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Team Notes

1. Illinois mounted its third fourth-quarter comeback win this season, overcoming a 28-25 deficit entering the final stanza to win, 42-35. It equals the Illini's most fourth-quarter comeback victories in a season since 2001, when UI also had three. Illinois overcame a 9-7 deficit against Youngstown State in its season-opener and won 28-17, then beat Western Kentucky 42-34 after trailing 27-21 entering the fourth quarter.

2. After falling behind 21-6 late in the second quarter, Illinois out-scored the Bobcats 36-14 including a 17-0 spurt in the fourth quarter to take control of the game.

3. Illinois recorded two one-play scoring drives in today's game, marking the first time it has done that since the 67-65 triple-overtime loss at Michigan on Nov. 6, 2010. Junior running back Josh Ferguson was the catalyst on both drives today, scoring on a 75-yard rush (a backward screen pass) on the Illini's first play from scrimmage and on a 33-yard screen pass in the third quarter.

4. Illinois rushed for 219 yards, its first 200-yard rushing game since tallying 289 yards on the ground last season vs. Miami-Ohio (Sept. 28, 2013). The Illini rushed for 8.1 yards per attempt, amassing 219 yards on 27 carries.

5. The Illinois defense tallied 14 tackles-for-loss on the day. That is the most by the Illini in 12 years, since totaling 15 TFLs vs. San Jose State (9/21/02).

6. There was a storm/lightning delay that lasted a total of 1:56. Play was suspended at 3:55 p.m. and resumed at 5:51 p.m. Halftime also was abbreviated to 12 minutes.

Individual Notes

1. Junior running back Josh Ferguson went off against the Bobcats, recording career highs in rushing yards (190), all-purpose yards (233) and total touchdowns (3 - two rushing, one receiving). It marked the fifth 100-yard game of his career. Ferguson scored on a 75-yard rush on the first play of the game from scrimmage, punched it in from two yards out just before halftime, then scored on a 33-yard screen pass in the third quarter. Ferguson also added two more big plays with rushes of 48 and 22 yards in the fourth quarter. The last Illini player to record three total touchdowns in a game was A.J. Jenkins on Oct. 1, 2011, when he caught three touchdown passes in Illinois' 38-35 win over Northwestern.

2. Sophomore quarterback Wes Lunt engineered his third fourth-quarter comeback in an Illini uniform, completing 25-of-39 passes for 266 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. In the fourth quarter alone, he was 7-of-10 for 61 yards and a touchdown, continuing a season-long trend of fourth-quarter success. So far this year, Lunt is 28-of-34 (82.4 percent) in the fourth quarter for 388 yards, five touchdowns and zero interceptions.

3. In just the fourth game of the season, Lunt also topped the 1,000-yard passing mark. He now has 1,237 passing yards on the year, averaging 309.3 yards per game. 4. Lunt added two more big plays and now boasts 10 pass plays of 30+ yards to five different receivers (Allison 4, Dudek 3, Hardee 1, LaCosse 1, Ferguson 1). He entered the day ranked third nationally in that category.

5. Freshman Mike Dudek set career highs in receptions (7) and receiving yards (90). He caught a 7-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter, bringing his total of receiving touchdowns on the season to three - one in every home game this season.

6. Junior V'Angelo Bentley added to his list of highlight reel plays with a 45-yard interception return for a touchdown and a 40-yard punt return. Bentley's score was Illinois' second interception return for a touchdown this season, following Taylor Barton's 77-yard return against Western Kentucky. Bentley entered today's game leading the nation in combined kick return yards and now owns 389 combined kick return yards following his 40-yard punt return.

7. Sophomore Taylor Barton set a career high with 14 tackles. He now has 43 on the season, averaging 10.8 stops per game. Barton entered today ranked fifth in the Big Ten in tackles.

8. Three Illini set career bests with multiple TFLs on the day. Austin Teitsma had a career-high 3.5, Mason Monheim registered a career-high 2.5, and Dawuane Smoot tallied a career-high 2.0.