No. 24 Illinois Stuns Rutgers on Bryant’s 40-yard TD Reception With 4 Seconds Left

Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis (16) gestures after running for a touchdown against the Illinois during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Piscataway, N.J. AP Photo/Rich Schultz

PISCATAWAY, N.J.—Trailing by one at the 40-yard line with 14 seconds to play and no timeouts, Illinois coach Bret Bielema sent in a play known as “church” to Luke Altmyer.

The quarterback was to hit a receiver who was to go to the ground immediately. The offense would rush to the line of scrimmage and Altmyer would spike the ball to set up a potential winning field goal.