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Ranking Every Illinois Football Touchdown from Week 7 Against Purdue

The Illini racked up 50 points in a win over Purdue on Saturday – including a six-pack of touchdowns worth revisiting

Owen Lewis

Oct 12, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer (9) passes the ball in the first half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images
Oct 12, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer (9) passes the ball in the first half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images / Ron Johnson-Imagn Images
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Despite the absence of starting running back Kaden Feagin on Saturday in Champaign, Illinois scored six touchdowns in a 50-49 overtime thriller to (barely) hold off Purdue. There was some consternation about how difficult the Illini made it on themselves against the Boilermakers, but the offensive display they put on is still worth celebrating. So here we go:

6. RB Josh McCray 3-yard run (4Q – 5:05)

Seemingly putting the lead out of reach for Purdue in the waning of the fourth quarter, McCray took a garden-variety handoff from quarterback Luke Altmyer and barreled through a cluster of defenders into the end zone. Nothing fancy here – just solid execution of a bread-and-butter power run.

5. Altmyer 8-yard pass to WR Zakhari Franklin (2Q – 1:56)

Altmyer ran play action on a play designed to clear out for Franklin in the right flat, and the senior transfer indeed found himself alone to snatch the Altmyer and zip it across the goal line with zero resistance. The score was Franklin's first in an Illini uniform and generated some momentum inside going into halftime, but it was otherwise pretty straightforward.

4. Altmyer 6-yard pass to McCray (2Q – :19)

In a near-mirror image of Franklin's TD, Altmyer sold another handoff and found another pass catcher in the flat – this time McCray, seconds before halftime. The drive's best play had actually come earlier, on a 30-yard Howitzer throw from Altmyer to Franklin to lead the Illini into the red zone. But because this touchdown was totally unexpected, following a turnover when Purdue bobbled the kickoff, it gets a little extra love.

3. Altmyer 13-yard run (4Q – 13:17)

The Boilermakers had just scored 17 unanswered points, shifting the onus back onto the Illini. So Altmyer, the man of the hour, literally took it and ran with it. After Altmyer ran a shotgun draw play fake to McCray, two Purdue defenders got caught up in the confusion – and on each other – leaving the Illini quarterback to dart through the open space it created. ("Greeeeeeeen grass ahead of him!" cried FS1 broadcaster Eric Collins.) Creative, timely and (another) chance for Altmyer to show off his legs.

2. McCray 10-yard run (Q1 – :10)

McCray, starting in place of injured Kaden Feagin, found his groove early and stayed in it. Starting right and cutting back behind textbook blocks from left tackle JC Davis and tight ends Tanner Arkin and Carson Goda, McCray hit the jets the moment he reached the line of scrimmage and sprinted untouched into the end zone. It might have been the least important TD in the moment, but it established the threat of the run – and McCray – and was a joy to watch for anyone who loves the symphony of well-executed run blocking at the point of attack.

1. Altmyer 25-yard pass to WR Pat Bryant (OT)

Most of Illinois' previous touchdowns had come from short range. Altmyer had aired it out from time to time, but none of his long tosses lit the scoreboard – until this one. The Illini took the first possession of overtime and wasted no time shifting the pressure to Purdue as Altmyer let fly a beauty that the outstretched Bryant hauled in at the back of the end zone. It was certainly Illinois' flashiest score of the day (No. 2 on SportsCenter's Top Plays), had the best story behind it and came at the most opportune moment. Forget that Illinois had a win in the bag at halftime. Altmyer and Bryant delivered – spectacularly – at the Illini's direst moment. Cheers to that.

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Owen Lewis
OWEN LEWIS

Owen is a former Defector intern and an editor at BoxingScene. He writes about sports and various other things.

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