Illinois pulls off wild Hail Mary touchdown pass to close out first half vs. UAB

· Yahoo Sports

The 2026 college football season properly underway, and fans didn’t have to wait long for a longshot throw. Illinois delivered the first Hail Mary of the season against UAB on Thursday, scoring off a wild throw right at the end of the first half.

With less than 30 seconds left in the half, UAB got a touchdown to get within one point of the Illini. That gave Illinois the ball with just 18 seconds left. On one final play with four seconds on the clock, the Illini decided to go all in on the Hail Mary.

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After the snap, Illinois quarterback Katin Houser stood with the ball for longer than the four seconds remaining to give his receivers time to get into position. Then, he launched the ball 54 yards into the end zone, where several Illini receivers and Blazers defenders were waiting.

Somehow, in the cluster, receiver Ty Robinson got his hands on the ball, juggling it for a moment before finally coming down with it for a touchdown.

The touchdown, and ensuring extra point, was enough to give the Illini a 21-13 lead heading into halftime.

Thursday’s matchup became unexpectedly tight thanks to a 10-point second quarter from UAB, which entered the game as a 22-point underdog. But the Hail Mary appeared to mark a turning point for the Illini, who controlled the ball towards another touchdown coming out of halftime.

The game also gave Houser, a redshirt senior transfer from East Carolina, a chance to show off his arm. In addition 54-yard Hail Mary, Houser found junior receiver Collin Dixon in the end zone twice: with a wide-open 18-yard throw on the team’s first drive of the first half, and then with a 14-yard throw through traffic to open the second half.

This story will be updated.

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