The result, the player statistics, and the AP poll response.
Saturday, September 12 at 2:30 PM CDT · Memorial Stadium (Champaign, IL)
Duke's 4-point win on September 12 was followed by the September 13 AP poll.
How voters ranked these teams before the game, and what changed in the next poll.
September 8 AP Poll · 69 Complete Ballots
No voter ranked both teams, so there is no head-to-head ordering to compare. Rankings are not game predictions.
Explore the Pregame Poll →September 13 AP Poll
Voter counts can change between polls. This describes what changed, not why each voter changed their ballot.
Explore the Following Poll →Choose a team and category to explore every available player.
2026 Season
Results from completed games before kickoff. Points are per game and include all opponents.
Final team statistics.
| Statistic | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 376 | 382 |
| Passing Yards | 206 | 271 |
| Rushing Yards | 170 | 111 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 1 |
| Third Downs | 2-9 | 5-12 |
| Possession | 26:46 | 33:14 |
| Statistic | Duke | Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| Rushing Touchdowns | 1 | 0 |
| Passing Touchdowns | 3 | 3 |
| Kick Return Yards | 18 | 13 |
| Kick Return Touchdowns | 0 | 0 |
| Kick Returns | 1 | 1 |
| Kicking Points | 7 | 9 |
| Interception Return Yards | 19 | — |
| Interception Return Touchdowns | 0 | — |
| Passes Intercepted | 1 | — |
| Fumbles Recovered | 0 | — |
| Total Fumbles | 1 | — |
| Tackles for Loss | 1 | 3 |
| Defensive Touchdowns | 0 | 0 |
| Tackles | 41 | 25 |
| Sacks | 0 | 1 |
| Quarterback Hurries | 0 | 0 |
| Passes Deflected | 2 | 2 |
| Possession | 26:46 | 33:14 |
| Interceptions Thrown | 0 | 1 |
| Fumbles Lost | 0 | 0 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 1 |
| Penalties / Yards | 11-112 | 7-71 |
| Yards per Carry | 4.9 | 3.5 |
| Rushing Attempts | 35 | 32 |
| Rushing Yards | 170 | 111 |
| Yards per Pass Attempt | 9.4 | 7.5 |
| Completions / Attempts | 15-22 | 24-36 |
| Passing Yards | 206 | 271 |
| Total Yards | 376 | 382 |
| Fourth Downs | 2-2 | 1-3 |
| Third Downs | 2-9 | 5-12 |
| First Downs | 19 | 23 |
| Punt Return Yards | — | 14 |
| Punt Return Touchdowns | — | 0 |
| Punt Returns | — | 1 |
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke | 7 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 31 |
| Illinois | 10 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 27 |
Compare this game with a measured season average and the typical range.
2026 FBS vs. FBS games started before September 12 at 3:30 PM EDT. 63 of 63 eligible games have both offenses available. Each team-game counts equally; both offenses need at least 20 included plays.
These comparisons include garbage-time plays and are not opponent-adjusted. A typical range describes the middle half of this sample, not a universal good/bad cutoff.
· Higher means more expected scoring value gained.
Middle 50% Average
126 offensive team-game performances. Higher means more offensive value per play in this comparison.
· How often plays gained enough for their situation.
Middle 50% Average
126 offensive team-game performances. Higher means more offensive consistency in this comparison.
· How much value the successful plays created.
Middle 50% Average
126 offensive team-game performances. Higher means more offensive value on successful plays in this comparison.
Statistics are checked again after the final for late updates and corrections.
