Illinois’ Aidan Laughery scores a long TD against Northwestern

CHICAGO – Fresh out of halftime, Illinois grabbed a narrow 14-10 lead over Northwestern on Saturday at No. 22 Wrigley Field and faced a second-and-5 on its own 36-yard line.

Due to quarterback Luke Altmyer’s struggles (two interceptions) in the first half, the Illini had relied on the running game for a stable offense.

And why shouldn’t they? In the first two quarters, Illinois managed 87 yards on the ground, averaging 7.3 yards per tote, and found paydirt twice.

So running back Aidan Laughery, who had already racked up 67 rushing yards and a score on just six carries, got another call from offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr.

Laughery, lined up to Altmyer’s right in the shotgun formation, took the handoff in a seemingly simple dive, then split the heart of the Northwestern defense and got going just as he reached the second level. After a crucial block from receiver Collin Dixon, Laughery suddenly found himself in an easy race – one that Laughery rarely loses. This was no exception:

With a 64-yard score, Laughery marched untouched into the end zone, setting a new career rush to extend Illinois’ lead to 21-10.

The run also gave Laughery the first 100-yard rushing game of his college career and brought his stats to an impressive seven carries for 131 yards and two scores just two minutes into the first half.

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