Illinois mounted a furious fourth-quarter comeback to defeat Rutgers 38-31 in Week 13, with quarterback Luke Altmyer leading the Illini's offensive explosion down the stretch. After trailing through three quarters, Illinois outscored Rutgers 23-14 in the final period to secure the victory and cover the spread as a 2-point underdog.

Altmyer finished as the game's passing leader with 249 yards, connecting with Pat Bryant for a 40-yard touchdown and a 64-yard completion that set up a crucial score. The fourth quarter proved decisive, with Illinois mounting two separate scoring drives that proved too much for the Scarlet Knights to overcome.

Rutgers' Athan Kaliakmanis led all rushers with 84 yards, while his teammate Ian Strong caught five passes for 66 yards. Rutgers started strong, scoring 17 points through the first half, but Illinois' second-half adjustments ultimately prevailed. The game lived up to its high-octane billing with 16 lead changes and a win probability that swung as much as 44.78 percent at various points. The total of 69 points exceeded the 48-point over-under line.