What’s New

Raby’s Jalen Monroe (7) is wrapped up by Clark’s Jassani Freeman (11). | Kevin Tanaka/For the Sun-Times

The full playoff pairings for Class 1A.

Times and dates will be released on Monday. The championship will be played on Friday, Nov. 26 at NIU’s Huskie Stadium in DeKalb.

Class 1A

#16 Annawan-Wethersfield (5-4) at #1 Abingdon (8-1)
#9 Monmouth United (6-3) at #8 Iroquois West (7-2)
#13 Ridgeview (5-4) at #4 Rushville (7-2)
#12 Hope Academy (6-3) at #5 Peru St. Bede (7-2)
#15 Princeville (5-4) at #2 Ottawa Marquette (8-1)
#10 Raby (6-3) at #7 Fulton (7-2)
#14 Galena (5-4) at #3 Forreston (7-2)
#11 Aurora Christian (6-3) at #6 Lena Winslow (7-2)

#16 Villa Grove (5-4) at #1 Camp Pt. Central (8-1)
#9 Central A&M (6-3) at #8 Nokomis (7-2)
#13 Brown County (5-4) at #4 Cumberland (8-1)
#12 West Central (6-3) at #5 Arcola (7-2)
#15 Shelbyville (5-4) at #2 Carrollton (8-1)
#10 Salt Fork (6-3) at #7 Greenfield-NW (7-2)
#14 Macon Meridian (5-4) at #3 Athens (8-1)
#11 Casey-Westfield (6-3) at #6 Sesser-Vallier (7-2)

Read More

Batavia’s Jalen Buckley (27) runs the ball against Wheaton North. | Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times

The full playoff pairings for Class 7A.

Times and dates will be released on Monday. The championship will be played on Saturday, Nov. 27 at NIU’s Huskie Stadium in DeKalb.

Class 7A

#32 Lake Zurich (5-4) at #1 Batavia (9-0)
#17 Mount Carmel (6-3) at #16 Thornwood (7-2)
#25 Yorkville (5-4) at #8 Plainfield Central (8-1)
#24 Wheaton Warrenville South (5-4) at #9 Brother Rice (7-2)
#29 Larkin (5-4) at #4 Wheaton North (8-1)
#20 TF South (6-3) at #13 Hoffman Estates (7-2)
#28 Hampshire (5-4) at #5 Moline (8-1)
#21 Willowbrook (6-3) at #12 Young (7-2)

#31 Plainfield East (5-4) at #2 Hononegah (9-0)
#18 Libertyville (6-3) at #15 Pekin (7-2)
#26 Geneva (5-4) at #7 Collinsville (8-1)
#23 Rolling Meadows (5-4) at #10 St. Rita (7-2)
#30 Eisenhower (5-4) at #3 Normal (9-0)
#19 Jacobs (6-3) at #14 Hersey (7-2)
#27 Lincoln-Way West (5-4) at #6 Buffalo Grove (8-1)
#22 Shepard (5-4) at #11 Prospect (7-2)

Read More

Kenwood’s Kahlil Tate (11) and Omarion Lewis (13) celebrate Tate’s touchdown against Simeon. | Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times

The full playoff pairings for Class 6A.

Times and dates will be released on Monday. The championship will be played on Saturday, Nov. 27 at NIU’s Huskie Stadium in DeKalb.

