#24 Illinois Travels East for Road Contest at Rutgers

#24 Illinois Returns to the Top 25, Travels to Rutgers

• Illinois makes the trip to Rutgers on Saturday for an 11 a.m. CT/12 p.m. ET kickoff on Peacock.
• Illinois is back in the AP Top 25 for the eighth time this season. 
• Illinois' eight AP Poll appearances this season are the program's most since 2001, when the Illini appeared in 10 polls. 

Illinois Coming Off Home Win Against Michigan State

• The defense had five sacks, RB Josh McCray scored three touchdowns, and WR Pat Bryant had 135 receiving yards to lead Illinois to a dominant 38-16 win over Michigan State last week at Memorial Stadium.
• Illinois finished 6-1 at home this season. The Illini won six games at Memorial Stadium for the first time since 2001, when Illinois finished 6-0 at home on its way to the Big Ten title and 2002 Sugar Bowl. 
• Illinois moved to 6-1 coming off of bye weeks since Bret Bielema's arrival in 2021, including 5-0 over the last three seasons.
• Illinois moved to 14-5 in games with more than six days prep since Bielema's arrival in 2021, including 12-3 over the last three seasons and a 4-1 record this season.
• Illinois finished its home schedule averaging 54,750 fans over seven home games, the highest average in a single season since 2009 (59,544).

Postseason Illini | Postseason Website

• Illinois is bowl eligible for the second time in the last three seasons. The Illini last went to a bowl following the 2022 season, when the Illini played in the 2023 ReliaQuest Bowl at Tampa's Raymond James Stadium. 
• Illinois will play in two bowls over a three-year stretch for the first time since back-to-back bowl seasons in 2010 and 2011. 
• Bret Bielema is the first Illini coach to go to two bowl games in his first four seasons since Lou Tepper from 1991-94.
• Illinois has 20 wins over the last three seasons, the program's most in a three-year span since 2000-02 (also 20 wins).

The Bielema Era  

• Bret Bielema is 25-22 during his Illinois career. Since Robert Zuppke went undefeated in two of his first three seasons at Illinois from 1913-15, Bielema's 25-22 start is the third-best through 47 games by an Illini head coach, behind only Mike White (1980-83) and John Mackovic (1988-91).
• Bielema has won at least seven games in two of his first four seasons at Illinois, becoming the first Illini head coach since John Mackovic (1988-91) to do so.
• Bielema's 16 Big Ten wins through his first four seasons at Illinois are the most since Lou Tepper also won 16 in his first four seasons (1992-95).
• Bielema's five ranked wins (AP/Coaches/CFP) during his first four seasons are tied for the second-most in program history, behind only John Mackovic (8, 1988-91) and tied with Mike White (5, 1980-83).
• Bielema has three road ranked wins (AP/Coaches/CFP) during his first four seasons in Champaign. He is the second coach in Illinois history to win three ranked games on the road during his first four seasons, joining Lou Tepper (1992-96).
• Bielema has had the Illini ranked in 13 AP polls during his first four seasons in Champaign. Only John Mackovic (39 weeks, 1988-91) and Mike White (14 weeks, 1980-83) had the Illini ranked more during their first four seasons as Illinois head coaches. Pete Elliott also reached 13 AP poll appeaarances from 1960-63.
• This season, Illinois sold out Memorial Stadium twice in a single season for the first time since 2009 (vs. #19 Kansas, vs. #24 Michigan). The Illini have two wins in front of sell-out crowds at Memorial Stadium for the first time since 2008.
• Bielema joined John Mackovic (1988-91) and Lou Tepper (1992-95) as the only head coaches in Illinois history to win 5+ games in each of their first four seasons leading the Fighting Illini.
• Bielema is 8-8 in Big Ten road games as head coach at Illinois. His eight Big Ten road wins are the fourth-most by an Illinois head coach in his first four seasons, behind only Mike White (11, 1980-83), Lou Tepper (10, 1992-95), and John Mackovic (10, 1988-91).

Tough, Smart, Dependable

• Illinois is fifth in the Big Ten in turnover margin (+0.40 per game) and sixth in turnovers forced (14).
• Illinois ranks 8th-best in the nation in fewest penalty yards per game (36.4). Rutgers ranks 7th-best in the nation (34.6).
• Illinois' three interceptions thrown as a team are the fewest in the Big Ten and tied for the fewest in Power 4 with Vanderbilt. Only Army (1), South Alabama (2), and James Madison (2) have thrown fewer interceptions than Illinois this season.

The Illinois Offense

• QB Luke Altmyer's 18/3 TD/interception ratio is the best in the Big Ten and second-best in Power 4 behind only Clemson's Cade Klubnik (26/4) (min. 10 TDs).
• Altmyer is 39th in the nation in passing efficiency. His 144.6 passing efficiency would be second-best in a single season in Illinois football history.
• Altmyer is fourth in the Big Ten in passing touchdowns (18) and 30th in the nation. 
• Altmyer in Illinois wins: 123-for-189 passing (65.1%), 16 touchdown passes, 0 interceptions, 49 rushes, 186 rushing yards (3.8 yards/rush), two rushing touchdowns
• Altmyer joined an impressive list of Illini QBs who have led the team to three Top 25 wins in a single season over the last 50 years: Jack Trudeau (1983), Jason Verduzco (1990), Kurt Kittner (2001), Juice Williams (2007), and Altmyer (2024).
• WR Pat Bryant is third in the Big Ten in receiving touchdowns (8) and tied for 15th in the nation.
• Bryant set the Memorial Stadium records for single-season receiving TDs (6) and career receiving TDs (13).
• Bryant has two game-winning touchdown catches in overtime, both coming from Altmyer (at Nebraska, vs. Purdue).
• Bryant has the No. 2 run-blocking grade in the nation among wide receivers (82.4) according to PFF, behind only Virginia Tech's Da'Quan Felton (88.3). (minimum 100 run blocking snaps)

