By IlliniGuys Staff

October 26, 2024

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

EUGENE, Ore. - Heisman Trophy candidate Dillon Gabriel threw for three touchdowns and ran for a fourth as top ranked Oregon dismantled #20 Illinois, 38-9 Saturday afternoon.

It's the most lopsided loss for the Illini (6-2, 3-2) since falling 42-14 at Virginia in September, 2021, in Bret Bielema's first season as head coach.

Gabriel and the Ducks offense did whatever they wanted in the first half, scoring 35 points and rolling up 363 yards to build a 35-3 lead with the sixth-year quarterback accounting for all but one score. Oregon looking very much like a #1-ranked team and a program that has suffered just two losing seasons in the past 30 years.

Illinois put together its best drive in the 3rd quarter, when it went 95 yards on 17 plays to score on a Cal'il Valentine 4-yard touchdown run. The two-point attempt failed and Illinois couldn't get any closer than 35-9.

Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer, who came into the game with 15 touchdown passes and just one interception, was picked off twice in this game. He finished 17-of-35 for 161 yards and was sacked three times.

Gabriel was 18-of-26 for 291 yards and was intercepted in the second half by Tyson Rooks. He passes former Hawaii star Timmy Chang for 2nd on the all-time passing yards list, now with 17,236 yards on his career.

Oregon (8-0, 5-0) amassed 527 yards in the game, opposite 293 for Illinois. It's the first time in the Bielema era that the Illini defense has given up 500 yards or more twice in the same season, as they surrendered 536 yards in the overtime win against Purdue two weeks ago.

A scary moment in the 4th quarter when wide receiver Pat Bryant left the game and went to the locker room after taking a shot to the head by two Ducks defenders on an incomplete pass. No penalty was called on the play and Bryant did not return to the game.

Illinois returns home to face Minnesota next Saturday.

Stay with IlliniGuys.com for complete postgame coverage.