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Illinois football may have left College Park with a win, but the Illini gave their fans a Halloween fright, securing a 20-17 victory over Maryland in dramatic fashion on Ethan Moczulski's 26-yard field goal as time expired.
Coming off a stunning upset of Oregon, Illinois faced a struggling Terrapins squad that had dropped five straight games and recently fired coach Mike Locksley. On paper, it appeared to be a perfect chance for the Illini to build momentum. Instead, Illinois needed every second of regulation to escape the boogeyman.
The Illini offense looked out of sync early. Starting quarterback Katin Houser, returning from a hand injury, threw an interception on the opening possession, setting a frustrating tone for the first half. Maryland capitalized on Illinois' struggles, taking a 7-0 lead on an eight-yard touchdown run by quarterback Malik Washington.
After nearly two quarters of offensive misery, Illinois finally found the end zone when Houser connected with Brayden Trimble for a 16-yard touchdown with just 27 seconds left in the first half, sending the teams into the locker room tied at 7-7.
Unfortunately for Illinois, the second half didn't start much better. Maryland marched down the field on its opening possession of the third quarter, reclaiming the lead on a 17-yard touchdown run from DeJuan Williams. A 45-yard Moczulski field goal cut the deficit to four, but the Illini still trailed heading into the final quarter.
Then, Javari Barnett provided the spark Illinois desperately needed. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Barnett exploded for a 64-yard touchdown run, giving the Illini their first lead of the afternoon at 17-14.
But Maryland refused to go away, tying the game on a 46-yard field goal with just over 10 minutes remaining. With the game hanging in the balance, Houser and the Illinois offense finally delivered when it mattered most. Taking possession with 5:45 remaining, the Illini orchestrated a 13-play, 67-yard drive that drained the remaining clock and positioned Moczulski for the winning kick.
For Illinois, the performance was far from convincing. A week after knocking off Oregon, the Illini nearly suffered an embarrassing defeat against a Maryland program in complete disarray. Still, ugly wins count just the same as pretty ones.
Illinois improved to 5-3 (3-2 Big Ten) and extended its winning streak to three games. But with Nebraska coming to Champaign next Friday, the Illini will need a much sharper performance if they hope to keep that streak alive.
Following the thrilling finish, social media was buzzing as Illini Nation reacted to yet another heart-stopping victory. It certainly wasn't pretty, but the Illini found a way to get the job done.
A great day for some football A start to forget Trimble breaks through Bustin' loose What a turnaround Shout out, Bret Bielema The clutch gene Counts just the same A Halloween treat A sneaky playoff team? Primarily covers Illinois football, basketball and golf, with an emphasis on news, analysis and features.
Hegde, an electrical engineering student at Illinois with an affinity for sports writing, has been writing for On SI since April 2025. He can be followed and reached on Instagram @pranavhegde.