>>Rutgers Beats Illinois

 

Gus Edwards rushed for 91 yards and two touchdowns as Rutgers ended a 16-game losing streak in the Big Ten with a 35-24 win over Illinois on Saturday.

 

The Scarlet Knights (2-4, 1-2) led wire to wire for their first conference victory since 2015 at Indiana.

 

Rutgers rushed for a season-high 274 yards. Edwards, Raheem Blackshear and Josh Hicks all scored touchdowns. Blackshear provided the most exciting run - a 19-yard gain up the middle on the Scarlet Knights' second possession that he finished by running over defensive back Jalen Dunlap at the goal line.

 

Jeff George Jr. was 20-of-38 passing for a career-high 308 yards and a pair of touchdowns for Illinois (2-4, 0-3). George also threw two interceptions and has now thrown 12 in seven-career games for the Illini, who have now lost six consecutive Big Ten games.

 

Giovanni Rescigno completed 5 of 10 passes for 89 yards for Rutgers.

 

Ricky Smalling scored the first touchdown of his career in the fourth and finished with a career-high five catches for 111 yards.

 

Illinois will face Minnesota next week on the road.

 

>>Eastern Illinois Holds Off Murray State

 

Isaiah Johnson rushed for 236 yards, Matt Severino kicked two field goals in overtime and Terrell Greer ended the game with a blocked field goal as Eastern Illinois defeated Murray State 27-24 in double overtime on Saturday.

 

Eastern Illinois (5-2, 3-1 Ohio Valley Conference) survived four turnovers, including three interceptions thrown by Bud Martin (18-30 for 192 yards) and rallied to a fourth straight win - each decided by a field goal or less.

 

Murray State (2-5, 1-3) scored two touchdowns in the final 10 minutes tying the game at 21, then survived a Severino field goal attempt in the final minute.

 

The Racers opened the extra period with a Gabriel Vicente field goal, but Severino booted a pair for Eastern Illinois. Greer, a 5-foot-10 freshman lineman, stepped through the line and blocked Vicente to end the game.

 

Shuler Bentley passed for 332 yards and picked a bad snap off the grass to hit D.J. Penick as the Racers tied it at 21. Jordon Gandy had 10 catches for 193 yards and a score.

 

>>Western Illinois Gets By Missouri State

 

Sean McGuire threw three touchdown passes and Western Illinois came back from an eight-point halftime deficit to beat Missouri State 49-30 on Saturday in a game that was weather-delayed for nearly two hours late in the fourth quarter.

 

McGuire had 249 yards passing. Steve McShane ran for 143 yards and a score, and Max Norris had 75 yards rushing and two touchdowns.

 

After trailing 21-13 at halftime, McGuire brought Western Illinois back beginning with a 43-yard scoring pass to Isaiah LeSure to tie it 21-all. Jaelon Acklin took it 61 yards for another touchdown following a Missouri State field goal to put the Leathernecks (5-1, 2-1 Missouri Valley Conference) on top 28-24 with 5:02 left in the third quarter.

 

In the fourth, McGuire threw a 26-yard scoring strike to Acklin and following the weather delay, McShane bolted 39 yards for another touchdown and a 42-30 lead with 4:06 left.

 

Peyton Huslig threw for 194 yards for the Bears (1-5, 0-3).

 

>>Southern Illinois Routs Illinois State

 

Sam Straub threw for four touchdowns and Southern Illinois surprised FCS nationally-ranked Illinois State 42-7 on Saturday in the 80th meeting between the programs.

The Salukis (3-3, 1-2 Missouri Valley) broke a three-game losing streak in the series to extend their winning streak over ranked opponents to 16 straight seasons.

 

Straub went 22 of 34 for 368 yards and tied a career-high for touchdown passes in a game. On the third play of the second half, Straub evaded the rush and his long throw over the defense to Raphael Leonard ended in a 73-yard touchdown to make it 28-0.

 

Connor Iwema made six catches for 118 yards for the Salukis. D.J. Davis rushed for 60 yards and hauled in two touchdown passes among his seven catches for 78 yards. Sam Bonansinga's sole catch was for an 11-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

 

Jake Kolbe threw for 232 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions for the Redbirds (4-2, 2-1), who turned it over five times.