PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The defense forced five turnovers, including a 78-yard interception return for touchdown by Darius Mosely, and Kendrick Foster scored two touchdowns as Illinois snapped a four-game losing streak with a 24-7 victory at Rutgers on Saturday.
Foster ran 5 yards for a touchdown and caught a 5-yard scoring pass from first-time starter Chayce Crouch in helping the Fighting Illini (2-4, 1-2 Big Ten) give coach Lovie Smith his first Big Ten victory.
The Illini defense recovered four fumbles and got the game-clinching return in the fourth quarter from Mosely, who also had a fumble recovery.
Illini Stable of Backs
With starting quarterback Wes Lunt out for the game, the Illini made it an emphasis to run the ball. Junior running back Kendrick Foster led the way for Illinois, totaling 108 yards on a career-high 21 carries to go along with a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown. Freshman running back Reggie Corbin added 90 yards on eight carries.
Sophomore running back Ke'Shawn Vaughn also made a contribution in the passing game for the Illini. Vaughn had a career-high 61-yard reception in the second quarter, leading the Illini to their first points of the game.
Defense Forces Five Turnovers
The Illinois defense was all over the field on Saturday, forcing Rutgers into five turnovers. The Illini forced four fumbles and recovered all of them. Senior cornerback Darius Mosely also contributed his second career interception early in the fourth quarter, returning it 78-yards for his first career touchdown.
Saturday was the first time the Illini defense has forced five or more turnovers since Nov. 29, 2014 at Northwestern.
#PickSix
Senior defensive back Darius Mosely had a career day on Saturday, coming away with his first career touchdown. The O'Fallon, Illinois, native picked off Rutgers quarterback Rescigno's pass early in the fourth quarter and returned it 78 yards for a touchdown to extend Illinois' lead to 24-7.
Mosely's touchdown was the first pick-six for the Illini since Mason Monheim's at Northwestern on Nov. 29, 2014. Mosely also added four tackles, as well as one tackle for loss and a fumble recovery.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Senior defensive end Dawuane Smoot stuffed the stat sheet for Illinois on Saturday, finishing the day with five tackles (four solo), including three tackles for loss, two quarterback hurries and his first sack of the season. Smoot also added one forced fumble.
Team Notes
- Illinois and Rutgers met for the first time as Big Ten Conference opponents.
- Illinois leads the all-time series against Rutgers, 2-1. The Illini and Rutgers split games in 2005 and 2006.
- Illinois won for the first time in Piscataway, New Jersey. Rutgers beat the Illini, 33-0, in Illinois' previous trip to Piscataway Sept. 9, 2006.
- The 24-7 win was the first Big Ten and road win for head coach Lovie Smith.
- Illinois won on the road for the first time this season. The Illini's only previous road game was a 31-16 loss at Nebraska Oct. 1.
- Illinois held Rutgers scoreless for the first three quarters. The Scarlet Knights did not score for 11 straight quarters, the longest streak in FBS in 10 years.
- With five forced turnovers at Rutgers, the Illini forced five or more turnovers for the first time since Nov. 29, 2014 at Northwestern.
- Illinois, which entered the game ranke 16th in the nation and fourth in the Big Ten in TFLs per game (8.2), had 9.0 TFLs.
- With 228 rushing yards today, the Illini have a two-game rushing total of 543 yards.
Individual Notes
- Sophomore QB Chayce Crouch made his first career start.
- Crouch's 28-yard run in the third quarter was the longest of his career. He now has a two-game rushing total of 165 yards.
- Junior FB Nathan Echard grabbed his first fumble recovery in the first quarter.
- Redshirt Freshman DB Patrick Nelson was in on his first sack of his career.
- Nelson had a career-high 10 solo tackles.
- Redshirt Freshman DL Jamal Milan forced his first career fumble.
- Freshman DB Stanley Green recovered his first career fumble.
- Sophomore RB Ke'Shawn Vaughn grabbed a career-high 61 receiving yards.
- Vaughn's 61-yard reception in the second quarter is the longest reception of his career and the Illini's second longest reception of the year.
- Senior DL Dawuane Smoot had a career-high two quarterback hurries.
- Senior DB Darius Mosely recovered his first fumble since Nov. 22, 2014 against Penn State.
- Redshirt Freshman Reggie Corbin had a career-long 53-yard rush in the third quarter.
- Junior RB Kendrick Foster made his first career start.
- Foster had a career-high 21 rushing attempts.
- Senior DB Darius Mosely scored his first career touchdown on an interception in the fourth quarter.
- Mosely's touchdown was the first pick-six for the Illini since Mason Monheim on Nov. 28, 2015 vs. Northwestern at Soldier Field.
- Freshman DL Kenyon Jackson had a career-high three tackles.
- Redshirt Freshman DL Jamal Milan forced his first and second career fumbles.
- Sophomore LB Tré Watson had a career-high five solo tackles.
- Redshirt Freshman RB Reggie Corbin in Big Ten play (3 games) has 302 all-purpose and 254 rushing yards on 28 carries.
- Senior LB Hardy Nickerson has 304 tackes for his career (246 at Cal, 58 at Illinois). He entered the game ranked seventh in tackles among active FBS players.
- Freshman DB Stanley Green made his first career start.
- Green had a career-high five tackles.
- Junior DB Ahmari Hayes made his first career start.
- Hayes had a career-high four tackles.
- Senior QB Wes Lunt missed the game with an injury, snapping a streak of 17 consecutive starts.
- Consecutive starts streaks: T Christian DiLauro 25, DE Dawuane Smoot 18
