HOT OFF THE PRESS#Illini deliver statement win pic.twitter.com/DXyTgwHXPv

— The News-Gazette (@news_gazette) September 6, 2025

DURHAM, N.C. — Forcing turnovers. Five of them to be exact.

Luke Altmyer making big throws. For almost 300 yards and three touchdowns to be precise.

And Illinois turning Wallace Wade Stadium into an East Coast version of Memorial Stadium by the time Saturday afternoon’s game ended, with the 11th-ranked Illini using a dominating second-half performance to defeat Duke 45-19 in front of 23,893 fans on a hot and humid day.

Altmyer finished 22 of 31 for 296 passing yards and did not turn the ball over as Illinois (2-0) ran away from the Blue Devils (1-1) after halftime. The Illini capitalized on five turnovers by Duke — four fumbles and one interception from Darian Mensah — to start 2-0 for the second straight season heading into next Saturday’s 6 p.m. home game with Western Michigan at a sold-out Memorial Stadium in Champaign.

“The big thing for us is we get 12 guaranteed opportunities,” Illinois coach Bret Bielema said. “We did have a goal of bringing a Big Ten physicality to this game, and I thought our guys played that way.”

Gabe Jacas, Matthew Bailey and Tanner Heckel each forced a fumble for Illinois against the Blue Devils, with Heckel adding a key interception early in the fourth quarter to halt a promising Duke drive. Mensah picked apart the Illini defense at times, completing 23 of 34 passes for 332 yards and two touchdowns for Duke, but he also lost two fumbles that Illinois turned into critical points.

“We gave them some new looks,” Bielema said. “He’s a very talented thrower, but I thought we just stayed true to our plan.”

Duke sacked Altmyer four times, but all four happened in the first half as Illinois went into halftime ahead 14-13. The Illini offensive line responded in the second half, keeping Duke’s defensive line and linebackers away from Altmyer, and the Illinois quarterback delivered. So did the Illini run game, which had negative 4 yards rushing in the first half.

Kaden Feagin and Ca’Lil Valentine wore down the Blue Devils’ defense in the fourth quarter, with Feagin rushing for 48 yards on 17 carries and one touchdown. Valentine added 44 rushing yards on six carries and one touchdown.

“The combination of 21, 3 and 5, they’re different guys,” Bielema said of Aidan Laughery, Feagin and Valentine, respectively. “It’s hard, defensively, to know what do when those guys keep rolling through there.”

Don’t forget about Hank Beatty, either. The Illini wide receiver and former high school quarterback at Rochester caught eight passes for 128 yards for his second straight game with at least 100 receiving yards, and his 25-yard touchdown run out of a direct snap midway through the third quarter increased the Illinois lead to 28-13. 

“I called him on Monday and I said, ‘Hey, brother. I told the coaches I want to play you at quarterback a little bit. You good with that?'” Biele

***

Way to finish

The Illinois drive: 12 plays, 89 yards, 6:45 (TD)

The story: A methodical drive to close out a road nonconference game? Check. With Duke fans leaving Wallace Wade Stadium in mass on a steamy Saturday in Durham, N.C., the Illini continued their second-half dominance by featuring heavy dose of Kaden Feagin, mixed in with a few key runs by Ca’Lil Valentine and Luke Altmyer, to essentially seal this win for Illinois. Then, after baiting the Blue Devils with the run, Altmyer found Collin Dixon on a 2-yard touchdown catch after a Blue Devils timeout for Altmyer’s third touchdown pass of the game. 

The score: Illinois 38, Duke, 4:14 remaining in 4th quarter

***

Heckel comes up clutch

The Duke drive: 7 plays, 46 yards, 3:05 (INT)

The story: If you had Tanner Heckel on your bingo card to intercept Darian Mensah today, congrats. The Illini defensive back halted a promising Duke drive by picking off the Blue Devils’ high-priced quarterback at the Illini 12-yard line. That takeaway, the fourth turnover by Duke today, might wrap up an important road win for Illinois. Mensah has put up gaudy numbers, completing 23 of 34 passes for 332 yards, but he’s lost a fumble and has not thrown an interception. 

