Overview
- Duke defeated Illinois 31-27 in Champaign on Saturday after rallying from a 10-point deficit and holding the Illini scoreless in the fourth quarter to move to 2-0.
- Nate Sheppard rushed for 147 yards, caught two TD passes and finished with three total touchdowns while also converting a second-quarter fake punt that shifted momentum.
- Quarterback Walker Eget completed 15 of 21 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns, briefly left with a leg injury after a sack and returned to finish the game.
- Illinois produced big early passing numbers through Katin Houser and Collin Dixon, who had 11 catches for 166 yards and three TDs, but the team struggled with tackling, situational errors and went scoreless after halftime.
- Duke overcame 11 penalties and shaky third-down play by protecting the ball, forcing a late interception and converting a fourth-and-1 to run out the clock, a result that boosts Duke's nonconference resume ahead of ACC play.