Look out, people — Illinois has itself a football team.
A 31-24 win in overtime at Nebraska in a Friday-night thriller instantly marked one of the high points of the Bret Bielema era. In their first game as a ranked team against a ranked team since 2008, the No. 24 Illini (4-0) delivered — as heavy underdogs — against the No. 22 Cornhuskers (3-1).
The crowd in Lincoln went bonkers all night as true freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola put on a sensational show. But Illini QB Luke Altmyer nearly matched Raiola throw for throw, and a missed 39-yard field goal attempt by the Huskers with 3:01 to play led to overtime.
In the extra period, Illinois got the ball first and scored in two plays — a 21-yard run by Kaden Feagin followed by a four-yard pass from Altmyer to Pat Bryant. The defense then responded with an Alec Bryant sack to begin to seal the Huskers’ wrong-way misery. The Huskers lost a total of 29 yards on their OT possession.
A play Illini fans will long remember: a fourth-down, fourth-quarter touchdown pass from Altmyer to 6-5, 335-pound Brandon Henderson — a lineman in disguise — to tie the game 24-24.
“The guys kept chopping wood, kept fighting,” Bielema said.
Raiola was 24-for-35 for 297 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Altmyer was 21-for-27 for four touchdowns — two of them to Bryant — and no INTs.
The Illini surely will make a nice jump in the Top 25 — not as high as 14th, where they topped out in 2022, but somewhere the teens is almost a given. They play next at Penn State.