The score: Illinois 31, Duke 19, 10:59 remaining in 4th quarter

***

Adding points

The Illinois drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 4:49 (FG)

The story: The Illinois run game, outside of Hank Beatty’s 25-yard rushing touchdown, has struggled against the Blue Devils. Luke Altmyer has not. The Illini quarterback hit Justin Bowick for a 21-yard completion, Ca’Lil Valentine for a 12-yard pickup through the air and Beatty on a 19-yard pass during this drive to answer Duke’s touchdown. But Illinois couldn’t put one in the end zone, settling instead for a 35-yard field goal by David Olano after a false-start penalty on fourth-and-2 changed the decision-making for Bret Bielema.

The score: Illinois 31, Duke 19, 14:04 remaining in 4th quarter

***

Blue Devils respond 

The Duke drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:54 (TD)

The story: Darian Mensah might throw for 400 yards. The Duke quarterback added to his stats (he’s now 20 of 29 for 294 yards) with a 41-yard completion to Cooper Barkate that moved the Blue Devils to the Illini 10-yard line, and then, on fourth-and-goal from the 6-yard line, Mensah found Andrel Anthony in the end zone for Mensah’s second touchdown pass of the day to Anthony. But Illinois kept it a two-score game when Mensah’s two-point conversion pass to Barkate fell incomplete. 

The score: Illinois 28, Duke 19, 4:00 remaining in 3rd quarter

***

Beatty producing

The Illinois drive: 4 plays, 61 yards, 1:09 (TD)

The story: Hank Beatty. That’s it. The Illinois wide receiver has topped 100 receiving yards for the second straight game to open the season and then, taking a direct snap, the former Rochester quarterback scampered his way for a 25-yard touchdown run to possibly break this game open. Needless to say, Beatty has become the go-to option for Luke Altmyer. He came up with a key 19-yard reception on a third-and-7 play that also netted 15 additional yards by Illinois after a roughing the passer penalty by Duke before Beatty’s touchdown run.

The score: Illinois 28, Duke 13, 6:54 remaining in 3rd quarter

***

Taking it away again

The Duke drive: 4 plays, 36 yards, 1:31 (fumble)

The story: Matthew Bailey has been involved in two of the three fumble recoveries by Illinois today. This time by forcing Duke wide receiver Sahmir Hagans to fumble the ball, with Kaleb Patterson pouncing on the loose ball for the recovery. The play happened after Hagans caught a pass from Duke quarterback Darian Mensah and had plenty of open field, getting down to the Illini 39-yard line before Bailey’s heads-up play. 

The score: Illinois 28, Duke 13, 8:03 remaining in 3rd quarter

***

Wardrobe malfunction favors Illini

The Illinois drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:26 (TD)

The story: A three-and-out to start the second half isn’t likely what the Illinois coaches talked about at halftime. But the Illini got bailed out when Duke had two players wearing the same number for a five-yard equipment violation penalty on a punt by Keelan Crimmins. See something new every day, I guess. So Illinois kept the ball, with Luke Altmyer hitting Hank Beatty for a 36-yard completion to get Illinois into Duke territory. And then, on fourth-and-1 from the Duke 8-yard line, Kaden Feagin bulled his way forward for 4 yards and a needed first down before Altmyer found Justin Bowick on a 4-yard slant for Bewick’s third touchdown catch of the season.

The score: Illinois 21, Duke 13, 9:34 remaining in 3rd quarter

***

HALFTIME: Illinois 14, Duke 13

Good news? Illinois leads on the road.

Bad news? Too many mistakes, a lack of a run game and Luke Altmyer getting hit way too much inside Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, N.C., for Bret Bielema’s liking.

“We’ve got to be able to run the ball, protect our quarterback and get our quarterback on time and on rhythm,” the Illini coach said at halftime to Michael Martin on the Fighting Illini Radio Network.