The Illinois Defense

• In Aaron Henry's second season as defensive coordinator, Illinois ranks 32nd in the nation in scoring defense (20.6), an improvement of 61 spots in the national rankings year-over-year (93rd, 29.4).
• Illinois' 10 forced fumbles are tied with Oregon for the most in the Big Ten and tied for 22nd in the nation.
• Illini OLB Gabe Jacas ranks in the top 15 nationally in forced fumbles (t-8th, 3) and sacks (t-13th, 8.0). Jacas leads the Big Ten in forced fumbles and is second in sacks. 
• Jacas is tied with Penn State DE Abdul Carter for the most sacks in Big Ten games (7.0).
• Xavier Scott is one of 15 semifinalists for the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award, given to the nation's best defensive back. Scott is the No. 22-graded cornerback in Power 4 and No. 7 in the Big Ten (78.1) according to PFF. He has the No. 2 tackling grade in the nation and No. 1 among Power 4 cornerbacks (90.0) according to PFF. (min. 400 snaps)
• Illinois has three defensive backs with multiple interceptions: Xavier Scott (3), Miles Scott (2), and Torrie Cox Jr. (2)

The Illinois Special Teams

• Kicker David Olano is 15-for-18 on field goals, including 14-for-16 inside of 50 yards and 10-for-10 inside of 40 yards.
• Kicker Ethan Moczulski's 59-yard field goal vs. Central Michigan, the first attempt of his career, set an Illinois program record and is tied for the sixth-longest field goal in the nation and longest in the Big Ten this season. 
• Punter Hugh Robertson has landed 60.0% (18/30) of his punts inside the 20, which is on pace for an Illinois record.
• Hank Beatty leads the Big Ten and ranks eighth in the nation with 13.8 yards per punt return.
• Beatty's 13.8 punt return average is the second-best in Illinois single-season history for players that have returned 16 or more punts, behind only Gary Windy's 14.8 mark in 1970 (17 returns for 252 yards).
• Beatty's 220 punt return yards are only 30 yards away from cracking Illinois' single-season top 10 list.

ALL-TIME SERIES vs. RUTGERS
» Series: Illinois leads 5-3
      » at Rutgers: Illinois leads 3-1
» Last: L, 20-14 (10/30/2021 at Illinois)
      » at Rutgers: W, 23-20 (11/14/2020)
» Streak: L1
      » at Rutgers: W3
» Bielema vs. Rutgers: 0-1
      » as Illinois head coach: 0-1

The Illinois-Rutgers Series

• Illinois leads the all-time series against Rutgers, 5-3, including a 4-2 mark as Big Ten foes since the Scarlet Knights joined the conference in 2014. 
• The series began with a pair of nonconference matchups in the first two seasons of the Ron Zook era at Illinois. In 2005, the Illini captured a 33-30 OT home win at Memorial Stadium, and 2006 Illinois fell, 33-0, in Week 2 matchup in Piscataway. 
• The Fighting Illini's previous six in-conference matchups vs. Rutgers all came in consecutive seasons from 2016 through 2021. Illinois has won all three contests in Piscataway - in 2016 (24-7), 2018 (38-17), and 2020 (23-20) - since Rutgers joined the Big Ten.  
• Saturday's contest is the seventh meeting between the programs as Big Ten opponents, but the first since Rutgers' 20-14 win in Champaign in head coach Bret Bielema's first season at Illinois. 
• In the most recent meeting between Illinois and Rutgers in 2021, Illini quarterback Brandon Peters threw for  190 yards and two touchdowns, including a 52-yard strike to Isaiah Williams. The Illini led 14-10 at halftime, but the Scarlet Knights put up 10 points in the fourth quarter to complete the come-from-behind win, 20-14.     
• In Illinois' last visit to Piscataway in 2020, the Fighting Illini defeated the Scarlet Knights, 23-20, on James McCourt's last-second, game-winning field goal. Isaiah Williams, prior to switching positions from quarterback to wide receiver, made his first-career start and set the Illinois quarterback single-game rushing record with 192 yards. Illinois

Superlatives vs. Rutgers

• Illinois' most rushing yards vs. Rutgers: 192 Isaiah Williams 11/14/2021
• Illinois' most receiving yards vs. Rutgers: 111 Ricky Smalling 10/14/2017
• Illinois' most passing yards vs. Rutgers: 308 Jeff George Jr. 10/14/2017
• Illinois' longest rush vs. Rutgers: 73 Reggie Corbin 10/6/2018
• Illinois' longest pass vs. Rutgers: 61 Chayce Crouch to Ke'Shawn Vaughn 10/15/2016

Rutgers Connections

• Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry's first full-time coaching position came in 2016 at Rutgers, where he served as defensive backs coach under head coach Chris Ash following two years as a graduate assistant on Bret Bielema's staff at Arkansas in 2014 and 2015. 
• Artur Sitkowski, Illinois' assistant quarterbacks coach, is a native of Old Bridge, N.J., and played quarterback at Rutgers for three seasons (2018-20) before finishing his collegiate playing career in 2021 and 2022 at Illinois. Overall, Sitkowski threw for 2,838 yards and 14 touchdowns in his collegiate career, including 807 yards and six touchdowns for the Fighting Illini. Sitkowski is in his second season on the Fighting Illini staff, serving as a student assistant last year. 

COMPLETE GAME NOTES (PDF)