Oregon vs. Illinois: Illini score 21 straight to beat Ducks 21-10 behind freshman QB Michael Clayton II

Oregon looked in control for most of the first half. Then Illinois took over. The Illini scored 21 unanswered points to beat the Ducks 21-10 on Saturday afternoon, Oct. 24, at Gies Memorial Stadium in Champaign, with true freshman quarterback Michael Clayton II winning his first start.

It was Illinois’ first win over Oregon since 1970, according to the school, and it handed the Ducks their first Big Ten road loss since they joined the conference in 2024. Both teams are now 4-3 overall and 2-2 in Big Ten play.

Oregon vs. Illinois final score

How Illinois came back

Oregon opened with an 11-play, 75-yard drive capped by a 2-yard touchdown run from Jordon Davison. Gage Hurych added a 20-yard field goal with 2:29 left before halftime for a 10-0 lead.

On the very next play from scrimmage, Illinois running back Aidan Laughery broke free for a 75-yard touchdown run, cutting it to 10-7 at the half. Illinois said Laughery is the only running back in the nation with two rushing touchdowns of 75 yards or more this season.

Illinois took the second-half kickoff and went 70 yards in nine plays. Clayton finished the drive with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Christian Abney for a 14-10 lead, Abney’s first touchdown as an Illini. Three drives later, Clayton threw a 23-yard touchdown to Collin Dixon, who dove to catch a pass that an Oregon defender had tipped. The catch was upheld on review and made it 21-10.

The Illinois defense shut Oregon out after halftime and never let the Ducks run a play in the red zone in the second half, the school said.

Key stats

Illinois leaders: - Michael Clayton II: 11-of-18 passing, 84 yards, 2 TD - Aidan Laughery: 13 carries, 123 yards, 1 TD - Collin Dixon: 6 catches, 65 yards, 1 TD - Juice Clarke: 10 tackles, 2 pass breakups

Oregon leaders: - Dylan Raiola: 27-of-41 passing, 246 yards - Jordon Davison: 92 rushing yards, 1 TD - Dierre Hill: 83 rushing yards - Dakorien Moore: 9 catches, 70 yards - Teitum Tuioti: 8 tackles, career-high 2.5 sacks

Oregon outgained Illinois by more than 100 yards but couldn’t turn it into points. Illinois said the result snapped Oregon’s streak of 61 straight games scoring more than 10 points and its 46-game winning streak when scoring first.

What Bret Bielema and Dan Lanning said

Illinois coach Bret Bielema credited his defensive staff’s adjustments and the work of his team during the bye week. “Coming out of the bye week at 3-3, I thought this team could do a lot better than what we had shown,” he said, per Illinois Athletics. The school said Bielema set the program record for wins in a coach’s first six seasons with his 41st victory.

Oregon played its third straight game without injured quarterback Dante Moore. Coach Dan Lanning didn’t hide his frustration. “Credit to Illinois, thought they were the tougher team today,” he said, per GoDucks.com. “That definitely showed up in the second half.” He added: “I think all things are on the table for us, to make sure that we’re the best version of ourselves. And we’re currently not that, that’s very clear.”

What’s next

Illinois travels to Maryland on Saturday, Oct. 31, with kickoff at 11 a.m. CT on FS1. Oregon returns home to host Northwestern at Autzen Stadium on Halloween.

FAQ

Earlier coverage: Illinois rallies past Oregon 21-10 behind freshman QB Michael Clayton II and Aidan Laughery's 75-yard TD run (Oct 24)