NCAAF Game Recap - Rutgers at Illinois
Sat Nov 2, 2019 3:30 PM EDT

Wof
14
Clem
59
F
UGA
24
Fla
17
F
Oreg
56
USC
24
F
Utah
33
Wash
28
F
Miss
14
Aub
20
F
WVU
14
Bayl
17
F
Mich
38
MD
7
F
SMU
48
Mem
54
F
VaTec
20
ND
21
F
Cin
46
ECU
43
F
GaSo
24
App
21
F
Boise
52
SJSU
42
F
K St
38
Kans
10
F
NCSt
10
Wake
44
F
Navy
56
UConn
10
F
Buff
43
E Mi
14
F
NIU
10
C Mi
48
F
Hou
29
UCF
44
F
UTSA
14
TxAM
45
F
BC
58
Syr
27
F
Neb
27
Purd
31
F
Lib
63
UMass
21
F
OD
17
FLInt
24
F
Akr
6
BGSU
35
F
Troy
35
CoCar
36
F
JacSt
17
UT-M
22
F
ArkSt
48
ULMon
41
F
UNLV
17
ColSt
37
F
Army
13
AF
17
F
Marsh
20
Rice
7
F
TCU
27
OkSt
34
F
UTEP
26
NorTx
52
F
Rut
10
Ill
38
F
MiaFL
27
FlaSt
10
F
MidTN
20
UNCC
34
F
Tuls
26
Tul
38
F
FlAtl
35
W Ky
24
F
MissSt
54
Ark
24
F
Pitt
20
GATec
10
F
OreSt
56
Ariz
38
F
TxSt
3
ULLaf
31
F
UAB
7
Tenn
30
F
NW
3
Ind
34
F
Vand
7
SCar
24
F
UVA
38
UNC
31
F
Colo
14
UCLA
31
F
BYU
42
UtSt
14
F
NM
10
NEV
21
F
Fres
41
Hawaii
38
F
Kent
33
Toled
35
F
Ball
31
WestMI
35
F

Nov 2, 2019, 3:30 PM EDT

Final

1

2

3

4

T

Rutgers (2-7)

0

10

0

0

10

Illinois (5-4)

10

0

21

7

38

Swarming defense lifts Illinois over Rutgers 38-10
Sat Nov 2, 2019 8:30 PM

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) Three defensive takeaways, including a pick-6, and timely offense carried red-hot Illinois past Rutgers 38-10 on Saturday.

Dele Harding had 12 tackles and an interception return for a touchdown late in the game to lead Illinois (5-4, 3-3 Big Ten Conference).

"Dele, he's been that for us all year," Illinois coach Lovie Smith said. "He was feeling a little sick before the game, but he's one of our captains and a motivator for us. He's productive."

Brandon Peters was 6-of-11 passing for 120 yards and one touchdown. Dre Brown carried eight times for 31 yards and two touchdowns. Josh Imatorbhebhe had three receptions for 56 yards and a score.

Johnny Langan was 5-of-10 passing for 86 yards and a touchdown for Rutgers (2-7, 0-6). He also threw one interception.

"Turning the ball over twice for touchdowns is obviously tough," said Rutgers interim coach Nunzio Campanile. "But I honestly thought Johnny played a pretty good game."

Campanile, named to the interim spot when coach Chris Ash was fired after four games this season, coached Langan in high school in New Jersey.

Aaron Young carried the ball 12 times for 67 yards to lead the Scarlet Knights. Mohamed Jabbie had three receptions for 64 yards and Rutgers' only touchdown.

The game was tied 10-10 at the half, but Peters unleashed a 54-yard scamper midway through the third quarter to the Rutgers' 2-yard line to set up a 2-yard touchdown run by Brown. On the next Rutgers possession, Nate Hobbs recovered a Langan fumble and ran it 32 yards for a touchdown to put Illinois up 24-10.

Harding forced a fumble with 4:48 left in the third quarter and Illinois scored on the next play, a 52-yard touchdown pass to Imatorbhebhe. Early in the fourth quarter, Harding picked off a Langan pass and ran it back 54 yards for a touchdown.

FLIP THE SWITCH

The Illinois defense was a force all afternoon, The Illini led the nation in fumble recoveries, was second in forced fumbles and second in turnovers gained coming into the game and did nothing but pad those numbers.

"We needed to flip the switch at halftime," Smith said. "We had opportunities early, but the takeaways just jump-started us when we needed it most."

