Illinois Scores 21-Unanswered Points to Defeat Oregon, 21-10

Saturday, October 24

Champaign, Ill.

2:00 PM CT

University of Illinois

4-3 , 2-2

Oregon

4-3 , 2-2

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Oregon	7	3	0	0	10
Illinois	0	7	7	7	21

Varsity Network

October 24, 2026 | Football

Box Score Photo Gallery

RECAP

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois scored 21-straight points to comeback and defeat Oregon, 21-10, on Saturday afternoon at Gies Memorial Stadium. Illinois moved to 4-3 on the season and 8-2 after byes during Coach Bielema's six seasons.

Aidan Laughery led the Illinois rushing attack with 123 yards on 13 carries including a 75-yard touchdown run right before halftime that sparked the 21-0 Illini run. He became the first running back in the nation to have two 75+-yard rushing touchdowns this season.

Freshman starting quarterback Michael Clayton II completed 11-of-18 pass attempts for 84 yards and two touchdowns. He became the third true freshman quarterback in Illinois history to win a game as the starter, joining Juice Williams at Michigan State in 2006 and Kurt Kittner at Northwestern in 1998. He's the sixth Illini true freshman QB to start a game in Illinois history and the first since M.J. Rivers II did so against Maryland in 2018.

Collin Dixon hauled in six passes for 65 yards including a highlight-reel-worthy 23-yard touchdown reception late in the fourth quarter to complete the comeback. An Oregon defender tipped Clayton's pass before Dixon got his hands under the ball while diving to secure the touchdown that was upheld upon review.

Juice Clarke led the Illinois defense with 10 tackles (seven solo), two pass breakups, and one tackle for loss, as the Illini shut out the Ducks in the second half. Ean Rhea forced a fumble on a sack and Joe Barna had the recovery.

Illinois handed Oregon its first Big Ten road loss since the Ducks joined the conference in 2024.

The Ducks scored the first 10 points of the day with a touchdown on their opening drive and a 20-yard field goal with roughly two minutes in the half. It was all Illini the rest of the way after trailing 10-0. They responded on their ensuing drive with a one-play touchdown drive as Laughery broke free for 75 yards to cut into the deficit to make it 10-7 at the half.

Illinois got the ball to start the second half where Clayton led a nine play, 70-yard touchdown drive capped by a 9-yard pass to Chrsitian Abney to give Illinois its first lead of the day, 14-10. It was Abney's first touchdown as an Illini and second of his collegiate career.

Three drives later Clayton led the Illini down the field again on a six play, 66-yard scoring drive that ended with a 23-yard touchdown pass to Dixon to shut the door on the Ducks, 21-10. The Illini defense never let Oregon run a play from the redzone in the second half.

Illinois (4-3, 2-2 Big Ten) returns to action on Saturday (Oct. 31) when they travel to College Park, Maryland, to take on Maryland. Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT on FS1.

HIGHLIGHTS

PRESS CONFERENCES

POSTGAME NOTES

Team Notes

Illinois beat Oregon for the first time since 1970. The Illini are 2-3 all-time against the Ducks.
Illinois handed Oregon its first Big Ten road loss since the Ducks joined the conference in 2024.
Illinois improved to 15-4 at Gies Memorial Stadium over the last three seasons.
Illinois is 25-3 when scoring the last points of the first half and the first points of the second half during Bret Bielema's six seasons.
Bielema set the Illini record for wins in a head coach's first six seasons with his 41st victory at Illinois.
Bielema won a Big Ten game for the 25th time at Illinois, the fourth-most Big Ten wins in program history behind only Robert Zuppke (76), Ray Eliot (54), and Mike White (40).
Bielema is 9-10 against ranked teams at Illinois. His nine ranked wins are the second-most in program history, behind only Ray Eliot's 23 ranked wins (1942-59).
Illinois has beaten at least one ranked team in three straight seasons for the first time since an eight-year run from 1988-95.
Illinois improved to 8-2 following bye weeks under Bielema.
Bielema won as an underdog for the 15th time at Illinois, the second-most underdog wins in the nation since he took over in 2021. Only Old Dominion has won more games as an underdog since 2021 (16).
Illinois broke Oregon's 46-game winning streak when scoring first.

