Joel Klatt predicts final score in Illinois vs. Duke game

Illinois (1-0) opened with a 52-3 rout of Western Illinois, piling up 440 yards at 7.5 yards per play. Senior quarterback Luke Altmyer went 17 of 21 for 217 yards and three touchdowns, while Aidan Laughery led the ground game with 101 yards and two scores. Wideout/returner Hank Beatty added 108 receiving yards and set a 102-year-old school record with 133 punt return yards, earning Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week.

Duke (1-0) handled Elon 45-17 behind Tulane transfer Darian Mensah, who was 27 of 34 for 389 yards with three second-half touchdown passes, including a perfect 11-for-11 after halftime. Harvard transfer Cooper Barkate paced the receivers with 117 yards as the Blue Devils scored 35 after the break.

Illinois returns 16 starters from last season’s 10-3 Citrus Bowl campaign, including nine on offense and an experienced offensive line that entered 2025 ranked No. 4 nationally in games played and No. 2 in career starts. Bret Bielema, in his fifth season in Champaign, is 29-22 with the Illini (126-80 overall).

Duke counters with 14 returning starters (six offense, five defense, three specialists) under second-year head coach Manny Diaz. The Blue Devils seek their first win over a ranked opponent since upsetting No. 9 Clemson to open 2023, and they ride a six-game winning streak against Big Ten opponents dating to 2017 — a run built largely on a four-year series sweep of Northwestern.

Numbers to know: Duke produced 35 second-half points vs. Elon and 548 total yards, while Illinois’ defense logged five sacks and limited WIU to 163 yards. Both teams are 1-0 and ranked/receiving votes (Illinois AP No. 11; Duke RV).

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