No. 25 Illinois won a 38-31 thriller over Rutgers with a touchdown Saturday in Piscataway, New Jersey.
Down 31-30, the Illini faced 4th-and-13 with 14 seconds left in the game and were poised to attempt a 58-yard field goal. Rutgers coach Greg Schiano then called a timeout to try Ethan Moczulski’s cleat.
Moczulski did kick the ball left and about 15 yards short, but the attempt was fouled by a timeout. After seeing the kickoff and getting a chance to review, Illinois coach Bret Bielema decided against the field goal attempt and opted for a first down.
That choice ended up working out even better than Bielema probably imagined.
Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer connected with Pat Bryant for a first down and more. Bryant dodged several Rutgers defenders and sprinted into the right corner of the end zone for a touchdown with four seconds left.
The Illini failed on a 2-point conversion attempt. Still, they got those two points when Rutgers moved the ball out of bounds on the ensuing kickoff in the end zone.
Altmyer passed for 249 yards and two touchdowns on 12-for-26 passing. He also rushed for 74 yards and a score. Josh McCray rushed for another 58 yards and a TD on 13 carries. Bryant finished with seven receptions for 197 yards and a touchdown he’ll never forget.
Rutgers QB Athan Kaliakmanis also passed for two TDs with 174 yards on 18-for-36 passing while also rushing for 84 yards and two scores on 13 carries. Kyle Monangai led the Scarlet Knights with 122 yards on 28 carries. Ian Strong caught six balls for 66 yards and a TD.
Illinois improved to 8-3 overall with the win and tied with Iowa for fourth in the Big Ten at 5-3. Rutgers dropped to 6-5 (3-5 in the Big Ten) with the loss.