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Highlights: Illinois Fighting Illini 31, Michigan State Spartans 27

Here are the best plays from Saturday afternoon’s game.

By Jim Vainisi

Individual Notes

  • Redshirt-freshman QB Jeff George, Jr. started for the third straight game.
  • George, Jr. threw a career-high two touchdowns.
  • Junior RB Kendrick Foster ran for a career-long 64-yard touchdown.
  • The run was the second-longest of the season for the Illini behind Vaughn's 65-yard run against North Carolina.
  • Foster ran for a career-high 146 rushing yards good for the first 100-yard rusher against Michigan State since Juice Williams had 103 rushing yards on Sept. 30, 2006.
  • Foster is the first Illini since Chayce Crouch on Oct. 8, 2016 to have over 125 rushing yards.
  • Foster tied his career-high was two rushing touchdowns.
  • Sophomore DB Tre Watson had a career-high 16 tackles. Watson's previous career-high was 13 tackles against Purdue on Oct. 8.
  • The 16 total tackles is tied for the most by an Illini this season.
  • Watson had his first-career PBU.
  • Freshman LB Dele Harding had a career-high seven tackles.
  • Senior WR Zach Grant caught a career-long 22-yard pass from Jeff George, Jr.
  • Sophomore WR Sam Mays had is second career receiving touchdown.
  • Junior DB Jaylen Dunlap grabbed his first career fumble recovery.
  • Dunlap had a career-high four PBUs. The four PBUs in a game is the most by an Illini since Alan Ball on Oct. 14, 2002 against Indiana.
  • The four PBUs ranks tied for fifth in the Illini record book.
  • Freshman DB Stanley Green had a career-high two forced fumbles.
  • Green is the first Illini with two forced fumbles in a Big Ten game since Whitney Mercilus at Indiana, 10/8/2011
  • Illinois started five freshmen on defense: DT Kenyon Jackson, DT Jamal Milan, CB Frank Sumpter, FS Stanley Green, SS Patrick Nelson.
  • The Illini freshmen combined for 34 tackles.
  • With 2.5 TFLs, senior DL Dawuane Smoot moved into No. 8 in the Illini record book with 35.0 career TFLs.
  • Redshirt-freshman DB Cameron Watkins had a career-high five tackles.
  • Redshirt-freshman DB Frank Sumpter had a career-high six tackles.
  • Consecutive starts extended dating back to 2015: Christian DiLauro 28, Dawuane Smoot 21