For the first time in 13 years, the Illini are off to an undefeated 3-0 to begin the 2024 season. A 30-9 win over Central Michigan finished off week three for Illinois. With that, the team completes its non-conference play and heads into next week to battle in its first Big Ten competition.
The Illini won the coin toss once again and elected to defend the north end zone to start the game. The game began with a tackle-for-loss by junior outside linebacker Gabe Jacas. Soon after, the Illini got in position for a swifty punt return, which put junior quarterback Luke Atlmyer back in charge.
Central Michigan’s defense did not come out quietly. They constantly pressured Altmyer, but he successfully got the ball to his receivers to advance them to the end zone. Altmyer caught senior wide receiver Pat Bryant wide-open on the left side of the end zone. This put the Illini ahead 7-0 with seven minutes remaining in the first quarter.
The Chippewas were strategic in their offensive plays and found holes in our defensive line to scurry ahead. Junior linebacker Dylan Rosiek got called for a late hit that pushed the Chippewas closer to the end zone. Fortunately for the Illini, a holding call prevented the Chippewas from scoring a touchdown. They resorted to a field goal and lessened the Illini’s lead by four.
The second offensive possession came with some troubles for Illinois. Fixable errors by the offensive line pushed the team further away from scoring. Central Michigan devoured Altmyer for a sack at the beginning of the second quarter to put Illinois’ defense back on the field.
Illinois’ defensive attacks forced Central Michigan to punt once more. Junior wide receiver Hank Beatty returned the ball for 28 yards, but this return was not enough to get points on the board for Illinois. Sophomore kicker David Olano failed to make a 54-yard field goal, and Central Michigan’s offense lined right back up.
A little more life was injected into the crowd with five minutes remaining in the half. Illinois’ defense successfully prevented Central Michigan from converting on its third and fourth down attempts.
With that, Altmyer targeted freshman running back Ca’Lil Valentine and junior running back Josh McCray to lead the charge. However, just as the past few games have gone, difficulties arose when cutting through the opponents’ defensive line. Illinois stuck with a field goal and Olano recovered after his previous attempt.
On the Chippewas’ next offensive attempt, they rushed through the middle for a 35-yard run, which put them in Illini territory just before halftime. With enough pressure, the Illini held the Chippewas to a field goal.
While it seemed like Illinois would not profit off their final possession of the half, sophomore kicker Ethan Moczulski booted a field goal at the very last second. His 59-yard kick set the new school record and also pushed Illinois to a 13-6 lead over Central Michigan.
Illinois’ offense geared up for the third quarter and started hot. Altmyer found senior wide receiver Zakhari Franklin and redshirt freshman Collin Dixon for long strides toward the end zone. Then, Altmyer eyed Bryant for a quick pass. Even with defenders bombarding him, he mustered his way into the south end zone to score. Just two minutes into the half, Illinois led 20-6.
Illinois’ edge rushers continued their charges to frustrate Central Michigan. Both Jacas’ and senior outside linebacker Seth Coleman’s tackles led to another Illinois offensive possession. A rush from McCray landed him just five yards short of the goal line, but back-to-back false starts led to another Illinois field goal.
“A lot of times the self-inflicted wounds cause you more failure than anything,” head coach Bret Bielema described after the game. “We had our work cut out for us. Unfortunately, I think we made it a little more difficult than it needed to be. As I always say, these teachable moments come a lot better on the victory than the defeat. I know we can make some things happen.”
Before the Chippewas could get into the end zone, junior defensive back Xavier Scott leaped up for an interception to get the crowd on its feet. Despite this excitement, the Illini did not profit from this pick.
Central Michigan got down to the seven-yard line a couple of minutes into the final quarter. Solid efforts from defensive back Miles Scott forced Central Michigan to once again kick a field goal. With 12 minutes left in the game, Illinois led 23-9.
Valentine gained another 22 yards after a nice handoff by Altmyer. The quarterback looked to the end zone for sophomore wide receiver Malik Elzy, but could not complete the pass due to a pass interference call. However, Atlmyer passed the ball off to sophomore running back Kaden Feagin for a two-yard bolt into the end zone which increased the team’s lead to 21.
“I make three keys to victory every week,” Bielema noted in the postgame press conference. “Our first one this year is a “1-0” mentality. It’s not just rhetoric, I think our guys understand it. I knew today was going to have some speed bumps, it’s just part of being a coach…I keep talking to these guys about routine. The more you build a routine, the better you’re going to perform.”
The remainder of the game was rather uneventful on both ends. The time ran out, and victory was declared for Illinois’.
@tess_eken