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3 Game Balls for Illinois' 20-17 Road Win Over Maryland
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- 3 Game Balls for Illinois' 20-17 Road Win Over Maryland
Coach Bret Bielema's Illinois Fighting Illini won its second road game of the season and second in a row on Saturday, 20-17 over the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium in College Park, Md. on a day when star QB Katin Houser pulled a Willis Reed and returned before most people expected.
Houser, a little over two weeks out from surgery to repair his broken right hand, had a rough start but recovered to produce a stat line similar to what fans might have expected earlier in the season.
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Illinois outgained Maryland by a tally of 407-288 yards in one of its grittiest performances of the season, with Houser and others leading the way.
Oct 31, 2026; College Park, Maryland, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini running back Javari Barnett (24) scores a touchdown during the second half against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium. Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
Here are three Illinois players who deserve game balls after Illinois' big win.
1. Javari Barnett, RB
Barnett, a freshman from Tampa, Fla., is a 6-foot-1, 235-pound running back who had his best game of the season against the Terrapins, although most of his production came on one play.
Barnett's 64-yard rushing touchdown early in the fourth quarter gave Illinois a 16-14 lead, with Ethan Moczulski adding an extra point to make it 17-14.
The Illini freshman took a page from fellow running back Aidan Laughery 's book against Oregon in Week 8 with his huge run. This game ball really belongs to the entire running back room for the second straight week, but Barnett's huge play was the standout as he finished with 80 yards on six carries, including the touchdown.
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2. Ethan Moczulski, PK
Moczulski has quietly been one of the best kickers in the Big Ten this season, and he made his day in College Park count with two huge field goals in a close game.
One came from 45 yards out with Illinois down, 14-7, in the third quarter, while his second won the game from 26 yards out. Moczulski missed one other field goal on the day but his game-winner more than made up for it against the Terps.
3. Katin Houser, QB
Houser shocked fans with his return, and played surprisingly well in the process, as he helped lead Illinois to its fifth victory in eight tries.
While his backup and spot starter Michael Clayton II was 2-0 in an Illini uniform, counting a quarter of action against Michigan State, Maryland looked like a tough matchup for him against the Terps' productive sophomore QB Malik Washington.
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Houser threw for 223 yards on 18-of-32 completions with one touchdown pass to Brayden Trimble and one interception.
It wasn't his best performance of the year, but it was an exceptional and admirable one considering the circumstances and daunting challenges he faced returning ahead of schedule to the football field.
