CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — There will be no postseason for Illinois in 2023.
Needing a win to secure bowl eligibility, Illinois (5-7, 3-6 Big Ten) came up short against Northwestern (7-5, 5-4 Big Ten) in its regular season finale, 45-43.
Despite a furious rally in the fourth quarter, a flurry of turnovers — two costly special teams fumbles and a tipped interception — were too much to overcome and gave the Wildcats the boost they needed to spoil the Illini’s Senior Day — and postseason hopes — on Saturday.
The win for the Wildcats sends the Land of Lincoln trophy back to Evanston and snaps a two-game Illini winning streak in the in-state rivalry series.