Player Notes

Michael Clayton II completed 11-of-18 passes for 84 yards and two touchdowns.
- Became the third true freshman quarterback in Illinois history to win a game as the starter, joining Juice Williams at Michigan State in 2006 and Kurt Kittner at Northwestern in 1998.
- Became the sixth true freshman quarterback to start a game in Illinois history and the first since M.J. Rivers II at Maryland (10/27/2018).
  - M.J. Rivers II (2018, 3G), Cam Thomas (2017, 2G), Aaron Bailey (2013, 1G), Juice Williams (2006, 9G), Kurt Kittner (1998, 5G).
- Moved into second place on Illinois' all-time list of most passing touchdowns in a season by a true freshman.
  - 9 Juice Williams, 2006.
  - 4 Michael Clayton II, 2026.
  - 3 M.J. Rivers II, 2018.
Aidan Laughery led the team in rushing with 123 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown.
- His 75-yard touchdown run in the second quarter is the second-longest rush of his career after breaking a 77-yard TD run earlier this season vs. Southern Illinois.
  - Laughery becomes the only running back in the nation to record two or more TD rushes of 75+ yards this season.
  - UTEP QB Raymond Moore III is the only other player in the nation with two rushing TDs of 75+ yards this season.
Collin Dixon caught six passes to lead the team in receiving with 65 yards and a touchdown.
- Reached 50 receptions in the second-fewest games in program history (7), tying A.J. Jenkins (2011) and David Williams (1985). Only Williams reached 50 receptions in fewer games in a single season, surpassing the mark in just six contests in 1984.
Ean Rhea recorded a sack-fumble, his second sack of the season and his first since the season-opener vs. UAB.
Pat Farrell made five tackles and tallied a sack-fumble, his first sack of the season and the third of his career.
Juice Clarke led the team in tackles with 10, seven of them solo, two PBUs and on TFL.
- Second-career game with double-digit tackles (12 vs. Northwestern, 11/30/24).

POSTGAME QUOTES

Head Coach Bret Bielema

Opening statement:
"First off, I want to give Oregon a lot of credit. Brett mentioned that this was their first Big Ten road loss, and I know how good a football team Oregon has been over time. We've had matchups with them once in a while, but we haven't been able to pace with these guys over the last couple of years. Walking off that field at Oregon a couple of years ago, I realized how big that gap had been.'

'Coming out of the bye week at 3-3, I thought this team could do a lot better than what we had shown. There were a lot of good things happening in our staff room, and I couldn't be prouder. The obvious improvement was on defense. Roger Cooper and Archie were the two guys I put in charge of making calls and decisions. Cooper is calling the defense and doing an unbelievable job of adjusting. We didn't really know what Oregon would do offensively because they had rotated so many quarterbacks. He has become very game-plan-specific.'

'On the first drive, they did some things out of empty and motioned a back in. I thought our coaches did a really nice job of adjusting and making plays. I also want to credit Barry Lunney. Getting two quarterbacks who hadn't played a lot of football to buy in was important. Michael will get the headlines, as he deserves, but Carson Boyd's demeanor and selfless attitude were impressive. He was hurting in the Michigan State locker room because his opportunity hadn't gone the way he wanted, but I knew it would come eventually. I thought Barry rotating those guys through on that first drive of the second half was poetry in motion. It was a really good job by Barry, and I appreciate Carson and Michael's execution.'

'I told the guys early in the week that everyone would focus on the new quarterback, but the players around him can make a big difference in how he performs. I thought our offense rallied around him, and special teams did a nice job, too.'

'I'm excited about the opportunity this gives us to go on the road and see what we can do. Our first team goal this week was to plan, prepare and execute well enough to win a Big Ten home game. We had already lost two games at home, which matched the number we had lost over the previous two years. I put a huge emphasis on winning a Big Ten game in our stadium, so I really enjoyed this one. We'll celebrate tonight, but I told the guys they've now set the stage for something bigger. I really like our growth and want to see where this can go. I don't have any injury updates."

On the bye week preparation and executing today:
"One thing we have to do and it's a little cliché is win the bye week. A lot of that comes down to planning and balancing rest and recovery. We were six games into the season, and none of those games had come early in the week, so it was important to recover properly. At the same time, the bye week was really valuable because two quarterbacks needed a lot of reps.'

'Believe it or not, as a head coach, I spend just as much time thinking about how we do things in practice, the amount of practice, the number of reps and how we vary them as I do on other things. We did some things differently this bye week than we had in the last couple of years. I think Brett mentioned that we're 8-2 during bye weeks since I've been here. I really challenge myself to make sure we understand our team. You can always cut and paste a plan, and that works for some people, but you have to understand your own team. I told the guys in the locker room that they won this game because of what they put into it. I couldn't be happier for our players and coaches to get that win."

On the defense today:
"One thing that I think is affecting games is the ability to have video on the sideline during a series. We're in year two or three of that, and I don't think everyone fully understands how to use it yet. I made a point during preparation of having the defensive staff watch Oregon's empty formations with me. They use an empty formation in every game, but they do different things with it from week to week. Within each game, though, they tend to stay with it.'

