CHAMPAIGN — Luke Altmyer threw for 242 yards and two touchdowns, both to Pat Bryant, to lead Illinois to a 30-9 win over Central Michigan on Saturday.
Bryant had seven catches for 102 yards and Zakhari Franklin caught five passes for 66 yards.
Josh McCray ran for 54 yards on eight carries and Ca’Lil Valentine had 53 yards on five rushes for the Illini (3-0), who have won three straight games to start the season for the first time since 2011.
Texas A&M transfer Ethan Moczulski kicked a school-record 59-yard field goal as time expired in the first half to give the Illini a 13-6 lead.
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Illinois coach Bret Bielema said the win wasn’t pretty despite the lopsided score.
“I could almost feel it coming after we beat (then-No. 19 Kansas) last week and had to flip the page and get ready for Central Michigan,” he said. “We had our work cut out for us and we made it more difficult than it needed to be.”
Altmyer and Bryant hooked up on a 20-yard TD pass to begin the second half. Bryant wriggled free from four would-be Central Michigan tacklers on his way to the end zone.
Bryant was wide open in the end zone when Altmyer hit him with an 11-yard TD pass in the first quarter.
“Luke and I did lot a work over the summer so when we get to the field for a game, things come easily for us,” Bryant said.
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David Alano, the other half of Illinois’ placekicking tandem along with Moczulski, made a 49-yard field goal in the second quarter and a 34-yarder in the third.
“Ethan (Moczulski) has made a 61-yarder in practice. He has an extremely explosive leg,” Bielema said. “He and David are a pretty good 1-2 punch for us in the kicking game.”
Tristan Mattson kicked 32- and 29-yard field goals in the first half and a 25-yarder in the fourth for Central Michigan (1-2). The first field goal came after a 9-yard TD run by Marion Lukes was called back because of a holding penalty.
Central Michigan QB Joe Labas was 12 of 25 for 125 yards.
Chippewas coach Jim McElwain said his team was facing a long bus ride home to think about the game.
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“First drive of the first half, first drive of the second half, Illinois marches right down the field and scores,” he said. “That’s unacceptable. Can’t do that.
“Offensively, we’ve got to score touchdowns when we’re in the red zone. Illinois has a good defense. The numbers show it. Give them credit. But we’ve got to put it in the end zone when we’re down there.”
The takeaway
Illinois: After Illinois’ victory over Kansas lost some of its luster Friday when the Jayhawks were upset 23-20 at home by UNLV, the Illini struggled at times against Central Michigan and had 10 penalties for 81 yards. That can’t happen when Illinois hits the road the next two weeks to play Nebraska and No. 8 Penn State.
Central Michigan: Six turnovers were the Chippewas’ undoing in a lopsided loss last week to Florida International. Of the 52 points Central Michigan allowed, 39 came off turnovers. The Chippewas had just one turnover against Illinois, the third interception of the season by reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week Xavier Scott, and it didn’t lead to any points. That’s the biggest positive Central Michigan can take from the game.
Jan Brueghel, the 11-4 joint-favourite, got up in the final strides after a prolonged struggle with his stable companion, Illinois, to give Aidan O’Brien an eighth success in the St Leger on Saturday, and jockey Sean Levey his second win in a British Classic.
Both the winner and runner-up were from the final full crop of foals sired by the outstanding stallion Galileo, who died in 2021, and Jan Brueghel, who remains unbeaten after four starts, could well go into the history books as the great sire’s 21st and final British Classic winner.
“We knew the track and trip would suit him,” Levey said afterwards, “and I think he showed that he’s exceptional going that extra distance. He feels like a [Ascot] Gold Cup horse in the making and I wouldn’t be surprised if he stepped up a bit more next year.”
At Leopardstown, William Haggas’s Economics, the 7-4 favourite, found a brave second effort to edge past his main market rival, Auguste Rodin, and claim a first success in Group One company in the Irish Champion Stakes.
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Economics appeared to be headed by Auguste Rodin as Ryan Moore brought the 9-4 chance with a strong run on the outside, but then found more for Tom Marquand to open up a narrow but ultimately decisive lead. He was a neck in front at the line, with the Japanese challenger Shin Emperor another three-quarters of a length away in third.
Lanny and Sharon Martin Athletics Facility is the venue where the Northwestern Wildcats (1-1) will take on the Eastern Illinois Panthers (1-1) on Saturday, September 14, 2024.
While Northwestern ranks 64th in total defense with 304.5 yards allowed per game, the team’s offensive unit has been a little less successful, ranking 25th-worst (307.5 yards per game). From an offensive angle, Eastern Illinois is posting 275 total yards per contest (92nd-ranked). It ranks 68th in the FCS defensively (410 total yards surrendered per game).
Below we dig deep into all of the details you need before this contest starts, including how to watch on BTN.
Check out: US LBM Coaches Poll powered by USA Today sports
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Northwestern vs. Eastern Illinois: live streaming info, TV channel & game time
Game day: Saturday, September 14, 2024
Game time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Evanston, Illinois
Stadium: Lanny and Sharon Martin Athletics Facility
TV channel: BTN
Live stream: Fubo (Watch for free)
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