Josh McCray runs for three TDs to lead Illinois to a 38-16 win over slumping Michigan State

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Josh McCray ran for three touchdowns and Luke Altmyer threw two TD passes, leading Illinois to a 38-16 victory Saturday over Michigan State.

McCray had nine carries for 61 yards, Altmyer completed 19 of 32 passes for 231 yards and Pat Bryant caught four passes for a career-high 135 yards and a TD in his final home game as the Illini (7-3, 4-3 Big Ten) ended a two-game losing streak.

Illinois coach Bret Bielema said Bryant is ready for the NFL.

“I always tell NFL scouts wherever you have Pat Bryant rated, I’d go one round higher,” he said.

Aidan Chiles was 23-of-40 passing for 256 yards and two TDs and Aziah Johnson and Nate Carter caught TD passes for the Spartans (4-6, 2-5), who have lost three in a row and six of seven.

Michigan State didn’t have a sack for the sixth straight game. Illinois sacked Chiles five times.

Rushing the passer isn’t the only issue with the Spartans’ defense.

Michigan State will need to go with a young secondary for the rest of the season.

Starting safety Malik Spencer and cornerback Charles Brantley were injured in a Nov. 2 loss to Indiana and their prognosis isn’t good.

“They’re likely done for the year. They’re not close to returning,” said Spartans coach Jonathan Smith.

The Illini finished 6-1 at home. It’s the first time they’ve won six home games in a season since 2001, when they captured the Big Ten title and played in the 2002 Sugar Bowl.

Bielema is glad the 23-year drought is over.

“This is what we’ve tried to do since we came here five years ago,” he said. “Change the expectations of what people think of this place and what it is.”

After falling behind 21-9 at halftime, Michigan State closed within 21-16 on a 5-yard TD pass from Chiles to Carter.

Illinois’ David Alano responded with a 37-yard field goal in the third quarter, and McCray scored on a pair of 1-yard runs in the fourth quarter.

Altmyer threw a 57-yard TD pass to Bryant and a 4-yard TD pass to Zakhari Franklin, and McCray ran 11 yards for a TD for the Illini in the first half.

It was Bryant’s eighth TD reception of the season, and his career-long catch. It also was Altmyer’s career-long pass completion.

Michigan State scored on a 52-yard TD pass from Chiles to Johnson in the first quarter and a 38-yard field goal by Jonathan Kim with 1:02 left in the half.

Kim missed the PAT after the Chiles-to-Johnson TD pass. It was the first time he’d missed a PAT in his college career. He was 3 of 3 at North Carolina and is 34 of 35 at Michigan State.

The takeaway

Illinois: The Illini will hit the road to play at Rutgers and Northwestern in their final two regular-season games. Illinois is 1-2 away from Champaign, with all three games against ranked teams. Two road wins would give the Illini a final 9-3 record and an opportunity to play in a major bowl game.

Michigan State: The Spartans have no margin for error if they want to play in a bowl game in Smith’s first season as coach. They need to win their final two regular-season games, home games vs. Purdue and Rutgers, to be bowl-eligible.

False start

A 45-yard fumble scoop-and-score TD by Illinois’ Matthew Bailey on Michigan State’s first play from scrimmage was reversed when a video replay showed Chiles was down before he lost the ball.

40 years ago

Illinois’ 22-point margin of victory was the largest over the Spartans since the Illini beat Michigan State 40-17 in 1984.

Bye bye

Illinois is now 5-0 in games after a bye week the last three seasons and 6-1 since Bielema became coach in 2021.

Up next

Illinois: At Rutgers next Saturday.

Michigan State: Hosts Purdue on Friday.

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