Class 6A

#16 Rockford East (5-4) at #1 Cary-Grove (9-0)
#9 Grayslake Central (7-2) at #8 Belvidere North (7-2)
#13 Mather (6-3) at #4 Deerfield (8-1)
#12 Crystal Lake Central (6-3) at #5 Amundsen (8-1)
#15 Lakes (5-4) at #2 Wauconda (9-0)
#10 Vernon Hills (7-2) at #7 Prairie Ridge (7-2)
#14 Crystal Lake South (5-4) at #3 Harlem (8-1)
#11 Antioch (6-3) at #6 Lake Forest (7-2)

#16 Kennedy (5-3) at #1 Lemont (9-0)
#9 Springfield (6-3) at #8 Rock Island (6-3)
#13 Riverside-Brookfield (5-4) at #4 East St. Louis (7-2)
#12 Simeon (5-4) at #5 Richards (7-2)
#15 Bremen (5-4) at #2 St. Ignatius (8-1)
#10 Glenwood (6-3) at #7 Crete-Monee (6-3)
#14 Champaign Centennial (5-4) at #3 Kenwood (8-1)
#11 Normal West (6-3) at #6 Washington, IL (7-2)

Read More

Nazareth’s Kaleb Miller (5) is tackled by Notre Dame’s Nathan Garnhart (24). | Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times

The full playoff pairings for Class 5A.

Times and dates will be released on Monday. The championship will be played on Saturday, Nov. 27 at NIU’s Huskie Stadium in DeKalb.

Class 5A

#16 Bulls Prep (5-4) at #1 Glenbard South (8-1)
#9 Sycamore (6-3) at #8 Evergreen Park (6-3)
#13 St. Patrick (5-4) at #4 Sterling (7-2)
#12 Payton (6-3) at #5 Rochelle (7-2)
#15 Kaneland (5-4) at #2 Fenwick (7-2)
#10 Rockford Boylan (6-3) at #7 Brooks (6-3)
#14 Nazareth (5-4) at #3 Goode (7-2)
#11 Marmion (6-3) at #6 Comer (7-2)

#16 Carbondale (5-4) at #1 Kankakee (9-0)
#9 Morgan Park (6-3) at #8 Peoria (7-2)
#13 Dunlap (5-4) at #4 Mascoutah (8-1)
#12 Metamora (5-4) at #5 Marion (8-1)
#15 LaSalle-Peru (5-4) at #2 Morris (9-0)
#10 Highland (5-4) at #7 Morton, IL (7-2)
#14 Jacksonville (5-4) at #3 Mahomet-Seymour (9-0)
#11 Hillcrest (5-4) at #6 Triad (7-2)

Read More

Joliet Catholic’s Vinny Iannantone (28) runs the ball against Brother Rice. | Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times

The full playoff pairings for Class 4A.

Times and dates will be released on Monday. The championship will be played on Friday, Nov. 26 at NIU’s Huskie Stadium in DeKalb.

Class 4A

#16 Marengo (5-4) at #1 Joliet Catholic (9-0)
#9 Coal City (6-3) at #8 Wheaton Academy (7-2)
#13 Bogan (6-3) at #4 Genoa-Kingston (8-1)
#12 Peoria Notre Dame (6-3) at #5 St. Francis (7-2)
#15 Sullivan (6-3) at #2 Richmond-Burton (9-0)
#10 Hyde Park (6-3) at #7 Stillman Valley (7-2)
#14 Plano (6-3) at #3 Kewanee (8-1)
#11 Dixon (6-3) at #6 Phillips (7-2)

#16 Cahokia (5-4) at #1 Rochester (8-1)
#9 Paris (6-3) at #8 Mt. Zion (6-3)
#13 Richland County (5-4) at #4 Freeburg (7-2)
#12 Harrisburg (5-4) at #5 Carterville (7-2)
#15 Salem (5-4) at #2 Breese Central (8-1)
#10 Macomb (6-3) at #7 Murphysboro (6-3)
#14 Columbia (5-4) at #3 Sacred Heart-Griffin (8-1)
#11 Civic Memorial (6-3) at #6 Quincy Notre Dame (6-3)

Read More

Clark’s Willie Taylor (1) finds the end zone against Raby. | Kevin Tanaka/For the Sun-Times

The full playoff pairings for Class 3A.

Times and dates will be released on Monday. The championship will be played on Friday, Nov. 26 at NIU’s Huskie Stadium in DeKalb.

