Beatty Powers Illini with Explosive Wildcat Touchdown in 31-19 Victory Over Duke

Lead Illinois junior wide receiver Hank Beatty electrified the Fighting Illini by hauling in eight passes for 128 yards and bulled through on a 25-yard wildcat run for a touchdown in a 31-19 win at Wallace Wade Stadium Saturday.

Nut Graf Beatty’s dual-threat performance underscored Illinois’ balanced attack and vaulted the Illini to a Week 2 triumph over Duke. His big-play ability provided crucial momentum swings, reinforcing Illinois’ promise after a season-opening rout of Western Illinois.

Game Flow

• Illinois struck first in the opening quarter on Kaden Feagin’s 1-yard run, building a 7-3 lead.
• The Illini extended their advantage to 14-6 early in the second quarter, capped by a Luke Altmyer 8-yard touchdown pass to Collin Dixon.
• Duke narrowed the gap to 14-13 with a Darian Mensah touchdown toss just before halftime.

Beatty Breakout In the third quarter, Illinois seized control:

• Luke Altmyer connected with Justin Bowick on a 4-yard scoring strike to make it 21-13.
• On the very next series, Beatty took a direct snap in the wildcat, burst up the left flank, and sprinted 25 yards to the end zone, pushing Illinois ahead 28-13.

Defensive Stand After Duke answered with another Mensah touchdown late in the third, Illinois’ defense stiffened. A 35-yard field goal by David Olano early in the fourth quarter extended the cushion to 31-19, and the Illini held on for the upset.

Key Performances

• Hank Beatty: 8 receptions, 128 yards; 1 rush, 25-yard TD
• Luke Altmyer: 21/30 passing, 294 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
• Darian Mensah (Duke): 23/34 passing, 334 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT

Outlook Illinois improves to 2-0 and travels to Indiana next weekend, while Duke falls to 1-1 and prepares for its Big Ten debut on the road.