Chase Brown and a stingy defense carry Illinois to a 26-14 win against Minnesota, making the Illini bowl eligible

CHAMPAIGN — Chase Brown rushed for 180 yards on a career-high 41 carries and caught a 40-yard touchdown pass, Minnesota was limited to its fewest yards in five years and No. 24 Illinois won its sixth straight game with a 26-14 victory Saturday.

The Illini (6-1, 3-1) became bowl eligible for the first time since 2019 and will end the day tied for first in the Big Ten West.

Mohamed Ibrahim rushed for 127 yards, his nation-leading 14th straight 100-yard game and the bulk of the Gophers’ 180 total yards. It was the fewest yards against Illinois by a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent since at least 2000.

Minnesota quarterback Tanner Morgan, held to just 21 yards on 4-for-12 passing, left early in the fourth quarter after taking a hit to the head. Athan Kaliakmanis entered for the Gophers (4-2, 1-2) and was intercepted twice.

Illinois quarterback Tommy DeVito, back from an ankle injury that forced him out of last week’s win against Iowa in the first half, ran for a 5-yard touchdown early in the third quarter to put the Illini up 20-14. He completed 25 of 32 passes for 252 yards and a touchdown.

Brown went over 1,000 yards rushing for a second straight season with his eighth straight 100-yard game. He has 13 career 100-yard games, second most at Illinois behind Robert Holcombe’s 16 from 1994-97.

Brown got wide open on a wheel route for his 40-yard touchdown reception to finish Illinois’ nine-play, 75-yard drive to open the game. Fabrizio Pinton tacked on a 31-yard field goal to give the Illini a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter.

Pinton connected from 23 yards in the third and from 30 yards in the fourth to extend Illinois’ lead.

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Ibrahim was about all Minnesota had going offensively. The Gophers were just 2 of 7 on third down and finished with their fewest yards since gaining 133 against Ohio State in 2017.

No opponent had scored a touchdown at Memorial Stadium this season before Morgan’s 9-yard run in the middle of the second quarter. The play capped an eight-play, 80-yard drive the Gophers were unable to replicate the rest of the game.

Quentin Redding’s 92-yard return of the second-half kickoff set up Ibrahim’s 4-yard touchdown, which gave the Gophers a brief 14-13 lead.

Minnesota: Just as Ibrahim returned from an injury, Morgan exited. The extent of the sixth-year quarterback’s injury could factor heavily into how the Gophers finish.

Illinois: The Illini have won six straight home games, four in a row against Big Ten West oponents and are off to their best start since 2011. With DeVito healthy, the Illini could be favored in each remaining game except for a Nov. 19 trip to No. 5 Michigan.

Minnesota: A challenging trip to No. 10 Penn State on Saturday.

Illinois: An open date precedes an Oct. 29 visit to Nebraska.