Class 3A

#16 Catalyst Maria (5-4) at #1 Byron (9-0)
#9 Carver (6-3) at #8 Lisle (6-3)
#13 Peotone (5-4) at #4 Reed-Custer (8-1)
#12 Elmwood-Brimfield (6-3) at #5 Clark (8-1)
#15 North Boone (5-4) at #2 Princeton (8-1)
#10 King (6-3) at #7 Prairie Central (7-2)
#14 Mendota (5-4) at #3 Pecatonica (8-1)
#11 Monmouth-Roseville (6-3) at #6 IC Catholic (8-1)

#16 Newton (5-4) at #1 Tolono Unity (9-0)
#9 Eureka (6-3) at #8 Paxton-Buckley-Loda (6-3)
#13 Beardstown (5-4) at #4 Williamsville (8-1)
#12 Hoopeston (5-4) at #5 Fairfield (8-1)
#15 St. Joseph-Ogden (5-4) at #2 Mt. Carmel, IL (9-0)
#10 DuQuoin (5-4) at #7 Carlinville (7-2)
#14 Piasa Southwestern (5-4) at #3 Benton (9-0)
#11 Greenville (5-4) at #6 Monticello (7-2)

Read More

Naperville Central’s Reginald Fleurima (8) runs the ball against Neuqua Valley. | Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times

The full playoff pairings for Class 8A.

Times and dates will be released on Monday. The championship will be played on Saturday, Nov. 27 at NIU’s Huskie Stadium in DeKalb.

Class 8A

#32 Downers Grove South (5-4) at #1 Loyola (9-0)
#17 Naperville Central (6-3) at #16 Naperville North (6-3)
#25 Minooka (5-4) at #8 York (8-1)
#24 Oswego East (6-3) at #9 Lincoln-Way East (7-2)
#29 Lyons (5-4) at #4 Lockport (8-1)
#20 Oswego (6-3) at #13 Glenbard West (7-2)
#28 Barrington (5-4) at #5 Warren (8-1)
#21 Glenbard North (6-3) at #12 Bolingbrook (7-2)

#31 Edwardsville (5-4) at #2 South Elgin (9-0)
#18 Marist (6-3) at #15 Glenbard East (7-2)
#26 Sandburg (5-4) at #7 Hinsdale Central (8-1)
#23 O’Fallon (6-3) at #10 Glenbrook South (7-2)
#30 Bartlett (5-4) at #3 Neuqua Valley (8-1)
#19 Palatine (6-3) at #14 Taft (7-2)
#27 New Trier (5-4) at #6 Maine South (8-1)
#22 Evanston (6-3) at #11 Plainfield North (7-2)

Read More

Morgan Park’s Aaron Warren (0) cheers with his team after beating Simeon earlier this season. | Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times

Twenty-four Public League teams qualified for the state football playoffs on Saturday.

The pandemic was brutally hard on Public League football. Chicago Public Schools didn’t allow coaches to have contact days with their teams last year, which set many programs behind. Suburban and private schools had three months worth of practices. Then many Public League teams decided not to play in the spring season.

That definitely hurt the quality of football this season, but it turns out there is some light at the end of the tunnel. Twenty-four Public League teams qualified for the state playoffs on Saturday, a record. The Illinois High School Association announced the qualifying teams on Saturday afternoon. The full playoff pairings will be revealed later Saturday night.

The Public League has qualified 20 or more teams four other times since the IHSA expanded football to eight classes in 2001. The previous high for the Public League was 23 teams in 2018.

Phillips is the only team from the Public League that has won a state title. The Wildcats won Class 4A in 2015 and Class 5A in 2015.

Why did so many Public League teams qualify this season? It’s likely due to a number of factors. Many schools around the state have switched to 8-man football, freeing up spots in the IHSA’s 256-team playoff field. It was also a bit easier to gather the five necessary wins this season, with so many Public League teams forfeiting games and finishing winless.

