OPENING KICK
• Back on the Road: Fresh off a road win at Rutgers, the Fighting Illini (2-4 overall, 1-2 B1G West) will travel to Ann Arbor this Saturday to face No. 3 Michigan (6-0 overall, 3-0 B1G East) at 3:30 ET/2:30 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network.
• Another First for Lovie: Saturday's 24-7 win at Rutgers marked the first Big Ten win for Illini head coach Lovie Smith, who is back in college football for the first time since 1996. Smith came to Illinois after 19 years in the NFL, including 11 as head coach of the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
• Takeaways & Turnovers: The Orange and Blue have done an outstanding job of both taking the ball away and taking care of the ball this season.
» Illinois' turnover margin (+1.33) ranks fourth in FBS and first in the Big Ten.
» Illinois' seven fumbles recovered ranks eighth in FBS and first in the Big Ten.
» Illinois' 13 total takeaways ranks 28th in FBS and second in the Big Ten.
» Illinois' five takeaways at Rutgers was the most for the Illini since Nov. 29, 2014 at Northwestern (5).
» The Illini's five giveaways rank seventh in FBS and second in the Big Ten.
» The Illini have thrown two interceptions, ranking second in FBS and first the Big Ten.
• TFL U: As a team the Illini defense has been making plays in the backfield early and often in 2016.
» Illinois ranks ninth in the nation and third in the Big Ten in TFLs per game (8.3)
» Senior DE Carroll Phillips is averaging 1.8 TFLs per game, fifth-most in FBS and first in the Big Ten.
» Senior DE Dawuane Smoot adds 1.3 TFLs per game to rank 32nd in FBS and fourth in the Big Ten.
• Fourth Down 'D': Opponents have converted just 1 of 6 fourth down attempts (.167) against the Illini defense, the best conversion percentage in the Big Ten and fifth-best in FBS.
• Tackling Machine: Graduate transfer LB Hardy Nickerson is averaging 9.7 tackles/game to lead the Big Ten and rank 21st in FBS. He has 304 career tackles (246 at Cal, 58 at Illinois), sixth-most among active FBS players. Nickerson has more career tackles than any active Power-5 linebacker.
• Freshman of the Week: RS freshman safety Patrick Nelson has burst onto the scene in Big Ten play. He had 16 tackles at Nebraska in his first career start and had 14 stops at Rutgers on Saturday to earn Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors. Nelson's 12.0 tackles per game in Big Ten play is tied for the conference lead.
• Smoot Point: Senior DE Dawuane Smoot has come on strong in conference play, averaging 2.0 TFLs per game in three B1G games to lead the league. For the season, he has 30 tackles, 8.0 TFLs, one sack, five hurries, two forced fumbles and one safety, wreaking even more havoc than the stats indicate. Smoot was a preseason
All-American and named the 20th-best player in the country by Pro Football Focus heading into his senior season.
• Big Play Run Game: Illinois has for runs of 50+ yards this season, tied for the third-most in the nation. Kendrick Foster had a pair of 56-yard TD runs against Murray State, Ke'Shawn Vaughn had a 65-yard TD scamper against North Carolina and Reggie Corbin busted out for a 53-yard run at Rutgers.
• Target Turner: Junior WR Malik Turner has emerged as one of the top pass catchers in the Big Ten. He's averaging 5.2 receptions and 71.2 receiving yards per game to rank fourth and fifth in the conference, respectively. Turner hauled in nine catches for a career-high 129 yards against Purdue and now has 31 receptions for 427 yards and three touchdowns on the season.
• Reggie, Reggie, Reggie: RS freshman RB Reggie Corbin is averaging 9.3 yards per carry this season (325 yards on 35 carries), which ranks third among FBS players averaging at least five carries per game. In Big Ten play (3 games), the former HS rugby star has 254 rushing yards on 28 carries (9.1 ypc) and 302 all-purpose yards.
• Crouch Provides Spark: Sophomore QB Chayce Crouch came in for an injured Wes Lunt against Purdue and had a career game, completing 10-of-14 passes for 142 yards and rushing for 137 yards and two TDs. It marked the fourth-most single-game rushing yards by a QB in Illinois history. With Lunt hurt, Couch got his first career start and win at Rutgers last Saturday.
