Pat Bryant caught a four-yard touchdown pass from Luke Altmyer in overtime to give Illinois (No. 24) a 31-24 victory over Nebraska (No. 22) in Lincoln to open the Big Ten Conference season. The Fighting Illini are 4-0 for the first time since 2011.
Dylan Rosiek sacked Huskers quarterback Dylan Raiola on 4th-and-29 to seal the win. Nebraska started overtime horribly, beginning its possession with a false start penalty followed by a sack that led to a nine-yard loss. An intentional grounding penalty on the freshman quarterback then led to Nebraska going to a 3rd-and-42.
Altmyer threw for 215 yards and four touchdowns, completing 20 of 25 passes. Pat Bryant had five receptions for 74 yards and two scores, and Zakhari Franklin added five catches for 50 yards. Kaden Feagin ran for 69 yards on 12 carries.
Illinois tied the game at 24-24 on a six-yard reception by offensive lineman Brandon Henderson, who was lined up at tight end. The 70-yard drive was highlighted by a 16-yard run by Feagin, which was added to by another 15 yards thanks to a face-tapping penalty by Nebraska’s Malcolm Hartzog Jr. Altmyer followed with a 15-yard pass to Malik Elzy that brought the Fighting Illini to the Huskers’ 14-yard line.
Nebraska had a chance to take the lead on its next possession, but Dylan Raiola threw a pass over tight end Luke Lindenmeyer for what would have been a 21-yard touchdown on third down. John Hohl then missed a 39-yard field goal.
The Huskers took a 24-17 lead on a 1-yard pass from Raiola to Janiran Bonner early in the fourth quarter. Earlier in the drive, the rookie quarterback connected with Isaiah Neyor for a 44-yard gain. On the next play, Raiola threw off his back foot to Thomas Fidone II for 29 yards.
Raiola completed 23 of 35 passes for 284 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Neyor finished with four receptions for 90 yards and two scores, while Jahmal Banks added seven catches for 81 yards. Dante Dowdell led the Huskers in rushing with 72 yards on 20 carries.
Nebraska started the season with a 3-0 record for the first time since 2016 and fans at Memorial Stadium were in an uproar, eager to see the Huskers get a blowout win in prime time. But the Illini quickly quieted the crowd, finishing off a six-play, 78-yard drive with Altmeyer connecting with Bryant for a 27-yard touchdown pass and a 7-0 lead.
Nebraska squandered a chance to tie the score on its second possession on 3rd-and-goal from the 3-yard line when left tackle Turner Corcoran wasn’t ready to block the pass at the snap, forcing Dylan Raiola to rush his throw. Running back Rahmir Johnson was open but didn’t realize he had stepped out of bounds, resulting in an incomplete pass. The Huskers had to settle for a field goal after an 18-play drive.
The defense quickly made a push, however, forcing a fumble by Hank Beatty after he made a 14-yard reception. Nebraska took over at the Illinois 37 and quickly moved ahead on a 14-yard run by Dante Dowdell and an end-around by Isaiah Neyor for 13 yards. Raiola then connected with Neyor in the back of the end zone for a 6-yard touchdown and a 10-7 lead.
The Huskers appeared to take a 16-10 lead with 7:57 left in the second quarter when Neyor caught a 36-yard touchdown pass. However, Illinois cornerback Torrie Cox Jr. also appeared to catch the ball. On the field, officials awarded Neyor a touchdown, but replay review showed Cox had control of the ball for an interception.
However, Nebraska got that touchdown on its next possession.
Illinois didn’t convert a 4th-and-8 from the Huskers’ 33, even though officials didn’t see Jimari Butler grabbing Altmyer’s facemask. Nebraska took over with 3:18 left before halftime and drove 70 yards in nine plays, ending with an 11-yard pass from Raiola to Neyor, who dragged his right foot in bounds to make it a touchdown.
Illinois will play No. 10 Penn State next Saturday. A start time for that game has not yet been announced. Nebraska travels to Purdue for a 12 p.m. Eastern time kickoff.