How it happened isn’t as important as what the playoff experiences will do for the Public League programs. A playoff appearance, win or lose, is a shot in the arm for any team struggling to find its footing in the community. It will encourage the current players to work harder in the off season and likely lead to more players joining the teams next season.

Here’s the complete list of Public League teams that qualified for the IHSA state playoffs: Taft (8A), Young (7A), Mather (6A), Kennedy (6A), Simeon (6A), Amundsen (6A), Kenwood (6A), Bulls Prep (5A), Payton (5A), Morgan Park (5A), Brooks (5A), Goode (5A), Comer (5A), Bogan (4A), Sullivan (4A), Hyde Park (4A), Phillips (4A), Catalyst Maria (3A), Carver (3A), King (3A), Clark (3A), Julian (2A), North Lawndale (2A), Raby (1A).

Public League football teams that have qualified for state in the eight-class era

2019-20 (20 teams)

Taft (8A), Curie (8A), Phillips (7A), Lincoln Park (7A), Simeon (6A), Mather (6A), Kenwood (6A), Morgan Park (6A), Payton (5A), Hyde Park (5A), Amundsen (5A), Phoenix (4A), Ag. Science (4A), Clark (4A), UP-Bronzeville (4A), Sullivan (4A), Carver (3A), Harlan (3A), Dunbar (3A), Orr (2A).

2018-19 (23 teams)

Taft (8A), Simeon (7A), Lincoln Park (7A), Von Steuben (6A), Phillips (6A), Kenwood (6A), Payton (5A), Back of the Yards (5A), Phoenix (5A), Hyde Park (5A), Brooks (5A), Amundsen (5A), Raby (4A), UP-Bronzeville (4A), Sullivan (4A), Ag. Science (4A), Clemente (4A), Dunbar (3A), Clark (3A), UP-Englewood (3A), Harlan (2A), Collins (2A), Orr (1A).

2017-18 (19 teams)

Curie (8A), Lincoln Park (7A), Simeon (7A), Mather (6A), Hubbard (6A), Phillips (5A), Morgan Park (5A), Back of the Yards (5A), Solorio (5A), Westinghouse (5A), Lindblom (5A), Payton (5A), UP-Englewood (4A), Ag. Science (4A), Sullivan (4A), Raby (4A), UP-Bronzeville (4A), Orr (2A), Marshall (2A).

2016-17 (17 teams)

Curie (8A), Taft (8A), Lincoln Park (7A), Simeon (7A), Perspectives (6A), Hubbard (6A), Morgan Park (6A), Westinghouse (5A), Solorio (5A), Goode (5A), UP-Bronzeville (5A), Payton (5A), South Shore (4A), Phillips (4A), Corliss (3A), Marine (3A), Clark (3A).

2015-16 (17 teams)

Curie (8A), Lincoln Park (7A), Simeon (7A), Young (7A), Kenwood (6A), Hubbard (6A), Morgan Park (6A), Westinghouse (5A), Payton (5A), King (5A), DuSable (5A), Lindblom (5A), Solorio (5A), Phillips (4A), Raby (3A), Clark (3A), Douglass (1A).

2014-15 (17 teams)

Curie (8A), Taft (8A), Simeon (8A), Lincoln Park (7A), King (6A), Morgan Park (6A), North Lawndale (5A), UP-Englewood (5A), Westinghouse (5A), Solorio (5A), DuSable (5A), Payton (4A), Phillips (4A), Raby (3A), Harper (3A), Bowen (3A), Uplift (2A).

2013-14 (18 teams)

Lane (8A), Simeon (8A), Schurz (7A), Young (7A), Dunbar (7A), Hubbard (6A), Morgan Park (5A), UP-Englewood (5A), Brooks (5A), UP-Bronzeville (5A), UP-West (4A), Phillips (4A), King (4A), Payton (4A), North Lawndale (4A), Harper (3A), Raby (3A), Robeson (3A).