SUPER(BOWL) MEN
• Two former Super Bowl head coaches will face-off as college head coaches for the first time ever on Saturday. Illinois head coach Lovie Smith guided the Chicago Bears to Super Bowl XLI and Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh coached the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII.
• While this is their first head-to-head meeting in college, Lovie Smith and Jim Harbaugh met one time as NFL head coaches, a 32-7 win for Harbaugh's 49ers against Smith's Bears on Monday Night Football on November 19, 2012. The game marked Colin Kaepernick's first career start.
THE ILLINOIS-MICHIGAN SERIES
• Michigan leads the series 69-23-2 overall and holds a 33-11-1 lead in games played in Ann Arbor.
• The teams have not played since Oct. 13, 2012, a 45-0 Michigan win in Ann Arbor. The four-year hiatus is the longest in the Illinois-Michigan series since 1919.
• LB Mike Svetina and WR Justin Hardee are the only Illinois players with experience against Michigan. Svetina started at linebacker against the Wolverines in 2012 and Hardee got snaps at wide receiver.
• Illinois is 2-3 in its last five games against Michigan (since 2008).
• Illinois is 3-6-1 in its last 10 trips to Ann Arbor. The Illini were victorious in the Big House in 1993 (24-21), 1999 (35-29) and 2008 (45-20). The 1993 win was Illinois' first in Ann Arbor since 1966.
• The last time Illinois traveled to a Michigan team ranked in the top three, the Illini and Wolverines tied 22-22 on Nov. 14, 1992.
• The 2010 meeting in Ann Arbor was an instant classic, with the Wolverines winning a triple-overtime thriller 67-65. Illinois' 65 points in 2010 are the most any team has ever scored against Michigan. The previous high was 58 points by Cornell in 1891, while the previous high by a Big Ten team was 55 by Northwestern in 1958. RB Mikel Leshoure scored five touchdowns, equaling the second-most in a single game in UI history, behind only Howard Griffith's NCAA-record eight TDs in 1990.
• Former Illini QB and current offensive analyst Nathan Scheelhaase threw for 211 yards and three touchdowns, and ran for 101 yards and another score in 2010 vs. Michigan. He also ran for a touchdown in the 2011 game against Michigan. He accounted for 312 yards of total offense in 2010 and 184 in 2011, giving him an average of 248 yards of total offense against the Wolverines in his career.
MICHIGAN CONNECTIONS
• Illinois has two Michigan natives on its roster, freshman OL Jake Cerny (Traverse City/Traverse City West HS) and senior TE Tyler White (Kalamazoo/Plainwell HS). Michigan has seven Illinois natives on its roster.
• After the Indianapolis Colts traded away former Illinois QB and No. 1 overall pick Jeff George prior to the 1994 season, they signed QB Jim Harbaugh. George's son, Jeff George, Jr., is a quarterback for the Illini.
• Illinois freshman LB Dele Harding was originally a Michigan commit before eventually signing with the Illini.
• Illinois offensive line coach Luke Butkus and Michigan passing game coordinator/quarterbacks/wide receivers coach Jedd Fisch coached together with the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2013-14 and the Seattle Seahawks in 2010. Illinois defensive line coach Mike Phair was also on the Seahawks staff in 2010.
• Michigan DL coach Greg Mattison got his start in college coaching as a graduate assistant at Illinois in 1976.
• Michigan defensive analyst Dave Adolph was an assistant at Illinois from 1973-76.
ILLINOIS VS. RANKED OPPONENTS
• Illinois faces its second AP Top 25-ranked opponent of the season on Saturday. Michigan is No. 3 in this week's AP poll and No. 4 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. The Illini fell to No. 15 Nebraska, 31-16, back on Oct. 1.
• The Illini have lost 14 straight and 23 of their last 24 against foes ranked in the AP poll since beating No. 1 Ohio State 28-21 on Nov. 10, 2007. The lone win during that span came on Sept. 17, 2011, over No. 22 Arizona State, 17-14.
