CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Josh McCray ran for three touchdowns and Luke Altmyer threw two TD passes, leading Illinois to a 38-16 victory Saturday over Michigan State. McCray had nine carries for 61 yards, Altmyer completed 19 of 32 passes for 231 yards and Pat Bryant caught four passes for a career-high 135 yards and a TD in his final home game as the Illini (7-3, 4-3 Big Ten) ended a two-game losing streak.
Aidan Chiles was 23-of-40 passing for 256 yards and two TDs and Aziah Johnson and Nate Carter caught TD passes for the Spartans (4-6, 2-5), who have lost six of seven. Michigan State didn’t have a sack for the fifth straight game. Illinois sacked Chiles five times.
The Illini finished 6-1 at home. It’s the first time they’ve won six home games in a season since 2001, when they captured the Big Ten title and played in the 2002 Sugar Bowl. After falling behind 21-9 at halftime, the Spartans closed within 21-16 on a 5-yard TD pass from Chiles to Carter.
Illinois’ David Alano responded with a 37-yard field goal in the third quarter, and McCray scored on a pair of 1-yard dives in the fourth quarter. Altmyer threw a 57-yard TD pass to Bryant and a 4-yard TD pass to Zakhari Franklin, and McCray ran 11 yards for a TD for the Illini in the first half. It was Bryant’s eighth TD reception of the season, and his career-long catch.
It also was Altmyer’s career-long pass completion. Michigan State scored on a 52-yard TD pass from Chiles to Johnson in the first quarter and a .
