PISCATAWAY, N.J. — In a thrilling finish, Luke Altmyer connected with Pat Bryant for a dramatic 40-yard touchdown with just 4 seconds remaining, propelling No. 24 Illinois to an exhilarating 38-31 victory over Rutgers on Saturday.

Illinois (8-3, 5-3 Big Ten) was trailing 31-30 when they opted to send kicker Ethan Moczulski for a long 58-yard field goal attempt with just 14 seconds left on the clock. However, Rutgers’ head coach Greg Schiano called a timeout just before Moczulski’s kick, which ended up drifting wide left and falling about 15 yards short of the target.

After the timeout negated the missed field goal, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema decided to keep the offense on the field. Altmyer then executed a perfect pass to Bryant, who made the catch at the 22-yard line and scampered across the field to score uncontested. This remarkable finish capped off a game that saw three lead changes unfold in the final 3 minutes and 7 seconds of play.

Meanwhile, Rutgers (6-5, 3-5) encountered a bizarre turn of events during the final kickoff return, where they inadvertently committed a safety by throwing the ball out of bounds in their own end zone, all while players scrambled in search of a miraculous scoring opportunity.

In the end, Illinois celebrated a gritty win that showcased their resilience and offensive prowess in a nail-biting clash against Rutgers.