2012-13 (15 teams)

Simeon (8A), Hyde Park (7A), Lake View (7A), Foreman (7A), Steinmetz (7A), Perspectives (7A), Morgan Park (7A), Westinghouse (5A), King (5A), Voise-Austin (4A), Marshall (4A), Payton (4A), Brooks (4A), Harper (4A), Raby (3A).

2011-12 (20 teams)

Simeon (8A), Taft (8A), Dunbar (8A), Curie (8A), Morgan Park (6A), Hyde Park (6A), Hubbard (6A), Foreman (6A), Urban Prep (5A), King (5A), Robeson (5A), Julian (5A), Brooks (4A), Longwood (4A), Marshall (4A), Phillips (4A), Fenger (4A), Harper (4A), Payton (4A), Austin (2A).

2010-11 (21 teams)

Dunbar (8A), Young (8A), Curie (8A), Vocational (8A), Simeon (7A), Taft (7A), Morgan Park (6A), Hyde Park (6A), Robeson (6A), DuSable (6A), Hubbard (6A), King (5A), Harlan (5A), Orr (5A), Senn (5A), Julian (5A), Uplift (4A), Harper (4A), Collins (4A), Carver (4A), Longwood (4A).

2009-10 (16 teams)

Taft (8A), Simeon (8A), Curie (8A), Bogan (7A), Morgan Park (6A), Harlan (6A), Julian (6A), Mather (6A), King (6A), Robeson (6A), Hubbard (6A), Senn (5A), Orr (5A), Brooks (5A), Raby (4A), Dyett (4A).

2008-09 (13 teams)

Lane (8A), Curie (8A), Simeon (8A), Lincoln Park (7A), Steinmetz (7A), Morgan Park (6A), Harlan (6A), Hubbard (6A), Clark (5A), Marshall (5A), Robeson (5A), Harper (5A), Manley (5A).

2007-08 (10 teams)

Lane (8A), Young (8A), Curie (8A), Morgan Park (7A), King (6A), Hubbard (6A), Simeon (6A), Robeson (5A), Harper (5A), Manley (5A).

2006-07 (12 teams)

Lane (8A), Mather (7A), Vocational (7A), Morgan Park (7A), Dunbar (6A), Simeon (6A), Hubbard (6A), King (5A), Brooks (5A), Marshall (5A), Robeson (5A), Carver (5A).

2005-06 (13 teams)

Lane (8A), Curie (8A), Morgan Park (7A), Young (7A), Harper (6A), Robeson (6A), Dunbar (6A), Hubbard (6A), Simeon (6A), Corliss (5A), Westinghouse (5A), Crane (5A), Longwood (1A).

2004-05 (12 teams)

Lane (8A), Steinmetz (8A), Morgan Park (7A), Simeon (7A), Vocational (7A), Julian (6A), Harper (6A), Prosser (6A), Hubbard (6A), Austin (6A), Dunbar (6A), Crane (5A).

2003-04 (9 teams)

Lane (8A), Steinmetz (8A), Hubbard (7A), Morgan Park (7A), Harper (6A), Westinghouse (6A), Simeon (6A), Corliss (5A), Robeson (5A).

2002-03 (11 teams)

Lane (8A), Hubbard (7A), Young (7A), Dunbar (7A), Simeon (7A), Morgan Park (7A), Prosser (6A), Harper (6A), Julian (6A), Fenger (5A), Robeson (5A).

2001-02 (9 teams)

Curie (8A), Lane (8A), Dunbar (7A), Mather (7A), Morgan Park (7A), Simeon (6A), Harper (6A), Marshall (5A), Robeson (5A).

Read More

Michigan’s Hassan Haskins runs for a touchdown against Northwestern on Saturday at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. | Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Blake Corum and Hassan Haskins combined for 229 yards rushing and four touchdowns, carrying the Wolverines to a 33-7 victory.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan got off to a sluggish start, perhaps peeking ahead to playing Michigan State. Then the Wolverines used a strong finish to seal a matchup of undefeated rivals.

