Overview
- Duke rallied from a 24-14 deficit to beat Illinois 31-27 in Champaign on Saturday, holding the Illini scoreless in the fourth quarter to secure the road victory.
- Sophomore Nate Sheppard rushed for 147 yards and totaled three touchdowns while also converting a second-quarter fake punt and a late fourth-and-1 carry to seal the game.
- Quarterback Walker Eget was efficient, completing 15 of 21 passes for 206 yards and three TDs and briefly left with a leg injury after a fourth-quarter sack before returning to finish the game.
- Illinois received a standout performance from Collin Dixon, who had 11 catches for about 166 yards and three scores, but the defense struggled to wrap up tackles and failed to stop Duke in the second half.
- The win gives Duke a 2-0 start and extends its winning streak to six games while highlighting lingering issues for both teams such as Duke's penalty and third-down struggles and Illinois' defensive fixes ahead of Big Ten play.