Michael Clayton II’s 23-yard touchdown pass to Collin Dixon with 2:29 to play sealed Illinois’s 21-10 win over Oregon on Saturday in Champaign, Ill.
Illinois (4-3 overall, 2-2 in Big Ten) outscored Oregon 14-0 in the second half, with running back Aidan Laughery rushing for 123 yards including a 75-yard touchdown run in the first half to cut Oregon’s lead to 10-7.
The Illini rushed for 225 yards as a team. But Dixon’s catch was highlight reel material, with Oregon defensive back Brandon Finney Jr. in tight coverage tipping the ball and Dixon hauling in the pass despite the deflection.
Oregon (4-3, 2-2) lost for the second time in the past three games. The Ducks missed three long field goal attempts and their conference winning streak on the road ended at 12 games.
Oregon had also won 46 straight games when scoring first, until Saturday, according to the Big Ten Network broadcast. The Ducks were without No. 1 quarterback Dante Moore, who missed his third straight game after suffering a concussion against USC last month.
The Ducks had three sacks as a team, with 2 1/2 for Teitum Tuioti. But their offense couldn’t come up with enough scoring drives.
Quarterback Dylan Raiola completed 27 of 41 passes for 246 yards. Running back Jordon Davison ran for 92 yards on 14 carries, including a two-yard touchdown to cap off the opening drive of the game.
Clayton threw a nine-yard touchdown pass to Christian Abney with 9:22 left in the third quarter, giving Illinois the lead for good. Clayton, was making his first collegiate career start, in place of the injured Katin Houser.
Oregon outgained Illinois 426 total yards to 314 for Illinois, but Illinois’s defense had seven tackles for loss as the Ducks’ offense struggled to find consistency for the third consecutive game.
Juice Clarke had 10 total tackles and two passes defended for Illinois.