No. 24 Illinois beats No. 22 Nebraska in overtime and starts 4-0 for the first time since 2011

Pat Bryant caught a four-yard touchdown pass from Luke Altmyer in overtime to give No. 24 Illinois a 31-24 victory over No. 22 Nebraska in Lincoln. The Fighting Illini are 4-0 for the first time since 2011.

TJ Griffin sacked Huskers quarterback Dylan Raiola on 4th-and-29 to secure the win. Nebraska got off to a terrible start in overtime, beginning its possession with a false start penalty followed by a sack for a loss of nine yards. An intentional grounding penalty on Raiola then set Nebraska up to a 3rd-and-42.

Quarterback Luke Altmyer threw for 215 yards and four touchdowns, completing 20 of 25 passes. Pat Bryant caught five passes for 74 yards and two touchdowns, while Zakhari Franklin caught five more passes for 50 yards. Kaden Feagin rushed for 69 yards on 12 carries.

Illinois tied the game at 24-24 with a six-yard catch by offensive lineman Brandon Henderson, who was lined up as a tight end. The 70-yard drive was capped by a 16-yard run by Feagin, who added another 15 yards on a facemask penalty against Nebraska’s Malcolm Hartzog Jr. Altmyer followed with a 15-yard pass to Malik Elzy, bringing the Fighting Illini to the Huskers’ 14-yard line.

Nebraska had a chance to take the lead on the next possession, but Dylan Raiola threw the ball too far over tight end Luke Lindenmeyer for a 21-yard touchdown on third down. John Hohl then missed a 39-yard field goal.

The Huskers took a 24-17 lead early in the fourth quarter on a 1-yard flip from Raiola to Janiran Bonner. Earlier, the freshman QB had hit Isaiah Neyor for a 44-yard gain. On the next play, Raiola threw his back foot to Thomas Fidone II for 29 yards.

A Friday night matchup in the Big Ten was a spectacular one, with No. 22 Nebraska hosting No. 24 Illinois in Lincoln. The Huskers were 3-0 for the first time since 2016, while the Fighting Illini last won their first three games in 2011.

Illinois quickly silenced the violent prime-time crowd at Memorial Stadium by capping a six-play, 78-yard drive that included Luke Altmyer hitting Pat Bryant with a 27-yard touchdown pass for a 7-0 lead.

Nebraska missed a chance to tie on its second possession on 3rd-and-goal from the 3-yard line when left tackle Turner Corcoran was unwilling to block the pass at the snap, forcing Dylan Raiola to rush his throw. Running back Rahmir Johnson was free but didn’t realize he had run out of bounds, resulting in an incomplete pass. The Huskers had to settle for a field goal after an 18-play drive.

But the defense quickly rallied, forcing Hank Beatty to fumble after making a 14-yard catch. Nebraska took over at the Illinois 37-yard line and moved quickly on a 14-yard run by Dante Dowdell and an end-around by Isaiah Neyor for 13 yards. Raiola then hit 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, the referees awarded Neyor a touchdown, but replay showed Cox had the ball under control for an interception.

However, Nebraska scored the touchdown on its next possession.

Illinois failed to convert a 4th-and-8 attempt from the Huskers’ 33-yard line, although the referees failed to notice Jimari Butler grabbing Altmyer’s facemask. Nebraska took the lead with 3:18 left in the half, driving 70 yards in nine plays. Raiola ended up completing an 11-yard pass to Neyor, who pulled his right foot upfield for the touchdown.

Illinois plays at No. 10 Penn State next Saturday. The kickoff time for that game has yet to be announced. Nebraska travels to Purdue and kicks off at 12 p.m. ET.