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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The Fighting Illini football season begins this Saturday with a matchup against the Kent State Golden Flashes at Memorial Stadium at 11 a.m. CT. The meeting marks the second time that the Illini have played Kent State, the first ending in a 52-3 Illini victory at Memorial Stadium in 2015. 

Here are facts you should know for this year's matchup:

Transfers at the Helm?

Illini starting quarterback AJ Bush Jr. may not be the only transfer to be under center when the game kicks off on Saturday. One of the Golden Flashes potential starters is Woody Barrett, a sophomore transfer from Auburn University. The similarities don't stop their as both quarterbacks took similar paths to reach their respective teams. 

Barrett, the fifth ranked quarterback of the 2016 Recruiting class according to ESPN.com, left Auburn in May of 2017 and played one season at Copiah-Lincoln Community College. In his one season for the Wolves, Barrett threw for 1,294 yards and eight touchdowns and ran for 486 yards and six touchdowns. 

Similarly, AJ Bush also took the community college route when he played for Iowa Western in 2016. In his season for the Reivers, Bush threw for 602 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 285 yards and five touchdowns. Now, both quarterbacks could lead their new FBS teams for the start of the 2018 season.

It's a Young Man's Game

For the second straight year, the Illini will boast one of the youngest teams in the nation. The Illini roster, as of August 24, is comprised of eight seniors, 16 juniors, 39 sophomores and 39 freshmen (32 true freshmen and seven redshirt freshmen). The eight seniors and 24 total upperclassmen are both the fewest in the nation as 76.5% of the Illini roster is currently composed of underclassmen, the highest percentage in the nation. 

This youth is nothing new for the Illini as the 2017 roster only had nine seniors, which was the second fewest in the FBS last season. The Illini played 22 true freshmen last season, 16 of which started at least one game. Both totals led the nation in 2017. 

The youth is not exclusive to the Illini. On January 11, Kent State hired head coach Sean Lewis, an assistant coach from Syracuse University. This made Lewis, at age 31, the youngest head coach in the FBS ahead of the University of Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley (34). 

Lewis in Illinois, Lovie in Ohio?

On Saturday, head coach Lovie Smith will lead his Fighting Illini of Illinois against head coach Sean Lewis' Golden Flashes of Kent State in Ohio. Although both coaches will be representing their respective states on Saturday, both have plenty of experience in each other's state. 

Lewis attended Richards High School in Oak Lawn, Illinois, about a two hour drive from Memorial Stadium. As a sophomore in high school, Lewis competed in the state championship at Memorial Stadium. His first Big Ten game as a player at Wisconsin was at Memorial Stadium. After a few previous coaching stints, Lewis coached tight ends and inside receivers for Eastern Illinois of the FCS.

Smith also has experience in the state of Ohio. In 1995, Smith coached defensive backs at Ohio State University, his last college coaching position before joining the Illini in 2016.

Enhanced Environment

Illinois Athletics will have plenty of new enhancements for 2018 game days including improvements in food service, customer service, pregame activities and in-stadium features. Some of the noticeable enhancements for the home opener are:

• New concessionaire Spectra Foods will bring new and enhanced features to concessions in the main stands as well as for guests in premium seating areas.

• Illinois will now offer a Stroller Check-In at two different locations at Memorial Stadium. Fans with families using strollers in and around the Stadium during pregame can leave their stroller at the Gameday Spirit check station on the west side of the storefront, and also around Portal entrance 6 on the East side.

• Illini fans in town Friday, August 31, are invited to Marching Illini Friday Night Hype at the corner of Wright and Green in front of the Alma Mater statue at 10:30 p.m.

• During the offseason, the legend of the Lovie beard has grown larger than life. For the season opener, students will be able to honor "the beard" with 5,000 replica beards being displayed in the student section.

More stadium enhancements can be found here.

It's All in the Family

The 2018 season will be a particularly special season for head coach Lovie Smith. It will be notable because it will be the first collegiate season in which Lovie will coach alongside his youngest son, Miles. 

Miles Smith was elevated to an assistant coaching position where he will work with the defensive backs. Previously, Miles Smith served as a graduate assistant for the Fighting Illini last season where he worked with the outside linebackers and nickel defensive back. The duo had previously worked together from 2014-2015 in the NFL when Lovie Smith was head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Miles Smith was a defensive quality control coach. 

"Adding Miles to the full-time staff gives us continuity at those positions for this year, and allows for our staff to continue their original responsibilities," said Lovie Smith, "I'm very proud to be able to work with my son, but, most importantly, he'll be an excellent leader for the young men he coaches."

Hall of Fame Howard

The University of Illinois and The National Football Foundation & College Football Hall of Fame will jointly honor 2018 Hall of Fame electee Dana Howard during the first quarter of the game against Kent State on Saturday. Howard will be the 17th Fighting Illini to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Howard was one of the best collegiate defenders during his stint with the Illini. Howard left the school as the Big Ten's all-time leading tackler finishing with 595 career tackles. Howard recorded at least 147 tackles in each of his four seasons from 1991-94 and also recorded 30 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, four interceptions and seven fumble recoveries in his career.

Howard was also named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 1993 and 1994 and earned first team All-American honors both seasons including a consensus selection in the 1994 season. In 1994, Howard won the Butkus Award, given to the nation's top linebacker, marking the first major national award for Illinois. 

Memorial Mark

There is no place like home for the Illini. The Illini currently hold 20 consecutive home opening wins, the fourth longest streak in the country behind Florida (28), Oklahoma State (22) and Wisconsin (22). This streak includes 12 straight season opening wins at Memorial Stadium. 

The Illini are 90-33-5 all-time in home-openers and 81-42-5 in season openers. The Illini are also 58-27-4 when they start the season at home. It is fair to say Memorial Stadium has been monumental for the Illini over the years.