College Park, Md. — Illinois is quietly turning late-game heroics into a recurring theme on the road.
Ethan Moczulski kicked a 26-yard field goal with virtually no time remaining on the clock Saturday, lifting Illinois to a 20-17 victory over Maryland at SECU Stadium in front of an announced crowd of 27,207 spectators. The finish mirrored the program’s visit to College Park in 2023, when former Illinois kicker Caleb Griffin delivered a game-winning field goal.
Griffin was on the sideline for Saturday’s contest, joining in the celebration alongside Josh Whitman once Moczulski’s kick sailed through the uprights.
Couldn’t draw it up any better,
Moczulski said about having Griffin on hand. We were talking about it pregame that he missed his first one and came back out there and hit a game-winner. I kind of just had a feeling all day it might come down to a kick.
Ground Game Melts the Clock in the Fourth Quarter
The game-winning opportunity materialized after the Illinois defense forced a Maryland punt with 5 minutes and 45 seconds left in regulation. What followed was a 13-play, 67-yard drive that consumed the clock down to 4 seconds before Bret Bielema called a timeout to set up the final play.
FINAL: Illinois 20, Maryland 17Ethan Moczulski kicks the game-winning field goal. #Illini pic.twitter.com/SqhxaAf7IO
Freshman running back Javari Barnett jump-started that possession with a 13-yard run, building on a 64-yard touchdown run he recorded earlier to open the fourth quarter. As a unit, the Illinois ground attack found its rhythm late, churning out 112 yards on 12 carries in the final period after managing just 3.4 yards per carry through the first three quarters.
If we keep running the ball late in the game, it starts to wear on those teams, those defenses,
said quarterback Katin Houser. Wearing on the defensive line and pushing the ball downfield with the run game allowed us to go down, run the clock out and set ‘Chow’ up for a game-winning field goal.
Houser returned to the starting lineup after breaking his throwing hand on Oct. 10 at Michigan State, completing 18 of 32 passes for 223 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
While Barnett contributed key yardage, fifth-year back Jordan Anderson handled the bulk of the workload on the final drive. Anderson broke free on a 12-yard run that would have resulted in a 14-yard touchdown, but he deliberately took a knee at the 2-yard line.
MOCZULSKI'S 26-YARD FG ON FINAL PLAY LIFTS ILLINI 20-17 OVER TERRAPINS IN COLLEGE PARK Ethan Moczulski kicked the winning field goal with no time left in College Park, Maryland, on Saturday, capping a 13-play, 69-yard drive that took 5:45 and giving Illinois a 20-17 win over…
We practice that — grind to get down,
Anderson said. We just needed a first down to end the game. That’s what we executed.
Bielema noted that the team specifically practices the protocol of going down inside the 5-yard line in that situation. Great execution by Jordan,
Bielema said. There’s nobody better to put the ball in their hands than that guy.
After Houser took back-to-back knees to center the ball, Patrick Mahoney III delivered the snap, Lars Rau provided the hold, and Moczulski converted the 26-yard attempt.
A Long Journey to the Starting Role
Moczulski’s path to becoming the primary kicker involved stops at multiple programs. He started his career at Texas A&M before transferring to Illinois in 2024, where he handled kickoff duties. His transfer to Washington only generated the same role. The Spokane, Wash., native returned to Illinois in search of an opportunity to compete for the starting job following David Olano’s departure to Texas A&M.
It’s been a crazy journey,
Moczulski said. Being a backup for basically four years and finally getting an opportunity in my fifth year feels like God put me through quite a few trials. I’ve had some injuries I dealt with. I finally bounced back and battled those and overcame them, and I feel like I’m at the strongest point I’ve been.
Bielema noted that in the first five to six games, it didn’t seem like the team could catch a break, but there were some things in the fourth quarter against Oregon where he felt breaks were starting to come their way.