Campanile knew what his team was facing coming into the game.

"We have a lot of young players out there, and we knew that they are kind of a turnover (forcing) machine," Campanile said. "They really caught us in the third quarter and the game got away from us."

BOWL BOUND?

Illinois now needs just one win out its three remaining games to secure a bowl appearance for the first time since 2014.

"We like how we have played in the second half of the season, going 3-0 against Big Ten teams," Smith said. "We have to be pumped up now, maybe more so than at any time since I got here. We're one game from being bowl eligible and that is going to lead us the rest of the season."

That path includes road games against Michigan State and Iowa before finishing up at home against Northwestern.

THE TAKEAWAY

After a slow first-half start, Illinois' defense helped open the offensive floodgates. Many wondered how Illinois would handle its newfound success on the heels of a one-point comeback win over then-No. 6 Wisconsin two weeks ago and a decisive victory over Purdue last week.

Illinois answered those questions and then some, giving Smith, whose job had been in question just a few weeks ago, some breathing room.

UP NEXT

Rutgers: Hosts No. 3 Ohio State on Nov. 16.

Illinois: Visits Michigan State on Nov. 9.

Passing

Rut Att Cmp % TD-Pa Yds-Pa LgPa Int Rat
J. Langan 10 5 50.0 1 86 31 1 73.3
Ill Att Cmp % TD-Pa Yds-Pa LgPa Int Rat
B. Peters 11 6 54.5 1 120 52 0 123.3

Rushing

Rut Att Yds-Ru Avg LgRu TDRu
A. Young 13 67 5.2 17 0
J. Langan 23 41 1.8 9 0
Ill Att Yds-Ru Avg LgRu TDRu
R. Corbin 13 51 3.9 15 0
B. Peters 3 41 13.7 54 0

Receiving

Rut Rec Yds-Rc Avg LgRc TD-Rc
M. Jabbie 3 64 21.3 31 1
B. Melton 1 14 14.0 14 0
Ill Rec Yds-Rc Avg LgRc TD-Rc
D. Navarro 2 57 28.5 48 0
J. Imatorbhebhe 3 56 18.7 52 1

Fumbles

Rut F FL
M. Jabbie 1 0
J. Langan 1 1

Returning

Rut KR Avg KRTD LgKR PR Avg TD LgPR
A. Young 0 0 0 4 0.5 0 5
P. Woods 1 7.0 0 7 0 0 0
Ill KR Avg KRTD LgKR PR Avg TD LgPR
J. Holmes 0 0 0 4 8.3 0 15
D. Brown 1 17.0 0 17 0 0 0

Punting

Rut Punt Yds Avg LgPu
A. Korsak 6 280 46.7 62
Ill Punt Yds Avg LgPu
B. Hayes 5 227 45.4 55

Takeaways

Ill Int Yds InTD
S. Green 0 0 0
D. Harding 1 54 1

Team Stats Comparison

Rut Ill
Points For 10 38
Total Yards 271 324
Rushing Yards 185 204
Passing Yards 86 120
Passing Completions / Attempts 5/10 6/11
Turnovers 3 0
Interceptions Thrown 1 0
Fumbles - Lost 3/2 0/0
First Downs 13 14
Penalties - Yards 2/18 3/35
Time Of Possession 09:09 51:51
Third Down Conversions/Attempts 6/16 6/14
Fourth Down Conversions/Attempts 1/2 1/1
Punts - Average Yards 6/47 5/45

Scoring Summary

1st Quarter Rut Ill
Ill 06:22 TD Dre Brown 10 yd run (James McCourt kick) 0 7
Ill 12:32 FG James McCourt 33 yd FG 0 10
2nd Quarter Rut Ill
Rut 02:35 TD Mohamed Jabbie 31 yd pass from Johnny Langan (Justin Davidovicz kick) 7 10
Rut 14:45 FG Justin Davidovicz 25 yd FG 10 10
3rd Quarter Rut Ill
Ill 05:52 TD Dre Brown 2 yd run (James McCourt kick) 10 17
Ill 07:31 TD Nate Hobbs 36 yd fumble return (James McCourt kick) 10 24
Ill 11:30 TD Josh Imatorbhebhe 52 yd pass from Brandon Peters (James McCourt kick) 10 31
4th Quarter Rut Ill
Ill 00:51 TD Dele Harding 54 yd interception return (James McCourt kick) 10 38

Game Information

Stadium: Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Illinois
Attendance: 35,652
Game Time:
Weather: