Illini Dominate Northwestern, 41-3, in Regular Season Finale

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Illinois dominated from start to finish, taking down Northwestern, 41-3, in Evanston on Saturday afternoon.

The Illini defense forced six turnovers, including a scoop and score and pick six from Sydney Brown, while Devon Witherspoon recorded two interceptions in the 38-point victory.

Illinois got on the board early in the first quarter, using a 10-play drive to ultimately find the end zone. Reggie Love III capped off the possession, punching the ball in from two yards out for his second touchdown of the season to put the Illini ahead, 7-0.

Hugh Robertson converted a fake punt on fourth down for the first time in his career later in the frame. The Illinois defense registered interceptions on consecutive drives to halt Northwestern possessions in the red zone. 

Devon Witherspoon notched his second pick of the year and returned it 57 yards deep into Wildcat territory, and the Illini capitalized with a 23-yard Caleb Griffin field goal to extend their lead to 10.

Sydney Brown made his fifth interception of the season on the next drive. Alec Bryant broke up the pass before Brown grabbed the ball inches off the grass for the Illini's second takeaway of the game.

The Illini pushed their lead to three possessions late in the second quarter. After taking over near midfield, a 32-yard Love pickup moved Illinois inside the Northwestern 5 before Tommy DeVito used a quarterback sneak to find the end zone and extend the Illinois lead to 17-0.

Witherspoon made his second interception of the contest on a Wildcat hailmary as time expired in the opening half. Illinois headed into the break leading 17-0, led by three takeaways and 83 rushing yards on 10 carries from Love.

Illinois extended its advantage early in the third quarter on a 43-yard Griffin field goal, but it was the Illini defense that scored the team's next points. Sydney Brown recovered a fumble and returned it 53 yards for a scoop and score, extending the Illini's lead to 27-0 midway through the third frame.

Sydney Brown recorded his second touchdown of the game on Northwestern's next drive, this time returning his second interception of the evening 39 yards for a pick six. Illinois' lead grew to 34-0 on the play with just over four minutes to play in the third quarter.

After Northwestern got on the board with a field goal, Chase Brown scored his first touchdown of the evening from one yard out to extend the Illinois lead to 41-3 with just over five minutes to play.

A Tyler Strain interception, his second of the season and the Illini's fifth of the night, late in the fourth quarter capped off an all-around strong Illinois performance. 

The Illini finish the regular season 8-4 overall and will find out their bowl destination next week.

Highlights

Press Conference

Quotes

Bret Bielema

Opening statement:

"Very exciting for our team. I thought these guys, throughout the course of the year, this is just 12 games we've played in, and I couldn't ask for anything more as a head coach with the way they prepare.

"Obviously, I had a little situation pop up again this week. When I was getting on that plane on Wednesday to fly to Miami with my wife to do some things that are personal, I was only comforted by the fact that I had a group of coaches and a group of players that have really showed me that they know the process weekly on what they need to do, how they need to do it. I literally met with the team Tuesday morning, kind of did an introduction to Northwestern. We go through about an hour-and-a-half, one-hour-and-45-minute film sessions. During that break is when I found out my father-in-law had passed, and I never saw my team again until late last night.

"I really just felt, all week when I kept catching in with Ryan, and Barry, and Sean, that these guys were locked into playing a really good game. Obviously, when Nebraska won yesterday, everybody started talking about that, and our guys just worried about playing this game. This is the seventh rematch game. A year ago, we were a game shy of bowl eligibility. This year, we're a game shy of making it to Indy.

"A lot of positive steps for our program. To play Northwestern, a team that we'd lost to six straight times, to play the way we did today and answer the bell. I couldn't be more excited about this team where we're at, but more importantly, where we're going."

On Sydney Brown:

"Since I've come here, he played good football, but he really hadn't played at the level that we saw him start playing at last year. I was talking to a couple of their coaches before the game and they were like, 'Man 30 is a terror out there.' I'm like, 'Yeah, he's a very exciting player to watch.' When I talk to NFL teams, he does play down in the box well, but he plays hypo-safety and does some stuff in Cover 2. He's incredible on special teams. The good thing is today, he did some good things for us to win the game, but he probably put on film some things that are gonna make him some money in the future."

