Five Illinois vs. Indiana Football Games That Totally Delivered

Before the No. 9 Illini and No. 19 Hoosiers do battle Saturday, let's look back at some of the best meetings in the series

Nov 11, 2023; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver Isaiah Williams (1) outruns Indiana Hoosiers defensive back Jamari Sharpe (22) to score a touchdown in overtime to defeat the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

No. 9 Illinois at No. 19 Indiana (Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CT, NBC/Peacock) is one of the most anticipated games between the Illini and the Hoosiers in memory.

Yeah, yeah, we realize there haven't been a whole lot of doozies to choose from. This is rare territory both soaring programs are in.

But there have been some memorable clashes of recent (or relatively recent) vintage. Let's remember five of the best ones:

5. Indiana 34, Illinois 31 (OT): Oct. 2, 1999, Bloomington

One year after the Illini beat the Hoosiers in the first overtime game in Big Ten history, the teams played extra football again – this time the first OT game at Bloomington's Memorial Stadium, in what turned out to be the Hoosiers' 100th win there.

The Illini led 28-7 with under five minutes left in the third quarter. But the Hoosiers stormed back and – after Illinois kicker Neil Rackers' OT field goal – walked it off on Antwan Randle El's 25-yard touchdown pass to Levron Williams.

The Illini would bounce back from an 0-3 Big Ten start with a 5-1 finish that included a win at Ohio State and a 63-21 blowout of Virginia in the MicronPC Bowl.

4. Illinois 42, Indiana 35: Nov. 4, 2000, Champaign

What a quarterback battle this was between a couple of guys whose skill sets were very different. Illinois' Kurt Kittner threw for 277 yards and three touchdowns and scored on a 1-yard QB sneak with 25 seconds left to cap the winning, 78-yard drive. Randle El piled up 209 yards and four touchdowns running the ball alone.

The Hoosiers' Williams also rushed for 161 yards, and the Illini's Christian Morton had an 80-yard punt return for a touchdown. Epic individual performances all around.

He led Illinois to a 2001 Big Ten title and the 2002 Sugar Bowl, throwing for 3,256 yards and 27 touchdowns, heading into the #Illini Hall of Fame with 8,722 passing yards.

From Schaumburg, number 15, Kurt Kittner pic.twitter.com/QEELkdBM6E

— Tristan Thomas (@TristanThomasTV) June 24, 2025

3. Indiana 34, Illinois 32: Oct. 7, 2006, Champaign

After a Juice Williams touchdown pass to Kyle Hudson, a Pierre Thomas rushing TD, a second Williams-to-Hudson hookup and a Jason Reds field goal, Illinois held a commanding 25-7 second-quarter lead. What could go wrong?

Uh-oh. By the time Indiana's Marcus Thigpen took the second-half kickoff 98 yards to paydirt, the Hoosiers had come all the way back and gone in front. Most of the rest of the half saw both offenses bog down, but Indiana drove in the end for Austin Starr's 33-yard walk-off field goal.

The Illini lost this one and then six more to end the season at 2-10, but guess what? The next year, they went to the Rose Bowl.

2. Indiana 23, Illinois 20: Sept. 2, 2022, Bloomington

It still makes no sense that Illini receiver Brian Hightower's touchdown catch – and it was a touchdown catch – remained in the books as an incompletion even after a video review. An awful break for the Illini, who nevertheless went on to a strong 8-5 season.

But this game was exciting in many ways. Chase Brown rushed for 199 yards for the visitors. The Hoosiers staged a huge goal-line stand in the fourth quarter. And then the home team took off on a 75-yard touchdown drive to win it, with Shaun Shivers scoring on a 1-yard run with 23 seconds left.

THEY DO IT AGAIN!@John_Paddock5 and @i_williams11 connect to win the game in overtime!

1OT | #Illini 48, Indiana 45 pic.twitter.com/EvESvKk3Bp

— Illinois Football (@IlliniFootball) November 11, 2023

1. Illinois 48, Indiana 45 (OT): Nov. 11, 2023, Champaign

John Paddock, playing for Luke Altmyer (concussion), threw for 507 yards and five touchdowns. Paddock was so good in that game, there were all sorts of questions afterward about whether or not Illini coach Bret Bielema and offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. had a new starter to anoint. Seems kind of funny in hindsight.

A dizzying game ended with Paddock's 21-yard touchdown to Isaiah Williams in overtime. From there, the Illini lost 15-13 at Iowa and 45-43 at home against Northwestern – so close, so far – and fell a win short of a bowl invitation.