Thorson helps No. 20 Northwestern beats Illinois 24-16
Clayton Thorson accounted for three touchdowns, Isaiah Browser rushed for 166 yards on 18 carries and No. 20 Northwestern beat Illinois 24-16 on Saturday for its seventh straight Big Ten win.
NCAA - Football
FINAL
Illinois Fighting Illini
16
Northwestern Wildcats
24
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ILL | 3 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 16 |
| NW | 7 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 24 |
Ryan Field (1926) · 37,124 att.
Match Report
Last five matches
| Date | Opp | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11/6/26 | vs Nebraska Cornhuskers | W 24-13 | NCAAF |
| 10/31/26 | @ Maryland Terrapins | W 20-17 | NCAAF |
| 10/24/26 | vs Oregon Ducks | W 21-10 | NCAAF |
| 10/10/26 | @ Michigan State Spartans | W 38-37 | NCAAF |
| 10/3/26 | vs Purdue Boilermakers | L 17-24 | NCAAF |
| Full Schedule | |||
Play by Play
-
Touchdown 7:57 16-24
Ricky Smalling 10 Yd pass from AJ Bush Jr. (Chase McLaughlin Kick)
-
Field Goal 13:22 9-24
Chase McLaughlin 26 Yd Field Goal
-
Field Goal 10:03 6-24
Jake Collins 25 Yd Field Goal
-
Touchdown 0:17 6-21
Riley Lees 5 Yd pass from Clayton Thorson (Jake Collins Kick)
-
Touchdown 3:43 6-14
Clayton Thorson 1 Yd Run (Jake Collins Kick)
-
Field Goal 8:31 6-7
Chase McLaughlin 29 Yd Field Goal
-
Field Goal 0:32 3-7
Chase McLaughlin 21 Yd Field Goal
-
Touchdown 5:53 0-7
Bennett Skowronek 8 Yd pass from Clayton Thorson (Jake Collins Kick)
-
NW
7 plays, 47 yards, 3:34 · End of Game
-
ILL 3:34
6 plays, 58 yards, 2:30 · Interception
-
NW 6:04
3 plays, 4 yards, 1:53 · Punt
-
ILL 7:57
8 plays, 81 yards, 2:43 · Touchdown
-
Touchdown 7:57 16-24
Ricky Smalling 10 Yd pass from AJ Bush Jr. (Chase McLaughlin Kick)
-
NW 10:40
3 plays, 7 yards, 2:34 · Punt
-
ILL 13:22
15 plays, 80 yards, 6:39 · Field Goal
-
Field Goal 13:22 9-24
Chase McLaughlin 26 Yd Field Goal
-
NW 5:01
8 plays, 25 yards, 4:02 · Punt
-
ILL 9:03
3 plays, 2 yards, 0:55 · Punt
-
NW 10:03
12 plays, 68 yards, 4:57 · Field Goal
-
Field Goal 10:03 6-24
Jake Collins 25 Yd Field Goal
-
ILL
1 play, -1 yard, 0:13 · End of Half
-
NW 0:17
9 plays, 80 yards, 1:30 · Touchdown
-
Touchdown 0:17 6-21
Riley Lees 5 Yd pass from Clayton Thorson (Jake Collins Kick)
-
ILL 1:47
5 plays, 21 yards, 1:46 · Punt
-
NW 3:43
11 plays, 75 yards, 4:48 · Touchdown
-
Touchdown 3:43 6-14
Clayton Thorson 1 Yd Run (Jake Collins Kick)
-
ILL 8:31
13 plays, 49 yards, 4:58 · Field Goal
-
Field Goal 8:31 6-7
Chase McLaughlin 29 Yd Field Goal
-
NW 13:29
3 plays, -12 yards, 2:03 · Punt
-
ILL 0:32
15 plays, 85 yards, 5:15 · Field Goal
-
Field Goal 0:32 3-7
Chase McLaughlin 21 Yd Field Goal
-
NW 5:53
9 plays, 92 yards, 3:25 · Touchdown
-
Touchdown 5:53 0-7
Bennett Skowronek 8 Yd pass from Clayton Thorson (Jake Collins Kick)
-
ILL 9:18
8 plays, 34 yards, 5:42 · Punt
Showing the last 26 of 26 events.
Team Stats
ILL
NW
24
1st Downs
19
7-15
3rd down efficiency
8-13
2-2
4th down efficiency
0-0
435
Total Yards
371
281
Passing
110
23/39
Comp/Att
12/18
7.2
Yards per pass
6.1
154
Rushing
261
32
Rushing Attempts
46
4.8
Yards per rush
5.7
7-66
Penalties
1-15
1
Turnovers
0
0
Fumbles lost
0
1
Interceptions thrown
0
31:06
Possession
28:54
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