CHICAGO — With the Land of Lincoln Trophy up for grabs, Northwestern and No. 23 Illinois squared off in Wrigley Field on Saturday, boasting opposite season trajectories.

But year-long resumes and recent form are often cast aside when two rivals face off late in any campaign, and coach David Braun’s squad looked to maintain possession of The Hat and send off its departing veterans with a result on Senior Day.

The Fighting Illini (9-3, 6-3 Big Ten) had other plans, prevailing 38-28 over the Wildcats (4-8, 2-7 Big Ten) in a frozen-tundra-esque ballpark.

While NU nearly drove the length of the field on its opening drive, the ’Cats ultimately settled for a chip shot from redshirt junior punter Luke Akers to take a 3-0 lead. But Illinois needed just 79 seconds to respond, with Fighting Illini running back Aidan Laughery breaking free for a 30-yard rushing score.

Backed up deep in his own territory, Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer tossed an errant pass that was tipped into junior safety Devin Turner’s grasp. Turner trotted into the end zone to put NU ahead 10-7 with 2:14 remaining in the first quarter.

Less than two minutes into the second quarter, Altmyer punched in a quarterback sneak to recapture the visiting advantage. Neither team managed to make another dent in the score as the Fighting Illini carried a 14-10 lead into halftime.

Just two plays into the second half, Laughery dusted the entire ’Cats’ defense for a 64-yard touchdown to extend the Illinois advantage to 21-10. Following an NU three-and-out, Altmyer connected with Fighting Illini wide receiver Pat Bryant for a 43-yard score. The play marked Bryant’s 10th touchdown this season.

With four minutes remaining in the third quarter, the ’Cats retook the field in pristine position, trotting out on the Illinois 40-yard-line. Graduate student wide receiver A.J. Henning capitalized on the short field, hauling in an 11-yard touchdown from redshirt sophomore quarterback Jack Lausch to cut the deficit to eight.

After Lausch threw his second interception early in the final frame, Laughery’s third trip to the end zone decisively quashed the hosts’ comeback bid as the Fighting Illini cruised to their ninth win of the year. Though, Lausch did connect with graduate student tight end Thomas Gordon for a last-minute score for good measure.

Here are five takeaways from NU’s loss to Illinois. 

1. Red zone woes persist

Last week, the ’Cats made two trips to the Michigan red zone. They resulted in just six points.

On Saturday, NU drove down within the Fighting Illini 20 on its first two drives. The first drive stalled to the tune of a 21-yard Akers kick, which gave the ’Cats a lead for less than two minutes.

Minutes later, Lausch once again marched the offense into the red zone — with a little help from true freshman quarterback Ryan Boe. But, with a near-guaranteed field goal in his hip pocket, Lausch threw his seventh interception of the season.

NU’s defense would bail the Chicago native out in a major way on the ensuing Illinois possession, but a mere three points on two red zone trips is simply inexcusable for offensive coordinator Zach Lujan’s unit.

2. The ’Cats give true freshman Boe significant reps

A Batavia, Illinois native, Boe marked Braun’s first-ever quarterback recruit at NU. Braun even flipped Boe’s commitment from North Dakota State — the institution where the head coach rose to national prominence as a defensive coordinator.

While Boe didn’t see any snaps prior to Saturday and preserved his redshirt, the true freshman received his first collegiate action against the Fighting Illini. He completed his first-ever pass to Henning for nine yards. As the game ran on, Boe encountered his fair share of freshman struggles, coughing up a fumble and throwing an interception.

With the ’Cats’ future signal caller firmly up for debate entering the offseason, Braun and Lujan offered a potential glimpse at the 2025 quarterback battle inside the Friendly Confines. Lausch will of course return next season as a redshirt junior, and Braun will likely dip into the transfer portal for a season veteran. Still, Lausch and Boe appear to be the lone two returners in contention for the job.

3. Kirtz, Azema injuries prematurely end their Senior Day

Entering his final collegiate regular season game, graduate student wide receiver Bryce Kirtz told The Daily that he wanted to catch his first touchdown of the season against Illinois.

Kirtz had posted 573 receiving yards prior to the rivalry matchup — an FBS-high among pass catchers without a receiving score. Although he got involved early in the game, hauling in a pair of receptions for 25 yards, the graduate student sustained a lower-body injury less than two minutes into the game.

The Brownsburg, Indiana, native who underwent four knee surgeries during his college career had missed two games earlier in the season due to injury. Saturday marked an unfortunate end to Kirtz’s decorated career in purple and white.

Less than a minute into the second half, graduate student safety Coco Azema took a significant hit on a kickoff return and struggled to put weight on his right leg. When the defensive captain spoke to The Daily on Tuesday, he said the game can be taken away at any moment.

A player who dealt with a myriad of injuries throughout his career in Evanston, Azema also saw his Senior Day and college career end prematurely Saturday afternoon.

4. Turner puts on a show in the secondary

In recent games, Altmyer proved a near picture-perfect possession protector, accumulating six total touchdowns and zero interceptions in his past three appearances. 

He entered Saturday having not thrown an interception in more than a month — last tossing a pair of picks against No. 1 Oregon on Oct. 26.

Turner firmly flipped Altmyer’s positive trend on its head Saturday, turning defensive production into instant points with his first career pick six. But the Texas native’s standout performance was far from over, as Turner leapt to snag a second interception in the second quarter.

With the takeaway, Turner became the first Wildcat to record a multi-interception game since Jaheem Joseph caught two picks in the Las Vegas Bowl against Utah on Dec. 23, 2023. 

5. Braun, NU enter a crucial offseason with their work cut out

Last season, the ’Cats headed into the offseason on the back of an 8-5 record and a bowl victory. The campaign had perhaps marked a sign of positive progress under Braun, who brought in a flurry of coaching hires during his first offseason as the program’s permanent head coach. 

Now, NU faces the sobering reality of a losing season and significant talent departures to boot. The ’Cats have more questions than answers at crucial positions, including quarterback. 

Two of three defensive captains — graduate student linebacker Xander Mueller and Azema — will have exhausted their extended eligibility. The offensive engines of Henning and Kirtz will also depart the collegiate ranks.

For Braun, a significant investment in transfer portal talent is imminent. Otherwise, a new head coach may span the sidelines of the New Ryan Field in 2026.

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