The biggest play of the Wisconsin vs. Illinois game was an 84-yard touchdown run by Darrion Dupree. Even after the game, an Illinois defender admitted that it sucked the life out of his defense. From that moment on, the momentum was all in Wisconsin's favor, and the game ended up being a multi-score lead for Wisconsin, 24-10. In a newly surfaced camera angle, it all happened because of a savvy move by true freshman Eugene Hilton Jr.
Hilton, son of NFL legend T.Y. Hilton, did something that one writer said he's never seen before: he pretended to run a go-route, and instead of blocking for the runner, he was pretending to locate a ball in the air that was never actually in the air; it was in Dupree's hands as he was breaking free for a touchdown. That move made the Illinois defender look foolish as it was all a dupe.
Check out the new camera angle below and exactly how Hilton pulled it off:
Never seen this- #13 Wisconsin True Freshman WR Eugene Hilton completely fakes Illinois defender that is covering him in man on this long run. pic.twitter.com/4OV7jcnaVZ
— Robert Smith (@Robert26Smith) November 26, 2025
Eugene Hilton Jr. was the key to Darrion Dupree's 84-yard touchdown run
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Dupree would have made a really impressive run no matter what Hilton did, but it's easy to argue from this angle that, without Hilton's deception, it would have been a touchdown. If Hilton had just done the go-route and then started blocking after about 20 yards, the defender would have had a chance to make a play on Dupree. However, instead, the defender is trying to stop a pass that never existed in the first place.
For Hilton, this is impressive on two levels. One, the know-how for a true freshman to pull something like this off. He's as green as anyone in college football, but he did something even veterans don't do. But secondly, to sell it so well. If you go back and watch that clip again, but only watch Hilton, you'd also believe the ball was in the air, and he was working to locate it.
It was an incredible play all the way around, from Dupree to the offensive line, but maybe most importantly from Hilton. Incredible work by the true freshman.