PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The Illini offense exploded for a season-high 38 points and the defense forced three Scarlet Knight turnovers to lead Illinois to a dominant, 38-17, win Saturday in Piscataway, N.J.
Bush is Back
After missing two games due to injury, senior quarterback A.J. Bush Jr. made his return and led the Illini to a season-high 38 points. The Alpharetta, Georgia, native made his mark on the ground, rushing the ball 18 times for 116 yards and a pair of scores.
Bush Jr. also added 89 yards on 10-of-18 passing, including an 11-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Ricky Smalling early in the fourth quarter.
Juiced Up Reg
It was a career day for running back Reggie Corbin, as the junior rushed for a career-high 137 yards on just 11 carries (12.5 yards per carry). Corbin blew the game open in the second quarter, breaking free on a 73-yard run to put the Illini up 24-7.
On the season, Corbin has rushed the ball 59 times for 492 yards to go along with five touchdowns.
Turnovers
It didn't take long for the Illinois defense to push its takeaway streak to 19 games, as freshman cornerback Jartavius Martin jumped in front of a Sitkowski pass early in the first quarter to come away with his third interception on the season.
Senior linebacker Del'Shawn Phillps matched Martin in the second quarter, snagging his third pick of the year and setting the Illini up with great field position to take a 17-7 lead.
Team Notes
- Illinois won for the third time this season, already one more win than in 2017 (2-10).
- Illinois snapped a streak of 13 straight Big Ten losses with its first conference win since beating Michigan State 31-27 on 11/5/2016.
- Illinois is 3-2 all-time against Rutgers, including a 2-1 mark in Piscataway.
- Illinois has scored 30+ points in three games this season, tying its most 30+ point games in a season since 2013 (7).
- Illinois won a Big Ten game by 21+ points for the first time since beating Purdue 48-14 on 11/7/2015.
- Illinois allowed fewer than 20 points to a Big Ten opponent for the first time since a 24-7 win at Rutgers 10/15/2016.
- Illinois rushed for 330 yards, its most since rushing for 382 at Purdue 11/7/2015.
- Illinois had three players with 40+-yard touchdown runs: Reggie Corbin (73 yards), AJ Bush Jr. (41 yards), Mike Epstein (41 yards).
- Illinois had two 100-yard rushers (137 Reggie Corbin, 116 AJ Bush Jr.), the first time an Illinois duo both had 100+ rushing yards since at Purdue 11/7/2015 (180 Ke'Shawn Vaughn, 133 Josh Ferguson).
- Illinois was 8-for-16 on third downs, while holding Rutgers to 4-for-14 on third downs.
- Illinois has forced a turnover in 19 straight games.
- Illinois started three true freshmen, all on defense (NB Sydney Brown, CB Jartavius Martin, NB Delano Ware).
- Illinois started zero true freshmen on offense. It snapped a streak of 15 straight games with at least on true freshmen starter on both offense and defense.
- Illinois' true freshmen have combined for 16 starts, tied for the 10th-most in a season in Illinois history. Last year, Illinois set the program record with 86 cumulative true freshmen starts.
- Two defensive linemen made their Illinois debuts: LB Drew Murtaugh, DL Deon Pate, DL Julian Pearl
- Illinois captains: OL Nick Allegretti, RB Reggie Corbin, LB Dele Harding, LB Del'Shawn Phillips
Individual Notes
- Junior RB Reggie Corbin had a career-high 137 rushing yards on only 11 carries (12.5 yards per rush), including a 73-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, the 25th-longest touchdown run in Illinois history. Corbin started for the first time this season and for the first time since 2016.
- Senior QB AJ Bush Jr., who started for the first time since Sept. 8 vs. Western Illinois, ran for 116 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries (6.4 yards per rush). Bush is the first Illinois quarterback to reach multiple 100-yard rushing games in a season since Nathan Scheelhaase recorded four in 2010. Bush was 10-of-18 passing for 89 yards and one touchdown, his first career Illinois passing touchdown and the second of his career (1 for Virginia Tech in 2017).
- Junior WR Trenard Davis had career highs in receptions (5) and receiving yards (59).
- Sophomore WR Ricky Smalling caught his third touchdown pass of the season.
- Sophomore RB Mike Epstein had a 41-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. He had nine rushes for 63 yards (7.0 yards per carry).
- Sophomore WR Carmoni Green started for the first time in his career.
- Freshman CB Jartavius Martin had his third interception in his first five career games.
- Senior LB Del'Shawn Phillips had his third interception of the season.
- Sophomore LB Jake Hansen led the Illini with nine tackles (six solo).
- Sophomore CB Nate Hobbs had his first career interception during the fourth quarter.
- Junior DL Jamal Milan returned from an injury and played for the first time this season.
- Junior LB Jimmy Marchese returned from an injury and played for the first time this season.
- Senior OL Nick Allegretti started for the 29th straight game.
- Sophomore OL Alex Palczewski started for the 16th straight game.
