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CHAMPAIGN, Illinois (Ticker) -- Kurt Kittner threw four touchdown passes -- two to freshman Brandon Lloyd -- as 10th-ranked Illinois won its sixth straight game, a 34-28 victory over Northwestern. With the victory, the Fighting Illini (10-1, 7-1 Big Ten) gained at least a share of the Big Ten title. But Michigan could win the conference crown with a victory over Ohio State on Saturday. Kittner found Lloyd with touchdown passes of 12 and 15 yards in the third quarter, helping Illinois open a 34-13 advantage. Kittner has thrown six touchdowns in his last two games. Illinois finished 6-0 at home this season while improving to 50-40-5 in the all-time series against the Wildcats. Zak Kustok passed for four touchdowns for Northwestern (4-7, 2-6), which finished the season with a seven-game losing streak. The Fighting Illini opened the scoring with 4:11 left in the first quarter on a 34-yard field goal by Peter Christofilakos. Illinois added to its lead one minute into the second quarter on Kittner's first TD pass, a two-yard toss to Brian Hodges, making it 10-0. Northwestern got on the board the next possession as Kustok threw his first scoring pass of the game, a 20-yarder to Sam Simmons. The extra-point attempt failed and the Wildcats trailed 10-6 with 11:09 left in the half. Just under two minutes later, Kittner found Walter Young with a 33-yard TD pass, extending the lead to 17-6 with 9:04 left before intermission. Young had seven catches for 123 yards . But Kustok led the Wildcats on an eight-play, 89-yard drive. He capped the march with a three-yard TD pass to Jon Schweighardt. John Gockman booted a 52-yard field goal with 5:23 left in third quarter. Just under four minutes later, Kittner found Lloyd from 12 yards, making it 27-13. Lloyd led all receivers with 12 catches for 140 yards. Kittner and Lloyd then connected on their second TD pass with just two seconds left in the quarter, providing a commanding 34-13 cushion. Kustok and Simmons hooked up from 25 yards out with 10:32 left in the game and the senior quarterback found Kunle Patrick from 41 yards away on 4th-and 10 with 5:49 remaining. Kicker David Wasielewski ran the ball in for the conversion to close out the scoring. Kittner finished 33-of-43 for 387 yards and one interception. Kustok had 266 yards, completing 19-of-41 passes and was intercepted once.
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