On the win:

"You saw me last week after the game. I was just extremely frustrated with the situation. We've played 12 games. We're 8-4. Eight games that we won, a couple of them probably could be a coin toss, depending on how you look at Iowa, but that was probably the only one. We lost four games that were one-score games. That will motivate and galvanize, whatever you want to say, to myself and the coaches during the season as much as anything, just those four that got away from us. I thought we played extremely pissed off this week. I really did. Their demeanor last night when I saw them, I got a bunch of hugs and some great things but I just knew watching them last night and then seeing their intensity today that they were gonna play very well."

On Reggie Love III:

"What Reggie does that is very unique is Reggie plays with incredible low pad level. For a running back, he plays with a really, really, really low pad level, and he keeps his legs going. That's why you've seen him, probably four or five times now where everybody thinks the play is down, and he just kind of comes out the back side. He's a very talented player. He gave me a huge hug after that play. He and I have had some really, really good conversations and talks that aren't really anything to do with football since I've been around him. I think when you experience little things like that with players, these football moments become that much more special."

Sydney Brown

On his two interceptions:

"Honestly, I was just trying to catch Spoon with the amount of picks he had today, so it's a little DB in-house rivalry."

On the 8-4 regular-season finish:

"It's not what we wanted. It's not how we wanted to finish, but it's just a step in the right direction. Me being who I am and where I expect them to be,  I think we could have easily been a team with 10 wins, in my opinion, but it's a step in the right direction. Coach B is leading this team right. Coach Walt is leading the defense, too, so it's a step in the right direction."

On his fifth season:

"There's just so much that I wanted to accomplish here. I'm just glad that the younger guys coming in, this is all they know. All they know is 8-4, and it's only gonna get better from here."

On Chase aiming for the rushing record:

"I said it to (Chase Brown) on the sideline, 'If I get another turnover I'm going to reverse the field, take a knee on the 20 or 25' just so he can go get the rushing record. That's all I wanted for him today."

Reggie Love III

On stepping up:

"I knew I needed to go in and just keep the energy up. The O line did a great job all night, tight ends, wide receivers. Coach Lunney did a great job calling the game today."

On returning to winning ways:

"It felt awesome. I grind with my brothers every day. I see those guys work hard. We've been through a lot, so just to go out here and end the three-game losing streak, especially against our rivals, was special."

On his mindset when breaking tackles:

"Don't let them make the tackle. That's really it. The run-hard mentality, Coach talks about it every day. We got a mantra, DHBG: Down Hill Bully Gang, so always making the first defender miss is what I want to do."

Devon Witherspoon

On keeping the Hat in Champaign:

"It'd be good to keep it. It just felt good coming here, dominate, play our game, and just keep that trophy."

On the team's five interceptions:

"We just focus on catching the ball. We're told me many times that we're just defensive receivers. Any time the ball's in the air, we just gotta go get it and make a play. That's all it is."

On his season:

"I think I had a pretty good year, but I just couldn't do it without my teammates. I don't try to take all the credit and stuff, but my front line, they deserve all the credit. The things they do up front allows me to play the game and play the way I like to play. Shoutout to them boys. I just think I had a great season, but it's all because of them."

On his success this year:

"It means a lot. I'm trying to contain all the happiness and try to keep a straight face, but it just means a lot. I'm very proud of myself. I came a long way since I first got here and stuff, so it means a lot to me."

Alex Palczewski

On the progress of the program:

"To be able to just put my stamp on it and say I left this place better than how I found it, it truly means the world."

On a bowl destination:

"Wherever we get to go play one more time with the boys. That's the biggest thing I want. I don't care if it's Siberia. If it's with the boys, that's all I want."

