By IlliniGuys Staff

November 29, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - 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.

Ca'Lil Valentine and Kaden Feagin each scored rushing touchdowns as the Illini took a 14-10 lead into halftime. With the Illinois marching band performing from the stands, workers took advantage of a declining snow accumulation to clear the playing field for the second half. The snow was so prevalent at the start that it was difficult to identify line markers.

The win gives Illinois (8-4, 5-4 in Big Ten) back-to-back eight-win seasons for the first time since 1990 and makes Bret Bielema just the third head coach in program history to achieve that, joining Edgar Holt (1901-02) and John Mackovic (1989-90).

Northwestern (6-6, 4-5 in Big Ten) was plagued by turnovers, three of them ending drives in the second half as the Wildcats managed just a single field goal after halftime. Leon Lowery Jr. recovered a fumble by quarterback Preston Stone at the Illinois' 10-yard line early in the fourth quarter. Then Scott intercepted Stone at midfield and returned it 33 yards to the Northwestern 17-yard line, setting up David Olano's second field goal of the night and a 20-10 Illini lead. Scott then picked off a tipped Stone pass on the Wildcats' next series.

Torrie Cox Jr. intercepted a pass in the first half as the Illini recorded their first four-turnover game since forcing Northwestern into four takeaways last November at Wrigley Field in Chicago.

Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer completed 10 of 15 passes for 136 yards in the final home game of his career. He stands sixth all-time in school history with 7,411 passing yards, 121 yards shy of Jason Verduzco's career total.

The win allows Illinois to keep "The Hat", the coveted rivalry trophy in the shape of President Abraham Lincoln's signature hat. The Illini have won this annual season-ending game four times in the five seasons in the Bielema era.

Illinois will now await its bowl assignment next weekend, which would be its third in five years, the best stretch in program history since playing in three bowls from 2007-2011 under head coach Ron Zook.

Stay with IlliniGuys.com for complete postgame coverage from Gies Memorial Stadium.