Illinois went into Wallace Wade Stadium on Saturday and turned a tight first half into a rout, walking away with a 45-19 win over Duke.
Quarterback Luke Altmyer looked sharp, throwing for 296 yards and three touchdowns while spreading the ball around to multiple targets. Hank Beatty stood out with eight catches for 128 yards, adding a rushing score to cap a huge night. Kaden Feagin and Ca’Lil Valentine also found the end zone on the ground, giving the Illini balance once they seized control.
Second half went Orange and Blue
Duke kept it close early, even trailing just 14-13 at halftime after Andrel Anthony hauled in a spectacular toe-tap touchdown before the break. But the Blue Devils imploded after the locker room.
Turnovers were the story. Duke gave the ball away five times, including a muffed punt deep in their own territory, a costly red-zone fumble, and even a bizarre penalty for having two players wearing the same jersey number that extended an Illinois drive. Illinois turned nearly every mistake into points, outscoring Duke 31-6 in the second half.
Illinois’ defense made the difference down the stretch, shutting down the pass rush that had caused problems in the first half and forcing Duke into desperate mistakes. Defensive back Matthew Bailey’s perfectly timed punch-out in the third quarter killed any hope of a Duke rally and shifted momentum fully to the visitors.
What's next?
Illinois improved to 2-0 with a win that should boost their Top 25 resume. They return home next week to host Western Michigan in what should be a lighter matchup.
Duke, now 1-1, will need to fix its turnover woes quickly. The Blue Devils have a tricky trip to Tulane next week, where quarterback Darian Mensah will face his old program.