By IlliniGuys Staff

December 25, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

It's been a special season for Illini football. For the first time in 35 years, Illinois won 18 games over a two-year span. That ties the program record, set back in 1989-90; a mark they can break with a victory over Tennessee in Tuesday's Music City Bowl in Nashville (5:30pm, ESPN).

Some Illini fans may have been disappointed that the team didn't qualify for the College Football Playoff, but the bigger picture is the trajectory that Bret Bielema has this program on five years in. A team that has managed back-to-back winning seasons just once since 1992 can now put together consecutive nine-win seasons for the first time in school history. With the highest-rated high school recruiting class ever hitting campus next month and a bigger commitment to NIL funds in the upcoming transfer portal, the Fighting Illini program is on solid ground with a chance to attain the kind of sustained success it hasn't enjoyed in decades.

Here's a look back at the season:

Game 1 - Illinois 52, Western Illinois 3

Hank Beatty returned a punt 69 yards for a touchdown and his 132 punt return yards total eclipsed a 102-year old school record set by the legendary Red Grange. Ball State transfer Justin Bowick caught two of Luke Altmyer's three touchdown passes and Aidan Laughery ran for 109 yards and two scores as the Illini dominated their FCS visitor from Macomb.

Game 2 - Illini 45, Duke 19

Luke Altmyer turned in a three-touchdown performance as the Illini routed Duke at Wallace Wade Stadium. (Courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Luke Altmyer threw for three touchdowns and Illinois turned five Duke turnovers into 28 points as the 11th ranked Illini scored the win over the Blue Devils.

It was the first big test of the 2025 season for Illinois as they scored their first double-digit road victory over a non-conference opponent since beating Syracuse 41-20 in September 2007.

Game 3 - Illini 38, Western Michigan 0

Luke Altmyer threw for two touchdowns and ran for a third as the Illini pitched a shutout against their MAC visitors. Kaden Feagin and Ca'Lil Valentine each ran for a score as Illinois won its seventh game in a row, its longest streak since winning seven straight in 2011.

Game 4 - Indiana 63, Illini 10

Future Heisman Trophy winner Francisco Mendoza threw five touchdown passes and the Indiana offense rolled up 579 yards as the 19th ranked Hoosiers steamrolled No. 9 Illinois in the Big Ten opener for both teams.

The defeat was the worst that a top ten ranked Illini team has ever suffered, surpassing the 38-7 defeat at Colorado in September 1989.

Illinois managed just 161 yards of total offense, their lowest output since gaining only 93 yards in a 24-0 loss at Wisconsin in October 2021. The Hoosiers' 579 yards is the highest allowed by a Bret Bielema-coached Illini squad, just under the 580 yards surrendered in a rout at Penn State in December 2020 in a game coached by interim head coach Rod Smith after Lovie Smith was fired.

Game 5 - Illini 34, Southern California 32

David Olano (24) delivers the game-winning field goal as Illinois nipped USC at the final gun in Gies Memorial Stadium. (Courtesy Illinois Athletics)

David Olano kicked a 41-yard field goal with no time left to cap off a wild 4th quarter and give #23 Illinois a 34-32 victory over No. 21 USC on Homecoming weekend Saturday afternoon.

The final play capped off a crazy 4th quarter that saw 992 yards of total offense between the two and the Illini squander a 14-point lead as USC rallied with a pair of touchdowns from Jayden Maiava to Makai Lemon. The two also connected on a two-point conversion in the final period as the Trojans - which hadn't trailed in the second half all season - erased a 31-17 deficit to lead to take a 32-31 advantage with 1:55 remaining.

Luke Altmyer delivered his 7th career game-winning drive in the 4th quarter. The senior quarterback guided the Illini 51 yards on eight plays in under two minutes to set up Olano's decisive kick. He became the first Illinois quarterback since Kurt Kittner in 1999 to pass for, run for, and catch a touchdown in the same game.

Game 6 - Illini 43, Purdue 27

Hank Beatty caught five passes for a career-high 186 yards in Illinois' victory at Purdue. (Courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Luke Altmyer threw for a career high 390 yards to pass Wes Lunt for seventh on the school's all-time passing list and David Olano kicked five field goals as No. 22 Illinois defeated Purdue to keep the coveted Cannon Trophy for the second straight year.

