FBS college football / FINAL / Sat Sep 12, 2026 2:30 PM CT
Duke comes back from 24-14 down to beat Illinois 31-27
Nate Sheppard scored three touchdowns and ran for 147 yards, and a Cosme Salas field goal early in the fourth quarter held up as the difference.
By BetMetrics
Final
Duke Blue Devils31
Illinois Fighting Illini27
WHERE IT TURNED
Duke trailed 24-14 late in the second quarter and beat Illinois 31-27 on Saturday at Gies Memorial Stadium in Champaign.
Illinois led for most of the first half. Katin Houser hit Collin Dixon from 13 yards at 10:23 of the first quarter; Walker Eget answered with a 12-yard pass to Jonah Burton at 8:28, and Ethan Moczulski's 51-yard field goal at 3:41 put the Illini up 10-7. Houser's 40-yard throw to Dixon at 12:47 of the second made it 17-7. Nate Sheppard ran in from 2 yards at 7:05, Houser found Dixon again from 2 yards at 1:48 for a 24-14 lead, and Eget's 7-yard pass to Sheppard with 0:38 left cut it to 24-21 at halftime.
Eget's 3-yard pass to Sheppard at 10:47 of the third gave Duke its first lead at 28-24. Moczulski's 47-yard field goal at 5:08 brought Illinois within 28-27, and a 39-yard field goal by Cosme Salas at 13:53 of the fourth produced the final score. Neither team scored after that.
Eget finished 15 of 21 for 206 yards and three touchdowns, and Sheppard ran 24 times for 147 yards. Houser was 24 of 35 for 271 yards with three touchdowns and an interception; Dixon caught 11 passes for 166 yards. Illinois held the ball for 33:14 and gained 382 yards to Duke's 376 and committed the game's only turnover. Duke was penalized 11 times for 112 yards and converted 2 of 9 third downs. Attendance was 60,670.