Altmyer is 10 of 16 for 137 yards and one touchdown, but the 11th-ranked Illini have negative 4 yards rushing. Mainly because Duke has already sacked Altmyer four times. Kaden Feagin has 10 rushing yards on six carries, including a 1-yard touchdown run that gave the Illini a 7-3 lead in the first quarter. 

Duke quarterback Darian Mensah is on pace to throw for almost 400 yards, having completed 14 of 22 passes for 187 yards, including a 5-yard touchdown pass just before halftime to Andrel Anthony. The Blue Devils have 240 yards of total offense compared to just 133 by the Illini.

***Tough ending to the half

The Duke drive: 9 plays, 77 yards, 1:04 (TD)

The story: Darian Mensah has struggled at times with his accuracy and holding on to the ball, but the high-priced acquisition by the Blue Devils this offseason looked good against the Illini defense in a hurry-up mode. His 5-yard touchdown pass to a leaping Andrel Anthony, which held up after replay review, gave Duke its first touchdown and trimmed the Illini lead right before halftime. Mensah got Duke deep into Illinois territory with a 12-yard pass to Jayden Moore and then a 35-yard completion to Anthony. A roughing the pass penalty on Daniel Brown, the fifth Illini penalty of the first half, kept Duke’s drive intact after it looked like the Illini would force a field goal. Can’t have mistakes like that.  

The score: Illinois 14, Duke 13, 0:08 remaining in 2nd quarter

***Stalling out near midfield

The Illinois drive: 6 plays, 23 yards, 2:43 (Punt)

The story: Illinois leads, but the offensive line has to play better in the second half. Luke Altmyer has gotten sacked four times already, with Duke linebacker Kendall Johnson procuring the latest one to end an Illini drive that got into Duke territory, with Altmyer and Hank Beatty developing a connection again that was evident in the season opener against Western Illinois. But then the Blue Devils’ pressure forced the third punt of the game from Keelan Crimmins. 

The score: Illinois 14, Duke 6, 1:12 remaining in 2nd quarter

***Takeaway time

The Duke drive: 4 plays, 57 yards, 1:06 (fumble)

The story: Darian Mensah didn’t seem like he intended to throw the ball to Chase Tyler. But the wide receiver was the beneficiary of a pass by the Duke quarterback, setting up a 62-yard completion on the Blue Devils’ first play after Luke Altmyer’s touchdown pass to Cole Rusk to put Duke at the Illini 13-yard line. But it all unraveled for the Blue Devils, with Gabe Jacas forcing a fumble and Matthew Bailey recovering the fumble three plays later. A shaky performance, at times, by the Illini, but it’s offset by Illinois taking advantage of Duke’s mistakes.

The score: Illinois 14, Duke 6, 3:55 remaining 2nd quarter

***Rolling the dice

The Illinois drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:07 (TD)

The story: Going for it on fourth-and-1 at Duke’s 39-yard line paid off for the Illini. Tight end Jordan Anderson, a former running back, powered his one for the needed 1 yard to keep the drive going. A play later, Luke Altmyer hit Collin Dixon on a 33-yard completion to set up a first-and-goal at the Blue Devils’ 5-yard line. A holding penalty pushed Illinois back 10 yards before Altmyer hit Cole Rusk on an 8-yard touchdown pass on third-and-goal for Rusk’s first touchdown (and catch) with the Illini. Hudson Clement helped bail the Illini out of a precarious situation earlier on the drive, getting a 27-yard completion on a third-and-15 deep inside their own territory. 

The score: Illinois 14, Duke 6, 5:01 remaining 2nd quarter

Getting all riled up

The Duke drive: 14 plays, 52 yards, 5:43 (FG)

The story: Bret Bielema has managed to rile up another coaching staff/fan base in the Carolinas with his substitution patterns. Duke is getting just as upset today as South Carolina did in the Citrus Bowl. Would probably help to know the rules. Duke did manage another 40-yard field goal by Todd Pelino, but it was a disappointment. A delay of game after Duke subbed late (and Illinois answered with a nose tackle sub) was actually the least of the Blue Devils’ concerns. A drop in the end zone on a play that also had a pair of penalties (the worst a 15-yarder) derailed a touchdown.

