In the first nine-overtime game in NCAA history, Illinois Fighting Illini trumped No. 7 Penn State Nittany Lions 20-18 on Saturday. Casey Washington caught a 2-point conversion pass from Brandon Peters to end the overtime. 

Both the teams were tied at 10-10 after regulation time, exchanged field goals in the first two overtimes, then began to alternate 2-point attempts in the third OT as part of a format tweaked ahead of the 2021 season.

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Neither team scored until the eighth overtime period, when Illinois’ Isaiah Williams scored a touchdown to put the club up 18-16. With a 2-point run of his own, Penn State’s Noah Cain kept the game alive.

Sean Clifford’s throw to Parker Washington in the eighth overtime was intercepted by linebacker Khalan Tolson. Peters then found Washington in the end zone for the game-winning touchdown pass.

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The 2-point conversion shootout began in 2019, following a seven-overtime contest between LSU and Texas A&M that left both teams battered. This year, the 2-point conversion possessions began in the third overtime period rather than the fifth, as was previously the case.

To end Illinois’ three-game losing streak to Penn State, Chase Brown and Josh McCray combined for 365 running yards and a score, while James McCourt made three field goals, including 39- and 32-yarders in overtime.

When linebacker Brandon Smith blasted Sitkowski, the Nittany Lions’ defence stepped in to aid. D’Von Ellies recovered a fumble by the backup quarterback.

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When the drive stalled at the Illinois 17, Penn State settled for a 35-yard field goal from Stout. With 11:42 left in the second quarter, Stout’s kick made it 10-0.

On a damp day at Beaver Stadium, the two powerful running backs raced through wide-open gaps and flanked Penn State’s defence repeatedly. In regulation, the Illini (3-5, 2-3 Big Ten) outgained the Nittany Lions 370 to 207 yards, rallying from a 10-0 hole.

With inputs from the Associated Press