CHAMPAIGN, Ill. _ Illinois fans booed at halftime of the season opener, but the Illini left the field to relieved cheers.
The Illini scored 28 second-half points for a 31-24 comeback victory against Kent State thanks to two touchdowns from running back Reggie Corbin.
A heavy favorite at Memorial Stadium, Illinois probably didn't expect such a tight game. The Illini trailed 17-3 at halftime and didn't score its first touchdown until the third quarter.
Quarterback AJ Bush Jr., a graduate transfer from Virginia Tech, finished with 190 yards on 13 of 23 passing to go with 139 rushing yards on 21 carries in his first start for the Illini.
The Illini were 16{ point favorites at home against an opponent that was predicted to be among the worst in the Mid-American Conference.
It didn't help that moments before Illinois kicked off against Kent State, the team released some devastating news. Five players, including three starters, are suspended indefinitely and offensive lineman Larry Boyd and defensive lineman Verdis Brown will not play this season as academic redshirts.
Safety Bennett Williams, defensive back Nate Hobbs, tight end Lou Dorsey _ all starters _ as well as wide receiver Carmoni Green and defensive lineman Deon Pate did not play against the Golden Flashes. Illinois said the players were suspended for a violation of team rules but did not specify which rules.
Boyd was one of the top recruits in the Class of 2017.
Illinois also was without running back Dre Brown, who appears to have a right leg injury.
An 8-yard touchdown run by Ra'Von Bonner to pull within 17-10 was the start of a 21-point third quarter. Corbin then tight-roped down the sideline to stay inbounds for a 39-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 17. Corbin scored a fourth-quarter 1-yard touchdown for a 31-24 lead.
Linebacker Del'Shawn Phillips intercepted an end zone pass by Kent State quarterback Woody Barrett on fourth-and-goal from the 6-yard-line with 2 minutes, 21 seconds remaining.
Kent State coach Sean Lewis, 32, was making his head coaching debut as the youngest coach in FBS. Lewis, who is from Oak Lawn, was a quarterback at Richards High before playing at Wisconsin.
Barrett was a headache for the Illini. He completed 28 of 41 passes for 270 yards with two touchdowns and two picks while also rushing for 117 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries.
Illinois linebacker Jake Hansen tied a program record with six tackles for losses.