The score: Illinois 7, Duke 6; 11:08 remaining 2nd quarter

***Didn’t miss that opportunity

Found the seam. @FeaginKaden pushes his way into the end zone off a 1-yard run. 2:11 1Q | Illinois 7, Duke 3 pic.twitter.com/IQwp3we8a2

— Illinois Football (@IlliniFootball) September 6, 2025

The Illinois drive: 5 plays, 18 yards, 2:14 (TD)

The story: A muffed punt by Duke with a Tyler Strain recovery gave Illinois possession in the red zone. Not that the Illini didn’t make things interesting. Ca’Lil Valentine got flattened in pass protection on third down, but Luke Altmyer scrambled and connected with Justin Bowick in the end zone. Kind of. Bowick was in the end zone. The ball never was. So Illinois got the ball at the 1-yard line and two rush attempts by Kaden Feagin later got its first score of the game.

The score: Illinois 7, Duke 3; 1:51 remaining 1st quarter

***Missed opportunities

The Illinois drive: 5 plays, 11 yards, 2:36 (PUNT)

The story: A pass interference call on Duke coupled by a catch-and-fumble by Malik Elzy overturned as an incompletion gave Illinois a couple of second chances on its second drive of the game. Not that the Illini could do anything with them. A three-yard rush by Kaden Feagin and another sack on Luke Altmyer snuffed out the opportunities.

The score: Duke 3, Illinois 0; 4:29 remaining 1st quarter

***Three-and-out

The Duke drive: 3 plays, 8 yards, 1:28 (PUNT)

The story: Blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah had too much time to complete an 8-yard pass across the middle to running back Jaquez Moore on second down, but Illinois flushed Mensah out of the pocket again for an incompletion on third down to force Duke’s first punt.

The score: Duke 3, Illinois 0; 6:41 remaining 1st half

***Moving backward

The Illinois drive: 5 plays, 15 yards, 2:17 (PUNT)

The story: Illinois got to midfield thanks to a 21-yard completion from Luke Altmyer to Hank Beatty, but Illinois’ first drive deteriorated from that point. Aidan Laughery was tackled for a loss on first down, Altmyer couldn’t connect with Collin Dixon on a semi-rushed RPO on second down and then Altmyer was sacked on third down. Not ideal.

The score: Duke 3, Illinois 0

***Points on the board

The Duke drive: 9 plays, 52 yards, 4:34 (FG)

The story: The Blue Devils were moving the ball pretty well to start the opening drive of the game. Surprisingly, it was mostly on the ground. Duke quarterback Darian Mensah completed the only pass he attempted while getting chased out of the pocket a couple times. Illinois managed to tighten up defensively, limiting Mensah to just 2 yards on a crucial third down that led to Todd Pelino’s 40-yard field goal.  

The score: Duke 3, Illinois 0

From 40 yards out! Todd Pelino gets us on the board on our opening drive! pic.twitter.com/c7cRhfClCD

— Duke Football (@DukeFOOTBALL) September 6, 2025***

Hello from Durham, N.C., where the hometown crowd clearly favors the team that plays next door to Wallace Wade Stadium. 

Granted, it’s a warm day at Duke, but the turnout as kickoff approaches is … thin. Blue Devils fans will outnumber Illinois fans, of course, but it’s closer than the Duke administration probably cares to see.

But Duke is definitely a basketball school first. Football comes … much later.

Sparse crowd aside, it’s an important game for No. 11 Illinois. A road win against a Power Four program — even if football is not top of mind on campus — is still a road win against a Power Four team.

Follow along all afternoon to see if the Illini can get the job done.