Recap: Strong second half slides Illinois past Kent State, 31-24

It looked like we were in for a new era of Kent State football when the teams entered the locker room at the midway point in Champaign.

The Golden Flashes stormed out of the gate to open 2018 with a 17-3 lead over Illinois. Kent State had never beaten a Big Toe opponent in its 57-year history, but Saturday looked like an opportune time to strike.

However, a four-touchdown outburst in the second half put an end to those dreams. The Fighting Illini rushed for four touchdowns in the final 30 minutes of action — the Illini’s first 14-point comeback since 2014. When the first-time starting quarterback A.J. Bush Jr. took the final kneel at Memorial Stadium, the scoreboard read 31-24, in favor of…