2024 Illinois Fighting Illini football team

2024 Illinois Fighting Illini football
Citrus Bowl champion
Citrus Bowl, W 21–17 vs. South Carolina
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 21
APNo. 21
CFPNo. 20
Record10–3 (6–3 Big Ten)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorBarry Lunney Jr. (3rd season)
Offensive schemeMultiple
Defensive coordinatorAaron Henry (2nd season)
Co-defensive coordinatorTerrance Jamison (2nd season)
Base defenseMultiple 3–4
Home stadiumMemorial Stadium
Seasons
← 2023
2025 →
2024 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 1 Oregon y$^   9 – 0     13 – 1  
No. 4 Penn State y^   8 – 1     13 – 3  
No. 8 Indiana ^   8 – 1     11 – 2  
No. 6 Ohio State ^   7 – 2     13 – 2  
No. 20 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 participant
  • $ – Conference champion
  • y – Championship game participant
As of January 19, 2025
Rankings from CFP rankings

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.

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

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
August 298:00 p.m.Eastern Illinois*
BTNW 45–043,849
September 76:00 p.m.No. 19 Kansas*
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL
FS1W 23–1760,670
September 1411:00 a.m.Central Michigan*dagger
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL
PeacockW 30–951,498
September 207:00 p.m.at No. 22 NebraskaNo. 24
FOXW 31–24 OT86,936
September 286:30 p.m.at No. 9 Penn StateNo. 19
NBCL 7–21109,911
October 122:30 p.m.PurdueNo. 23
FS1W 50–49 OT55,815
October 192:30 p.m.No. 24 MichiganNo. 22
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL (rivalry)
CBSW 21–760,670
October 262:30 p.m.at No. 1 OregonNo. 20
CBSL 9–3859,830
November 211:00 a.m.MinnesotaNo. 24
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL
FS1L 17–2558,088
November 161:30 p.m.Michigan State
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL
FS1W 38–1652,660
November 2311:00 a.m.at RutgersNo. 25
PeacockW 38–3147,524
November 3011:00 a.m.at NorthwesternNo. 23
BTNW 38–2826,378
December 312:00 p.m.No. 15 South CarolinaNo. 20
ABCW 21–17

Rankings

Further information: 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes
Week
PollPre123456789101112131415Final
AP——RV24192423222024——24222121
Coaches——RVRV212523212124RVRVRV252121
CFPNot released——25232120Not released

Game summaries

vs Eastern Illinois (FCS)

See also: 2024 Eastern Illinois Panthers football team
Eastern Illinois Panthers (FCS) (0–0) at Illinois Fighting Illini (0–0) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Panthers (FCS) 0 0 000
Fighting Illini 14 17 7745

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

See also: 2024 Kansas Jayhawks football team
No. 19 Kansas Jayhawks (1–0) vs Illinois Fighting Illini (1–0) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 19 Jayhawks 0 10 7017
Fighting Illini 3 10 01023

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

See also: 2024 Central Michigan Chippewas football team
Central Michigan Chippewas (1–1) vs Illinois Fighting Illini (2–0) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Chippewas 3 3 039
Fighting Illini 7 6 10730

at Memorial Stadium • Champaign, Illinois

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

See also: 2024 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
No. 24 Illinois Fighting Illini (3–0) at No. 22 Nebraska Cornhuskers (3–0) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34OTTotal
No. 24 Fighting Illini 7 3 77731
No. 22 Cornhuskers 10 7 07024

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

See also: 2024 Penn State Nittany Lions football team
No. 19 Illinois Fighting Illini (4–0) at No. 9 Penn State Nittany Lions (3–0) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 19 Fighting Illini 7 0 007
No. 9 Nittany Lions 7 0 7721

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
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)

See also: 2024 Purdue Boilermakers football team and Illinois–Purdue football rivalry
Purdue Boilermakers (1–4) vs No. 23 Illinois Fighting Illini (4–1) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34OTTotal
Boilermakers 0 3 1723649
No. 23 Fighting Illini 10 14 316750

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)

See also: 2024 Michigan Wolverines football team and Illinois–Michigan football rivalry
No. 24 Michigan Wolverines (4–2) vs No. 22 Illinois Fighting Illini (5–1) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 24 Wolverines 0 7 007
No. 22 Fighting Illini 3 10 8021

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

See also: 2024 Oregon Ducks football team
No. 20 Illinois Fighting Illini (6–1) at No. 1 Oregon Ducks (7–0) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 20 Fighting Illini 3 0 609
No. 1 Ducks 14 21 0338

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

See also: 2024 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team
Minnesota Golden Gophers (5–3) vs No. 24 Illinois Fighting Illini (6–2) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Golden Gophers 3 10 3925
No. 24 Fighting Illini 0 10 0717

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

See also: 2024 Michigan State Spartans football team
Michigan State Spartans (4–5) vs Illinois Fighting Illini (6–3) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Spartans 6 3 7016
Fighting Illini 14 7 31438

at Memorial Stadium • Champaign, Illinois

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

See also: 2024 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team
No. 25 Illinois Fighting Illini (7–3) at Rutgers Scarlet Knights (6–4) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 25 Fighting Illini 0 9 62338
Scarlet Knights 3 14 01431

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)

See also: 2024 Northwestern Wildcats football team and Illinois–Northwestern football rivalry
No. 23 Illinois Fighting Illini (8–3) at Northwestern Wildcats (4–7) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 23 Fighting Illini 7 7 141038
Wildcats 10 0 10828

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)

See also: 2024 South Carolina Gamecocks football team and 2024 Citrus Bowl (December)
2024 Citrus Bowl
No. 15 South Carolina Gamecocks (9–3) vs No. 20 Illinois Fighting Illini (9–3) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 15 Gamecocks 3 0 7717
No. 20 Fighting Illini 7 0 7721

at Camping World Stadium • Orlando, Florida

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
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 Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Roster
Last update: 11/16/2024

References

  1. ^ "2024 Illinois Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  2. ^ "2024 Football Schedule". University of Illinois Athletics. Retrieved January 5, 2024.