The HAT is heading back to Evanston.
In a Big Ten West barnburner, Northwestern (7-5, 5-4 B1G) held on to prevent Illinois (5-7, 3-6 B1G) from becoming bowl-eligible in a 45-43 victory. It was the first time the Wildcats defeated the Fighting Illini since 2020.
For the Wildcats, Ben Bryant finished the day 24-for-32 for 234 yards and two touchdowns, but threw two interceptions. Cam Johnson led the Wildcats with seven catches for 124 yards. For the Illini, John Paddock was 24-for-34 for 334 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Casey Washington accounted for 218 of Paddock’s passing yards.