Team Notes

• Bret Bielema is the first Illinois head coach to win their first two games against Northwestern since John Mackovic (1988-89).
• Bret Bielema's five Big Ten road wins in his first two seasons are the most since Lou Tepper also won five Big Ten road games in his first two seasons 1992-93.
• Illinois finished 5-4 in the Big Ten, the Illini's first finish above .500 in the Big Ten since the 2007 team went 6-2.
• Illinois now leads the series 57-54-5.
  • The Illini have won back-to-back games against the Wildcats for the first time since 2010-11.
  • The 71-point margin of victory is the largest mark in a two-year span by Illinois since a 73-point margin of victory from 1981-82.
    • The 38-point margin of victory is the fifth-largest by the Illini in series history.
• Illinois has won its first game in Evanston since 2014.
• Illinois has won at least eight games in a season for the first time since 2007 (9-4).
• The Illini defense intercepted five passes in today's game, a season high.
  • It was the first time since Oct. 23, 2010, vs. Indiana, that Illinois intercepted at least four passes.
  • Illinois has recorded an interception in 11 of 12 games this season.
  • The Illini defense has recorded 22 interceptions this season, the seventh time in program history they have reached that mark.
• Illinois forced six turnovers in today's game (1 FR, 5 INT) setting a season high.
  • It is both the first time since at least 2000 that the Illini have forced six turnovers in a game or intercepted five passes.
  • The Illini scored two defensive touchdowns in a game for the first time since Nov. 2, 2019, vs. Rutgers (1 FR, 1 INT).
• Illinois scored 41 points today, a season high. It was the first time they have scored at least 41 points in a game since scoring 47 points on Nov. 27, 2021, vs. Northwestern.
• Illinois defense on the last 10 drives: 6 turnovers gained, 1 turnover on downs, 2 three-and-outs, 1 field goal allowed. 
• In 12 drives, Northwestern only had two that did not result in a turnover or three-and-out: the first drive of the game and the field goal drive.

Illinois Notes

• Today's captains: WR Isaiah Williams, LB Tarique Barnes, DB Sydney Brown, OL Alex Palczewski.
• OL Alex Palczewski started for the 64th time in his career, extending his Illinois and Big Ten record for career starts. Palczewski trails only Appalachian State's Thomas Hennigan (65, 2017-21) for the most starts in FBS history.
• Doak Walker Award semifinalist Chase Brown was slowed by a first quarter injury and had 104 all-purpose (61 rush, 43 receiving). He finished the regular season with 1,643 rushing yards, the third-most in Illinois history and will likely be the Power-5 regular season leader.
• RB Reggie Love III rushed 11 times for a career-high 85 yards and one touchdown.
• QB Tommy DeVito completed 12 of his 18 passes for 136 yards.
• WR Pat Bryant caught three passes for 33 yards.
• WR Casey Washington caught three passes for 22 yards.
• Thorpe Award semifinalist Devon Witherspoon recorded his second interception of the season in the second quarter.
  • Witherspoon closed out the first half with an interception for his first-career two-interception game.
• DB Sydney Brown recorded his fifth and sixth interceptions of the season in today's game, his second two-interception game of the season.
  • Brown also returned a fumble 53 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter for Illinois' first defensive touchdown of the season.
  • Brown returned his second interception for a touchdown, becoming the first player in the nation to return both a fumble and interception for a touchdown in the same game since 2017. Kendall Adams (Kansas State) achieved the feat against Charlotte 9/9/2017.
  • Brown was the first player with 2+ interceptions, 1+ interception return touchdown, and 1+ fumble return touchdown in a single game since 2012. Kenneth Acker (SMU) achieved the feat against Stephen F. Austin 9/8/2012.
• DB Tyler Strain recorded his second interception of the season in the fourth quarter.
• DB Kendall Smith broke up two passes, a game high.
• LB Isaac Darkangelo recorded a game-high 10 tackles, which included nine solo efforts.
• LB Tarique Barnes and DL Keith Randolph Jr. each recorded 1.5 tackles for a loss.

Bowl Info

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