illini protection recorded 5 takeaways, the fifth consecutive sport by which they’ve pressured at the very least one turnover, relationship again to Nov. 23, 2024, at Rutgers.
  • Illinois’ 5 takeaways are its most since forcing six at Northwestern on Nov. 26, 2022.

• Illinois’ 45 factors are its most in a street sport since registering 48 at Purdue on Nov. 7, 2015.
  • The Illini’s 45 factors are tied for the third-most in a regulation sport underneath Bret Bielema
    • 52 vs. Western Illinois on Aug. 29, 2025
    • 47 vs. Northwestern on Nov. 27, 2021
    • 45 vs. Eastern Illinois on  Aug. 29, 2024

• Illinois’ 45 factors are probably the most Duke has allowed at house since conceding 47 in opposition to Miami on Nov. 27, 2021.
  • The Illini have scored at the very least 38 factors in every of their final three street video games.

• Illinois has scored 45+ factors within the first two video games of the season for the second time in program historical past and the primary time since 1942. The 1942 Illini began the season with wins over South Dakota (46-0) and Butler (67-0).
• The Illini held the Blue Devils to 19 factors, the fewest factors Duke has scored at house since scoring 14 on Sept. 30, 2023, vs. Notre Dame.
• Illinois earned its first nonconference street win since Sept. 7, 2019, at Connecticut.
• The Illini’s 26-point margin of victory is the crew’s greatest street win since posting a 38-point margin of victory (41-3) at Northwestern on Nov. 26, 2022.
• Illinois didn’t punt within the second half, scoring on 5 consecutive drives earlier than ending the sixth and ultimate second-half drive in victory formation.
• The Illini improved to 2-1 all-time in opposition to the Blue Devils within the groups’ first assembly since 1965.
• Illinois began the season with zero turnovers in its first two video games for the primary time since 2001.

PLAYER NOTES

• Luke Altmyer concluded the afternoon with 296 yards on 22-for-31 passing and three touchdowns.
  
  • Marked his sixth sport with at the very least three passing touchdowns.
  • Last 21 video games at Illinois (after 4 INT sport vs. Penn State in 2023): 373-587 (63.5%), 4,542 yards, 38 passing touchdowns, 9 interceptions

• Cole Rusk registered the primary catch of his Illini profession on an 8-yard landing reception within the second quarter.
• Kaden Feagin tallied his second dashing rating of the season and the seventh such rating of his profession on his 1-yard landing run within the first quarter.
  • Ended the afternoon with 17 carries for 48 yards.

• Hank Beatty completed with a career-high 128 yards on eight catches.
  • Secured the second 100-yard receiving outing of his profession (each efforts have come throughout the primary twi video games this season).
  • His eight receptions equaled his career-best mark, which he set in Week 1 in opposition to Western Illinois (Aug. 29).
  • His 25-yard dashing rating on a trick play marked the primary dashing landing of his profession.
    • Was simply the second rush of his profession.

  • Had 153 complete yards of offense.

• Justin Bowick hauled in his third landing of the season on a 4-yard reception within the third quarter.
  • Finished with 4 receptions for 50 yards.

• Collin Dixon snagged the primary receiving landing of his profession within the fourth quarter.
  • Closed the day with three catches for 36 yards.

• Ca’Lil Valentine posted his second profession landing, and his first of the season, on a 23-yard rating within the fourth quarter.
• Gabe Jacas registered his third sack of the season throughout the primary two video games.
  • Jacas moved into sole possession of fifth place on the Illini’s all-time profession sacks record.
    • 1. Simeon Rice (1992-95) – 44.5
    • 2. Scott Davis (1983-87) – 23.0
    • 3. Fred Wakefield (1997-2000) – 21.0
    • 4. Mike Poloskey (1988-91) – 20.0
    • 5. Gabe Jacas (2022-Present) – 19.0

  • His pressured fumble within the second quarter was the sixth of his profession and his second of the season.

• Tyler Strain’s fumble restoration within the first quarter was the primary of his profession.
• Matthew Bailey was part of two defensive takeaways for the Illini, recording a fumble restoration on Gabe Jacas’ strip sack within the second quarter, then forcing a fumble to halt a Duke drive halfway by the third quarter.
  • Bailey now has three fumble recoveries and three pressured fumbles in his collegiate profession

• Tanner Heckel recorded the primary interception of his profession, halting a Duke drive contained in the Illinois 30-yard line on the 11:09 mark of the fourth quarter and the Illini main 31-19, earlier than getting a strip sack with simply over 4 minutes remaining within the fourth quarter.
  • Was the primary sack and the primary pressured fumble of his profession.