Illinois Comeback Falls Short in Tough Road Loss to No. 4 UCLA

· Yahoo Sports

Coach Bret Bielema's Illinois Fighting Illini fell to 6-3 on the season after a hard-fought loss to coach Bob Chesney's No. 4 UCLA Bruins on Friday that included an inspiring comeback effort, wet weather, and rough day at the office for quarterback Katin Houser. 

The Fighting Illini rushing attack was mostly shut down by defensive coordinator Colin Hitschler's Bruins defense, which made offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr.'s team one-dimensional as they attempted to battle back from a 10-0 halftime deficit. 

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A late comeback effort fell short as the Bruins moved to 9-0 on the season, effectively putting an end to Illinois' College Football Playoff hopes, which were expressed by Bielema prior to the game. 

Nov 13, 2026; Pasadena, California, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Katin Houser (4) runs the ball against the UCLA Bruins during the first half at the Rose Bowl. Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images  Illini Comeback Falls Short

Illinois began to chip away at a 12-0 deficit that came after Houser took a safety at the 8:27 mark of the third quarter, as the Illini QB sparked a drive that ended in an 18-yard touchdown pass to former running back and current tight end Kaden Feagin. 

The scoring drive was capped off at the 1:08 mark of the third quarter as Bielema's team found new life, down by a score of 12-7. 

UCLA answered back as quarterback Ty Dieffenbach threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Semaj Morgan, capped off with a Mateen Bhaghani extra point. 

Illinois continued to fight, marching down inside the UCLA ten-yard line. A wobbly Houser pass intended for Feagin fell to the ground, showing that the Illini quarterback may have still been struggling in his recovery from a broken right throwing hand. 

The next play was a much better one as Houser found All-America candidate and wide receiver Collin Dixon for a seven-yard touchdown pass in the rain that made the score 19-14, UCLA with just over seven minutes to go. 

It was the highlight of the night for Illinois, leading up to Bielema's team's fourth loss of the season. 

UCLA drove down and got a Bhaghani field goal to make it 22-14 with just under two minutes to go. 

The Fighting Illini weren't able to tie the game as they failed to score the rest of the way, falling to 6-4, 4-3 in Big Ten play. 

Two Games Remain on Illinois Schedule 

The Fighting Illini were outgained 361-240 against the Bruins and now must pick up the pieces in time to finish the season strong against No. 15 Iowa at home on November 21 and at Northwestern to close the regular season on on November 28 at the New Ryan Field in Evanston, Illinois. 

Houser had a rough outing against an athletic and stout Bruins defense with 176 passing yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. Hudson Clement led the Fighting Illini with three catches for 62 yards, but the running game is a huge concern after Aidan Laughery averaged just 3.1 yards per carry against the Bruins.

The Fighting Illini have had an uneven season with injuries, missed opportunities and other issues coming to the forefront, but they have fought hard all season and accounted well for themselves. 

They will now do their best regroup in hopes of beating two of the Big Ten's better teams, and maintaining their standing as a program to watch in the coming years heading into bowl season. 

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