Kaden Feagin scored a 1-yard touchdown with 9:34 left, and David Alano added a 43-yard field goal with 58 seconds remaining to help Illinois come back and defeat No. 19 Kansas 23-17 on Saturday night.
Illinois (2-0) achieved its first win against a ranked nonconference team at home since defeating then-No. 22 Arizona State on September 17, 2011. The Illini also made up for a 34-23 loss to Kansas (1-1) from last year.
Feagin’s touchdown came after Luke Altmyer completed passes to Pat Bryant for 37 and 28 yards during an eight-play, 80-yard drive.
Altmyer was 16 of 25 passing for 192 yards. Zakhari Franklin had nine catches for 99 yards, and Bryant had three catches for 70 yards.
The victory brought Illinois coach Bret Bielema’s record to 20-19 over four years with the team.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment. We’ve got to build on this now,” Bielema said. “I had a feeling we were going to match up well. I liked our demeanor. I felt good about the game coming into it, and it was fun to watch it play out in front of you.”
Kansas’ Jalon Daniels was 18 of 32 for 141 yards with two touchdown passes and three interceptions.
Daniels connected with Lawrence Arnold for a 13-yard touchdown pass to give the Jayhawks a 17-13 lead with 4:57 left in the third quarter.
Luke Grimm caught nine passes for 40 yards and a touchdown for Kansas. Devin Neal rushed for 101 yards on 14 carries.
“This stings, and it should,” Kansas coach Lance Leopold said. “We’re seeing what we’re made of. I’m confident our upperclassmen will respond.”
Leopold also praised Illinois’ receivers for their impressive plays.
“They made some really big-time plays,” he said. “When you play against good football players, they’re going to make good plays.”
In the final 3:05 of the second quarter, Illinois and Kansas scored 17 combined points.
