Three Instant Observations From Illinois' 34-32 Win Over USC

After all the track stars and 300-pounders had put in their work Saturday in Champaign, it was left up to a 5-foot-11, 180-pound soccer convert to decide No. 23 Illinois' homecoming game against No. 21 USC. And decide it David Olano did, splitting the uprights with a 41-yard field goal that gave the Illini a 34-32 win in a nail-biter as time expired.

It was also another game-winning drive for quarterback Luke Altmyer and redemption of sorts for both Illinois' offense and defense (even if Illini Nation had to sweat out the result). Back on track again? We'll find out in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, here are Illinois on SI's initial reactions:

Illini football takes the field at Memorial Stadium — Sep 27, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; The Illinois Fighting Illini take the field before an NCAA football game with the Southern California Trojans at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

1. We overreacted to one bad Illini loss

Fans, experts and, yeah – guilty as charged – Illinois on SI got too down on Illinois after last week's 63-10 pummeling at Indiana. Then again, could you blame us? The Illini folded up like origami against the Hoosiers, showing zero competitiveness almost from the start.

Different story Saturday. Against USC, Illinois drew up a smart game plan, caught a couple breaks that were nowhere to be found last week and put together a strong first half for the first time all season. Kaden Feagin's fumble at the goal line – a call the refs botched – spoiled what should have been a wide halftime scoring margin for the Illini. But Illinois kept plugging away

2. Let Hank Beatty eat

Good things happen when Hank Beatty gets his hands on the ball. He had touchdowns in each of the season's first three games, and after Illini offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. dialed up a little razzle-dazzle against the Trojans, Beatty has now scored on a punt return, a direct-snap run, a plain old catch and a pass to quarterback Altmyer on a Philly Special.

The Philly Special‼️

QB Luke Altmyer catches the TD on this sweet @IlliniFootball trick play 👀

📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/AGTwRknpNq
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 27, 2025

Lunney pushed all the right buttons against USC, aiding the offensive line and buying Altmyer time with a mixture of pre-snap looks, play fakes and misdirection. The Illini don't have a bunch of explosive playmakers, so they'll need to continue disguising their intentions, protecting the ball and grinding out drives the rest of the way. The one exception: Beatty, who should be moved around, used in multiple roles and otherwise turned loose in creative ways every week.

3. The vibe is still on the Illini's side

As an alumni, I couldn’t be more proud of these students 🧡💙#famILLy pic.twitter.com/DaAnPZHx3I
— Sidelines - Illinois 🧡💙 (@SSN_ILLINI) September 27, 2025

A bounce-back performance and a win over a traditional college football powerhouse restored some of Illinois' swagger but also had important p.r. implications for a packed-house homecoming game that saw Fox's "Big Noon Kickoff" show and a slew of recruits visiting Champaign.

Program-building takes time and long-term consistency, but there are inflection points along the way. For Illinois, Saturday was one of them. All of the gains in terms of fan buy-in, national recognition and recruiting currency that Bret Bielema and his program have made over the past year-plus might have been stalled with back-to-back dud performances. Instead, after being bowled over in Bloomington, the Illini picked themselves up, dusted off and got back to work while the college football world was watching.