Illinois defeated Purdue 50-49 on Saturday afternoon in dramatic fashion.

After the Fighting Illini forced overtime with a field goal late in regulation, they opened up OT with a touchdown to make it 50-43. Purdue responded with a touchdown on its possession, but the Boilermakers decided to go for 2 rather than force a second OT period with an extra point.

That decision proved to be fatal as Illinois got the game-winning stop to earn a 50-49 win:

Despite the loss, it was a valiant effort from Purdue. This was the Boilermakers’ most competitive game of the season against an FBS foe. Purdue also battled back after trailing 27-3 in the second half. Purdue scored a whopping 40 points in the third and fourth quarters. In Purdue’s previous 4 games this season, it scored a grand total of 44 points.

For Illinois, this is a crucial win for Bret Bielema as he continues to build out this program. Illinois will likely remain ranked in the top 25 for another week before it faces Michigan at home next weekend. This was the Illini’s first win in this series since 2019.