• Illinois' win over Minnesota in 2014 gave the Illini their first win over a ranked team in either the AP or Coaches poll since 2011. The Golden Gophers were No. 24 in the USA Today Coaches Poll, however, the Gophers were not ranked in the AP poll at the time of the game.
• Illinois is 3-30-2 against Michigan when the Wolverines are ranked in the AP poll. The wins came in 1983 (16-6 vs. No. 8 Michigan in Champaign), 1993 (24-21 vs. No. 13 Michigan in Ann Arbor) and 1999 (35-29 vs. No. 9 Michigan in Ann Arbor).
TOUGH ROAD
• The Illini have played the 22nd-toughest schedule in the nation based on winning percentage vs. FBS teams. Illinois' five FBS opponents are combined 23-10 this season – No. 8 Nebraska (6-0), No. 20 Western Michigan (7-0), No. 22 North Carolina (5-2), Purdue (3-3) and Rutgers (2-5). When projecting out future games, the Illini schedule ranks as the fourth-toughest in the nation according to NCAA stats.
• Five Illinois opponents are ranked in the latest AP Top 25 (Oct. 17), including three in the top-10 – No. 3 Michigan, No. 8 Nebraska, No. 10 Wisconsin, No. 20 Western Michigan and No. 22 North Carolina, while Iowa (No. 33) is both receiving votes.
• Only four college football teams will play against more 2015 bowl teams during the 2016 season. Illinois' nine bowl opponents are tied for fifth in the nation behind USC (11), BYU (10), Colorado (10) and Ole Miss (10).
• The Big Ten moved to a nine-game conference slate this season, meaning each team plays three division crossover games. Illinois' cross-division games are home against No. 12 Michigan State, at No. 7 Michigan and at Rutgers, meaning the Illini have five road games and four home games in B1G play.
GRAD TRANSFERS MAKING BIG IMPACT
Both of Illinois' graduate transfers have made a huge impact for the Fighting Illini defense.
• Cal transfer LB Hardy Nickerson is averaging 9.7 tackles per game to lead the Big Ten and rank 21st nationally. He has added 3.5 TFLs, fourth-most on the team, a team-high two interceptions and 1.0 sack.
• Auburn transfer DE Gimel President has 5.5 TFLs to rank third on the team and 15th in the Big Ten. He has 23 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, one PBU and one QB hurry on the season.
YOUTH MOVEMENT
• As the season has progressed, several new faces have seen their playing time and production increase, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
» RS freshman SS Patrick Nelson played only on special teams the first two games, making zero tackles. In the last four games, he's racked up 42 tackles at safety, making starts the last three games.
» True-freshman Stanley Green did not play in the first two games before seeing some action on special teams in games three and four. In week five against Purdue, he saw his first action at safety and made three tackles before starting at Rutgers and making five tackles.
» Junior college transfer CB Ahmari Hayes did not play in three of the first four games and did not make his first tackle until week five against Purdue. He started at cornerback at Rutgers and posted four tackles.
» A pair of freshmen have seen increasing snaps the senior-laden defensive line. After playing sparingly in the first two games, RS freshman DT Jamal Milan has come on to post 13 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, two forced fumbles and one sack in his last three games (missed Purdue due to injury). Meanwhile, true-freshman DT Kenyon Jackson has made seven of his nine tackles in the last three games and has started the last two.
» RS freshman RB Reggie Corbin had 7 carries for 71 yards in the first three games before breaking out for 28 carries for 254 yards the last three games.
SMOOT, SO HOT RIGHT NOW
• Senior DE Dawuane Smoot has been stuffing the stat sheet as of late, sharing the Big Ten lead in TFLs during conference play (2.0 per game). For the season, he has 30 tackles, 8.0 TFLs, one sack, five hurries, two forced fumble and one safety.
• Smoot is coming off his best game of the year, a five tackle, three TFL, one sack, one forced fumble, two QB hurry performance in the win at Rutgers.
• When Smoot tackled UNC RB Elijah Hood in the end zone for a safety on Sept. 10, it marked the Illini's first safety since Sept. 13, 2014, at Washington.
