Illinois has done it, finishing off an upset win over No. 19 Kansas for a bit of revenge from a season ago!

Saturday’s game in Week 2 was a good one that came down the final possession. Ultimately, the Jayhawks ran out of time in their attempts for a game-winning drive as the Illini held on for the 23-17 victory.

It goes down as the first win for the Illini against a ranked opponent since beating Wisconsin in 2019.

The game swung on a pivotal defensive play late in the 2nd quarter. With Kansas holding a 10-6 lead and trying to convert on 3rd down, Xavier Scott jumped a route and recorded an electrifying pick-6 to give Illinois a 13-10 lead.

Illinois would also end the game with 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter for the win.

The turnover game would be a big key for Illinois this time around, something that plagued the Illini in last year’s loss to the Jayhawks. The Illinois defense picked off QB Jalon Daniels 3 times (2 of those by Scott) and ended the game +3 in the turnover battle.

Bret Bielema’s squad became accustomed to close games a season ago. The Illini would play 9 games ultimately decided by 11 points or less, finishing 5-4 in those games (including the loss to Kansas).

Now, Illinois is at least 1-0 in close games so far in 2024. We’ll see if they can keep coming up with the clutch plays throughout the season.