CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - In a wild finish, Illinois fought back from a halftime deficit for a chance to win with three seconds left in a 31-31 game against Purdue. But a last-second field goal hit the upright to force overtime. The Boilermakers capitalized with a 28-yard game-winning field goal to win 34-31 at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
Chance Crouch entered the game for an injured Wes Lunt and ran for 137 yards and two touchdowns. He also passed for 142 yards.
Career Day for Corbin
Redshirt freshman running back Reggie Corbin started fast for the Illini, accumulating a career-high 73 rushing yards in the first quarter alone. The bulk of the yards came on the third play of the game, as the Maryland native broke free for a career-long 46 yard run.
Corbin finished the day with 92 yards on just 11 rushing attempts. In his first two starts, the running back has totaled 164 yards on 20 carries.
Target Turner
Junior receiver Malik Turner continues to be the go-to target for whoever is under center for the Illini. Turner hauled in nine catches for 129 yards, highlighted by a miraculous 38-yard one-handed grab off of a tipped pass late in the third quarter.
This was the second time the receiver has surpassed the century mark on the season (101 receiving yards vs. Western Michigan), and third of his career (Minnesota, Nov. 21, 2015). Â
Chayce and Chase
Sophomore quarterback Chayce Crouch and sophomore kicker Chase McLaughlin were the offense for the Illini, as the pair was responsible for 25 of the team's 31 total points. Crouch entered the game following Lunt's injury and had a career-day for the Illini, totaling 137 rushing yards on 17 carries to go along with a pair of touchdowns. Crouch also finished with 142 yards on 10-of-14 passing.
McLaughlin went 3 for 4 on field goal attempts. The sophomore kicker connected from 20, 47 and 34 yards.
Hardy (Pick)erson
It was a career day for senior linebacker Hardy Nickerson, as the leading tackler for the Illini picked off two of Purdue quarterback David Blough's passes. His second gave the Illini a chance to win the game in regulation, as he caught a tipped pass late in the fourth quarter on Purdue's final drive of regulation. Nickerson also contributed eight tackles for the Illini defense.
Headed To OvertimeÂ
Illinois had a chance to win it in regulation, but McLaughlin's potential game-winner bounced off the right upright. McLaughlin was one of 10 kickers in the nation still perfect on kicks entering the week and was 3 for 3 prior to the last-second miss.Â
After Crouch fumbled on Illinois' overtime possession, Purdue set up J.D. Dellinger with the finishing kick.Â
Lovie SaysÂ
"Every loss hurts, but some do hurt a little bit more than others. This is the one that hurts a little bit more. We had opportunities in the game that we couldn't get which didn't help us win the football game. Everybody or some of our guys played good enough for us to win. Chayce Crouch was outstanding. As a back up quarterback, you get some reps but to come in like that and run the football and keep plays alive was absolutely outstanding. Our running backs, I thought ran well. Offensively, that last turnover hurt us, but overall offensively, I was very much impressed. Defensively, I wasn't at all. With them running the football like that, it's hard. Each week for us it is big runs. We have to have more discipline, especially with our penalties. Again, it's another lose and this one really hurt, but it's a lot of football left."
Team Notes
- Purdue regained the Cannon rivalry trophy. The Boilermakers lead the traditional trophy series by a 34-28-2 mark.
- Illinois leads the overall series 44-42-6.
- The Illini are 23-21- 2 all-time against Purdue in Champaign, but the Boilermakers have won five of the last six at Memorial Stadium.
- The Illini are averaging 48,285 fans per game in 2016. In 2015, Illinois averaged 41,342 fans per game with a high of 51,515 (vs. Ohio State Oct. 14, 2015).
- The Illini competed in their first overtime game since Nov. 22, 2013 against Penn State. Today's game was the first overtime contest in Memorial Stadium since Sept. 3, 2005 against Rutgers.
- Illinois rushed for a season-high 315 yards, surpassing their previous season high of 287 against Western Michigan on Sept. 3.
- Illinois' 24 first downs are a season high.
- It was the first overtime game at Memorial Stadium since Sept. 3, 2005 against Rutgers.
Individual Notes
- Redshirt Freshman RB Reggie Corbin reached his career-high in rushing yards by the end of the first quarter with 73 and finished the game with 92 rushing yards. Corbin ran a career-long 46 yard run in the first quarter.
- Senior LB Hardy Nickerson grabbed his second and third career interceptions. He had one interception in three years at Cal. The linebacker is the first player to grab two interceptions in a game since Taylor Barton on Sept. 12, 2015 against Western Illinois.
- Junior WR Malik Turner's 129 receiving yards were a season high for the Illini and a career high. Turner's previous career high was 126 on Nov. 21, 2015 against Minnesota. Â
- Junior RB Kendrick Foster had career highs in rushing attempts (16) and all-purpose yards (144). He also had a 39-yard kickoff return, the longest of his career.
- Sophomore QB Chayce Crouch had a career high two rushing touchdowns. His only previous touchdown was Sept. 19, 2015 at North Carolina.
- Crouch is the first Illinois QB with 100+ rushing yards since Reilly O'Toole had 147 at Northwestern on Nov. 29, 2014.
- Crouch's 137 rushing yards is the fourth-most ever by an Illinois quarterback.
- Sophomore LB Tre Watson had a career-high 13 tackles.
- Junior LB Jaylen Dunlap had a career-high 10 tackles.
- Freshman DB Stanley Green notched his first career tackle on his first career defensive snap in the first quarter. He finished with three tackles.
- Freshman DL Kenyon Jackson made his first career start.