Blake Corum and Hassan Haskins combined for 229 yards rushing and four touchdowns, carrying No. 6 Michigan to a 33-7 win over Northwestern on Saturday.

Shortly after the victory, Jim Harbaugh’s thoughts had already shifted to facing the ninth-ranked Spartans on the road.

“All focus is there,” he said.

The Wolverines (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) led the Wildcats (3-4, 1-3) by just three at halftime. They pulled away by outscoring them 23-0 in the first 16:40 of the second half.

“We played pretty solid in the first half to give ourselves a chance,” Northwestern coach Pat Fizgerald said. “And, then we reverted back to some bad habits.”

Corum finished with 119 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Haskins ran for 110 yards and two scores.

Corum jukes defenders with shifty moves while Haskins runs through them with power.

“We both bring different things to the table,” Corum said. “We feed off each other.”

Michigan had 294 yards rushing, nearly 50 yards more than its average.

“They’re the best rushing offense in the country for a reason,” Fitzgerald said.

Cade McNamara was 20 of 27 for 129 yards for the Wolverines, whose inability to throw the ball downfield might prove to be a problem against tougher teams.

Northwestern quarterback Ryan Hilinski, a South Carolina transfer, completed 14 of 29 passes for 114 yards with an interception. He was replaced early in the fourth quarter by Carl Richardson, who was 2 for 3 for 9 yards.

Evan Hull had a 75-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter, making it 10-7 and nearly doubling the yards the Wildcats had in the game at that point.

Down 17-7 midway through the third, Northwestern’s Charlie Kuhbander missed a 39-yard field goal.

“There’s a lot of good things we can take from this game, and a lot of things where we let it get away from us,” Hilinski said.

THE TAKEAWAY

Northwestern: The defense, which has improved steadily this season, held a potent offense in check during the first half before wearing down because the Wildcats struggled to sustain drives offensively.

Michigan: Coming off a bye and before playing the Spartans, a lackluster start was understandable even if Harbaugh and his players refused to acknowledge it.

STRONG START

Michigan has won its first seven games for the first time since 2016, Harbaugh’s second season, when it started 9-0 and finished 10-3 with a loss to Florida State in the Orange Bowl.

DOING IT ALL

Wide receiver Cornelius Johnson blocked a punt in the third quarter.

“That’s the first time he’s been put in that position,” Harbaugh said.

The block set up Haskins’ 13-yard run that gave Michigan a 24-7 lead. Johnson also caught three passes for 30 yards, drew at least one flag for a first down, and had a 6-yard run.

Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, the Big Ten’s top defensive player at midseason, recovered a fumble early in the fourth after sharing a sack, deflecting a pass and getting credit for two quarterback hurries.

YOUNG CATS

The Wildcats, a defending division champion, have alternated between losing and winning each game in a challenging season that Fitzgerald is confident will pay off in the future.

“We have a lot of young guys out there who are getting really valuable experience,” he said.

TROPHY GAME

The Wolverines won the newly created George Jewett Trophy, honoring the first Black football player at both schools.

“To play for that was an honor,” Fitzgerald said.

Jewett played for Michigan during the 1890 and 1892 seasons, then left Michigan for Northwestern in 1893 to finish his medical degree. He played two seasons for the Wildcats.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Michigan doesn’t have much room to move up, but will close the regular season with plenty of chances against Michigan State, No. 7 Penn State and No. 5 Ohio State.

UP NEXT

Northwestern: Hosts Minnesota.

Michigan: Plays at Spartan Stadium in a highly anticipated matchup of undefeated rivals.

“We’re excited,” McNamara said. “We’re confident.”

