Josh McCray rushed for three touchdowns, and Luke Altmyer threw two touchdown passes, helping Illinois defeat Michigan State 38-16 on Saturday.
McCray ran nine times for 61 yards, while Altmyer completed 19 of 32 passes for 231 yards. Pat Bryant had a standout performance, catching four passes for 135 yards and a touchdown in his final home game for Illinois (7-3, 4-3 Big Ten), which ended a two-game losing streak.
Illinois head coach Bret Bielema praised Bryant’s talent, saying he’s ready for the NFL. “I always tell NFL scouts wherever you have Pat Bryant rated, I’d go one round higher,” Bielema said.
For Michigan State (4-6, 2-5), Aidan Chiles threw for 256 yards, completing 23 of 40 passes and two touchdowns. Aziah Johnson and Nate Carter each caught a touchdown pass. The Spartans have now lost three straight games and six of their last seven.
Michigan State’s defense struggled again, failing to record a sack for the sixth straight game. In contrast, Illinois’ defense sacked Chiles five times.
Michigan State’s secondary also faced challenges. Starting safety Malik Spencer and cornerback Charles Brantley were both injured in a Nov. 2 loss to Indiana and are unlikely to return this season. Spartans coach Jonathan Smith said, “They’re likely done for the year. They’re not close to returning.”
Illinois finished the season with a 6-1 record at home, marking the first time since 2001 that they’ve won six home games in a season. That year, they won the Big Ten title and played in the 2002 Sugar Bowl.
Bielema was pleased to see the program’s progress, saying, “This is what we’ve tried to do since we came here five years ago—change the expectations of what people think of this place and what it is.”
After trailing 21-9 at halftime, Michigan State cut Illinois’ lead to 21-16 with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Chiles to Carter. However, Illinois responded with a 37-yard field goal from David Alano in the third quarter and two more 1-yard touchdown runs from McCray in the fourth.
Altmyer added a 57-yard touchdown pass to Bryant and a 4-yard touchdown pass to Zakhari Franklin in the first half. McCray also ran 11 yards for a touchdown during the first half. Bryant’s touchdown catch was his eighth of the season and also marked his longest reception in his career. It was also Altmyer’s longest pass completion.
Michigan State managed to score once more, with Chiles throwing a 52-yard touchdown pass to Johnson in the first quarter and a 38-yard field goal by Jonathan Kim just before halftime.
Kim’s extra point attempt after the Chiles-to-Johnson touchdown was missed, marking the first time in his college career that he missed an extra point. He had been perfect in both previous games this season.