• The preseason hype for Smoot was large. In addition to being named to three preseason watch lists (Bednarik, Hendricks, Lombardi), Smoot also was named a preseason All-American, the 20th-best college football player in the country and is a projected first round draft pick by Pro Football Focus. Phil Steele, Athlon and Lindy's all named him to their preseason All-Big Ten teams.
THREE-HEADED MONSTER
The backfield trio of junior Kendrick Foster, sophomore Ke'Shawn Vaughn and redshirt-freshman Reggie Corbin has been explosive at times, combining for 930 yards on 141 carries (6.6 ypc) and eight touchdowns in the first six games of 2016.
» Foster broke out for a career-high 118 yards and two touchdowns on just four carries in the opener vs. Murray State (29.5 ypc), breaking a 61-year old Illini record for most yards per rush in a game. Foster had two 56-yard touchdown runs against the Racers on back-to-back drives and has four TDs on the season. He had his second 100-yard game at Rutgers with 108 yards on 21 carries. He has a team-high 384 yards on the ground and seven total touchdowns. His 122.0 all-purpose yards per game rank sixth in the Big Ten.
» After playing sparingly in the first three games, Corbin has burst onto the scene with games of 72, 92 and 90 yards in conference play. For the year, he is second on the team with 325 yards on only 35 carries (9.3 ypc). Entering the Nebraska game, he had 7 carries for 71 yards in his brief Illini career.
» Vaughn started the North Carolina game with a 65-yard touchdown run and finished the night with 116 yards on 15 carries, his second career 100-yard game. He has 221 yards and two touchdowns on the ground and has added 86 receiving yards (on eight catches) this season. The sophomore is closing in on 1,000 career rushing yards (944 entering Saturday's Michigan game).
OFFENSIVE NOTES
• Running Men: Illinois has rushed for 543 yards over the last two games (271.5 ypg) – 315 vs. Purdue and 228 at Rutgers. The Illini are now averaging 189.8 yards per game on the ground, sixth-most in the Big Ten.
• Big Play 'O': Illinois has seven scrimmage plays of 50+ yards this season, tied for 13th-most in the nation (four runs and three passes). The team's four runs of 50+ yards is tied for the third-most in FBS.
• Turning Up: Junior WR Malik Turner is again the top Illini deep threat. He went over 100 yards for the third time in his career Oct. 8 vs. Purdue, totaling a career-high 129 yards on nine receptions. On the season, Turner leads all Illini receivers with 31 catches for 427 yards (13.8 ypc) and three TDs.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
• Pick Six FTW: Mosely's 78-yard fourth-quarter interception return for touchdown sealed the win against Rutgers on Oct. 15. It was the first pick-six for the Illini since Mason Monheim on Nov. 28, 2015 vs. Northwestern.
• Push 'Em Back: The Illini are ninth in the nation in TFLs per game (8.3) and rank 44th in sacks per game (2.50), led by senior Carroll Phillips, whose 1.8 TFLs per game leads the Big Ten.
• Hardy Pickerson: Senior LB Hardy Nickerson grabbed two interceptions against Purdue, the second and third interceptions of his career. He had one interception in three years at Cal. The linebacker is the first Illini to grab two interceptions in a game since Taylor Barton on Sept. 12, 2015 against Western Illinois. Nickerson leads the team and the Big Ten in tackles (9.7 tpg).
• Full Nelson: Redshirt-freshman safety Patrick Nelson made his first career start at Nebraska on Oct. 1 and it took him just one quarter to tie his previous career high in tackles (6). He finished the game with 16 tackles, the most by an Illini, fourth-most in the B1G this season. Two starts later he is second on the team with 42 tackles and is tied for the Big Ten lead with 12.0 tpg in conference play.
• Sophomore LB Tre Watson made his first career start at Nebraska on Oct. 1, racking up a then career-high 10 tackles and forced a fumble, the first of his career, against the Huskers. He followed that up with 13 tackles against Purdue, another career high, and now ranks third on the team with 41 stops this season.
» COMPLETE ILLINOIS-MICHIGAN GAME NOTES (PDF)