Read More

Illinois’ Isaiah Williams scores a two-point conversion in the eighth overtime against Penn State on Saturday in State College, Pa. | Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

Casey Washington caught a two-point conversion pass from Brandon Peters to end the first nine-overtime game in NCAA history and lift the Illini to a 20-18 victory.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Casey Washington caught a 2-point conversion pass from Brandon Peters to end the first nine-overtime game in NCAA history and lift Illinois over No. 7 Penn State 20-18 Saturday.

The teams were tied at 10 after regulation, exchanged field goals in the first two overtimes, then began to alternate 2-point attempts in the third OT as part of a format tweaked ahead of the 2021 season.

Neither team converted until the eighth overtime, when Isaiah Williams ran one in to put Illinois up 18-16. Penn State’s Noah Cain kept the game alive with a 2-point run of his own.

In the ninth OT, Sean Clifford’s pass to Parker Washington was broken up by linebacker Khalan Tolson. Peters then found Washington near the back of the end zone for the winning completion.

The 2-point conversion shootout started in 2019, the season after LSU and Texas A&M played a seven overtime game that left both teams badly beaten up. The rule was tweaked this year, with the 2-point conversion possessions beginning with the third overtime instead of the fifth.

Chase Brown and Josh McCray combined for 365 rushing yards and a touchdown and James McCourt kicked three field goals, including 39- and 32-yarders in overtime, to snap Illinois’ three-game skid to Penn State.

The two bullish backs blasted through wide-open holes and flanked Penn State’s defense again and again on a soggy day at Beaver Stadium. The Illini (3-5, 2-3 Big Ten) outgained the Nittany Lions 370 yards to 207 in regulation and battled back from an early 10-0 deficit.

Peters, normally Illinois’ starter, came off the bench when Artur Sitkowski hurt his left hand in the sixth overtime period.

KeAndre Lambert-Smith caught a touchdown pass and Jordan Stout added three field goals for the Nittany Lions (5-2, 2-2) who ran for just 62 yards and struggled to protect ailing Clifford.

Led by Brown’s 229 total yards, the Illini tied it 10-10 early in the fourth quarter with a 37-yard field goal from McCourt.

A sloppy fourth quarter gave way to overtime where McCourt and Stout matched each other on field goals before a string of goal line standoffs pushed the game into unprecedented territory.

Clifford suffered an unspecified injury on Oct. 9 at Iowa and didn’t finish that game. He handled a light workload early Saturday.

The third-year starter attempted just nine passes in the first half and was slow to get to his feet after taking a sack on his first series. After two lackluster possessions and just 15 yards on seven plays, Clifford was able to rally his offense on its third try.

Working quickly, Clifford completed two straight passes downfield to top target Jahan Dotson, then fired a bullet to slanting KeAndre Lambert-Smith for a 42-yard touchdown.

The Nittany Lions’ defense helped out moments later when linebacker Brandon Smith blasted Sitkowski. The backup quarterback fumbled to D’Von Ellies.

Penn State settled for a 35-yard field goal from Stout when the offense stalled at the Illinois 17. Stout’s kick made it 10-0 with 11:42 to play in the second quarter.

Illinois’ rushing offense, which racked up 165 yards in the first half, picked up the pace.

Led by Brown and McCray, the Illini ran the ball 12 times on a 15-play drive that ended when Brown bulled into the end zone from a yard out and cut Penn State’s lead to 10-7.

Illinois continued to control the pace with its running game, and turned a 16-play, 70-yard drive into a tying field goal from McCourt.

THE TAKEAWAY

Illinois: The Illini were in it from the opening whistle. They used seven-man fronts and the hard-charging abilities of McCray and Brown to outmuscle Penn State’s defense nearly all day.

Penn State: Getting Clifford back perhaps sooner than they thought was great news for the Nittany Lions, especially since their running game is virtually nonexistent and they’ll need all the offense they can get with games at No. 5 Ohio State, vs. No. 6 Michigan and at No. 9 Michigan State coming up.

UP NEXT

Illinois: Hosts Rutgers.

Penn State: Visits No. 5 Ohio State.

Read More