Late turnovers doom Illinois in season finale loss to Northwestern

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — There will be no postseason for Illinois in 2023.

Needing a win to secure bowl eligibility, Illinois (5-7, 3-6 Big Ten) came up short against Northwestern (7-5, 5-4 Big Ten) in its regular season finale, 45-43.

For a moment, it appeared Illinois had some more late game heroics left in the tank. An 80-yard touchdown by Casey Washington with 55 seconds to play gave the Illini a chance to send the game to overtime. But a failed two-point conversion, paired with a seemingly controversial no-call, halted the Illini’s efforts in their tracks.

Ultimately, a flurry of turnovers — two costly special teams fumbles and a tipped interception — were too much to overcome and gave the Wildcats the boost they needed to spoil the Illini’s Senior Day — and postseason hopes — on Saturday.

“To give up 24 points on turnovers, you’re just never going to win games,” head coach Bret Bielema said. “Never.”

The win for the Wildcats sends the Land of Lincoln…