'I told the staff to get a feel for what Oregon was doing out of empty in the first quarter and then make adjustments. I thought they did a really good job. Some end-of-half and end-of-game decisions were important, especially the last two. The guys stepped up and made plays. We found some pass rushers and finally got a strip. Then, on the next play, something happened that made me think, 'Oh, Jesus.' But our guys persevered. At halftime, I told them to keep believing and keep having faith. We had to understand that winning wasn't going to come easily; we had to grind it out. That's exactly what they did."

On the Barry managing the QB play today:
"Barry played quarterback, and I think he'd be the first to tell you that it's a unique experience. One thing that continually impresses me about Barry is how open he is. Sometimes offensive coaches can have the attitude that they know what they're doing and don't need to hear anything else. Right now, we do everything in huddle football, which is totally different from when I hired him.'

'I could see how the game was trending and what we needed to do. He teaches me things all the time. On Tuesday or Wednesday, I suggested something that didn't go over well, so I brought him in afterward and explained where I was coming from. I love growing with him. In my opinion, he has become one of the premier play-callers I've been around because he can see through the moment and doesn't get caught up in 'this is my offense' or 'this is my situation.' He's selfless, and he understands the quarterback position.'

'Barry would also be the first to tell you and I think our quarterbacks would agree that it's a combination of Barry, Art Sitkowski, Mike Neu, Mark Farley and everyone working with that quarterback room that helps make those plays happen."

Michael Clayton II

On the preparation this week:
"With me stepping into a new role, there was a lot more added to the table: more preparation, more meetings, more reps in practice and after practice. But it all worked out. I had trusted the process. Going into this game, we knew they had a good defense, so we knew there were going to be some hardships. We just had to trust the process."

On the defense:
"They came up big today. At the start of the game, the offense was stalling out, but they kept giving us the ball back, chance after chance, and it played out well."

Aidan Laughery

On the win today:
"It sets us in the right direction. Obviously, we've let games get away from us, and this performance is who we are. That's our team and what we're capable of, and even more. It sets the standard for the second half of the season."

On the fans today:
"The first six games didn't go the way we hoped, or the way any of our fans would have hoped. Today we went out there and took care of business against a great opponent. I'm thankful for those who showed up and keep coming back, and we're going to keep building on this."

Collin Dixon

On Clayton in his first start:
"I think he was great. We had one turnover, but stuff like that happens in college football. Other than that, I think we handled it well. He did an awesome job in the huddle today, and I think he was really composed, which is tough for a young guy making his first start against a team like that."

On looking forward to the second half of the season:
"Hopefully, it can be a turning point for us. I think everyone believes in us, and this shows the outside world what we know we're capable of. Today was a great step for us. Getting out there last week helped build a connection. A lot of our offense is timing- and progression-based, so getting out there last week helped. We didn't have to focus on the game plan; we could get our base set down and get on the same page."

Juice Clarke

On building from the Michigan State game:
"I think the Michigan State game gave us a spark and showed us how good this defense can be. During the bye week, we met with our coaches halfway through the season and looked at what we could correct individually and as a defense. We focused on attacking our weaknesses while maintaining our strengths. We wanted to keep building and come out here knowing that we belong. We trust that the coaches will put us in good situations, and we just must trust our technique and talent and go play football."

On the third down defense:
"Definitely the pressure, especially on the perimeter. We knew they liked to screen and were going to try to get the ball to Corey Moore. As corners, we had to be physical and disrupt whatever was happening in the backfield, then force everyone else to rally from the inside out. Like I said, we had to out-physical them."

Jake Renfro

On the offensive line stepping up physically:
"It was a very physical game. The coaches and players had a conversation about needing to increase our physicality. It starts in practice, and we've done a really good job focusing on it every day. I think it's been a massive improvement since the last time we talked."

On flipping a switch in the second half:
"We knew what we needed to do to win. We were down, but we knew we needed to run the ball and put it on the offensive line's shoulders. That's what we did, and we were fired up for the challenge. We didn't finish great, so we must work on that, but I'm proud of these guys and how we fought and battled today."

Matthew Bailey

On the defensive changes:
"When it came to making changes, we had a meeting afterward and discussed what we liked, what we didn't like, and what would put us in the best position to play fast. That conversation led to some schematic changes. Beyond that, the leadership and the message from the coaches have emphasized urgency. We're in the season now, and we must take it one play, one week, and one day at a time. I think we've done a good job adjusting to that."

On the defense keeping momentum going forward:
"I think it's huge. Coach B said in a meeting recently that you learn more from failure than from success. Taking the lessons from this game will be important. To keep moving forward and be successful, we must learn from this game just as much as we celebrate the win."