Rutgers was one play away from one of its biggest wins in a long time. The Scarlet Knights led No. 24 Illinois 31-29 with 14 seconds to play in Piscataway on Saturday. The Illini faced a fourth-and-13 from the Rutgers 40-yard line,

The Illini (8-3, 5-3) flew over 800 miles to take on the Scarlet Knights (6-5, 3-5) for one of their final games of the season. In their first road matchup in nearly a month, the Illini endured a whirlwind of trials and tribulations but ultimately stayed resilient.

One decision that backfired. In the end, Rutgers was left with a heartbreaking loss. This defeat certainly won’t ruin the season – the Scarlet Knights are still bowl bound, and they still have a chance to beat a very mediocre Michigan State team in the regular-season finale to earn a program-defining seventh win.