Illinois (5-1, 2-1 in Big Ten) hadn't won a game in Purdue's Ross-Ade Stadium since 2019 as they earned their first consecutive victories in the series since 2001-02.

Hank Beatty caught five passes for a career-best 186 yards. Kaden Feagin and Ca'Lil Valentine both ran for touchdowns as well. Valentine rushed for a career-high 95 yards on 22 carries.

Game 7 - Ohio State 34, Illini 16

Illinois scored more points than any Ohio State opponent this season, but the Buckeyes' dominant defense forced three turnovers and held the 17th ranked Illini in check to score the 34-16 victory, their biggest road win of the year.

Ohio State got two touchdown passes from Julian Sayin and a pair of rushing touchdowns from C.J. Donaldson in a patient offensive attack that didn't complete a play of more than 20 yards all afternoon. The Buckeyes scored 21 points off the Illini mistakes.

Game 8 - Washington 43, Illini 25

Demond Williams Jr. threw for four touchdowns as Washington pummeled 23rd ranked Illinois 42-25 in Big Ten play Saturday afternoon.

The Huskies (6-2, 3-2 in Big Ten) rolled up 449 yards of offense, the 5th Illinois opponent to amass 400 yards or more this season. The Illini have lost four of those games.

Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer was 22 of 34 for 199 yards and two touchdowns, but also threw two interceptions after getting picked off just once all year.

The loss in front of 68,630 leaves the Illinois program winless in Seattle since 1950.

Game 9 -  Illini 35, Rutgers 13

Luke Altmyer (9) connects with Kaden Feagin (3) for one of his career high-tying four touchdown passes as the Illini defeated Rutgers. (Courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Luke Altmyer threw a season-high four touchdown passes and ran for another score as Illinois snapped a two-game losing streak with a 35-13 rout of visiting Rutgers.

After holding the Scarlet Knights to a pair of field goals, the Illini then reeled off 28 points in a row on an Altmyer run and three more scoring passes. Hank Beatty and Collin Dixon each caught a touchdown and Hudson Clement grabbed his first in an Illinois uniform. The West Virginia transfer had his best day as an Illini, leading the team with five catches for 84 yards.

Altmyer now has 54 career touchdown passes, one shy of Jack Trudeau and Nathan Scheelhaase for third place in school history. Gabe Jacas recorded a pair of sacks to raise his team-leading total to 6.5 for the season.

Game 10 - Illini 24, Maryland 6

A methodical offensive approach and a solid defensive effort allowed Illinois to cruise past Maryland 24-6 for the first time in school history inside Gies Memorial Stadium.

Luke Altmyer, who again saw moderate success in designed runs and scrambling out of pressured situations, finished with 172 yards through the air and two touchdowns. Altmyer became the first quarterback in program history with back-to-back seasons of 20 touchdown passes or more. Altmyer now has 56 career touchdown passes at Illinois, tied with Juice Williams (2006-09) for second-most in program history.

Game 11 - Wisconsin 27, Illini 10

Wisconsin sacked Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer five times and held the Illini offense to just a single field goal in the second half as the Badgers stunned No. 21 Illinois 27.

It marks the high point of an otherwise forgettable season for Wisconsin as the Badgers hadn't scored more than 14 points against a Power 4 opponent this season and had managed only 47 points total in seven Big Ten games coming into the night.

Game 12 - Illini 20, Northwestern 13

Senior defensive back Miles Scott celebrates with the Land of Lincoln Trophy after the Illini record their second straight victory over Northwestern. (Courtesy Illinois Athletics)

Miles Scott celebrated Senior Day with a pair of interceptions and the much-maligned Illinois defense forced four turnovers to beat Northwestern 20-13 and keep the Land of Lincoln Trophy.

Both teams spent the first half tiptoeing around a slippery field as eight inches of snow fell prior to game time, the most ever for a game at 101-year old Gies Memorial Stadium.  The weather kept thousands of fans away and prompted university officials to close the East grandstand and the horseshoe section at the southern end of the stadium, limiting fans and concessions to the West stands only.