CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois is back on the football field this weekend for a matchup against #24 Iowa after last week's game against #3 Ohio State was canceled. The Hawkeyes enter on a four-game winning streak and Illinois has won two in a row. 

Both Illinois and Iowa are coming off wins over Nebraska, as Iowa took down its rival last Friday, 26-20, and Illinois beat the Huskers, 41-23, two weeks ago in Lincoln. 

Illinois has had five 100-yard rushers in its last three games, including 100+ last week from running backs Mike Epstein and Chase Brown. The Illini average 222.4 yards per game on the ground, second only to Ohio State's 233.3 rushing average among Big Ten teams. 

2020 ILLINOIS HOMECOMING

HOMECOMING FROM HOME

• The University of Illinois Chancellor's Committee to Support Homecoming has planned a virtual homecoming celebration which began on Sunday and will run through the Illinois football game vs. Iowa on Dec. 5. The highlights for the week include a special Homecoming halftime performance by Illinois alum and REO Speedwagon frontman Kevin Cronin.

HALFTIME PERFORMANCE

• The virtual performance will be seen on Illinois' second screen experience which can be found on FightingIllini.com and the Illini Football Facebook page. The concert will include performances of four of REO's most popular tracks as well as commentary on the band and his time on the Champaign-Urbana campus. Cronin hails from the Chicago suburbs and went to Brother Rice High School. 

SENIOR DAY

• Illinois will honor 33 Seniors prior to the game on Saturday. All fourth-year players will be honored. This year's season does not count towards eligibility, therefore all Senior student-athletes will have the option to come back for 2021-22.

ILLINOIS STATS AND NOTES

TWO STRAIGHT WINS

• Illinois won Big Ten road games in consecutive weeks for the first time since Nov. 3, 2007 at Minnesota (44-17) and Nov. 10, 2007 at No. 1 Ohio State (28-21).
• Illinois dominated in all three phases of the game in a 41-23 win at Nebraska 11/21/20, the Illini's first win in Lincoln since 1924 (previously five-game losing streak). 
       » QB Brandon Peters threw for over 200 yards and RB Mike Epstein and RB Chase Brown both ran for over 100 yards. 
       » Illinois' defense had five takeaways at Nebraska (3 interceptions, 2 fumbles). The Illini have 3+ interceptions in back-to-back games for the first time in at least 20 years. 
       » P Blake Hayes highlighted the special teams with a 14-yard run on an improvised fake punt to pick up a first down on the first possession of the second half.
• Illinois was led by QB Isaiah Williams' 192 rushing yards at Rutgers 11/14/20 in his first career start. It was the most rushing yards by a quarterback in program history.
• Illinois led for only the last 0:03 of the game at Rutgers. The Illini were down 10-0 after the first quarter and 20-10 in the second half. James McCourt's 47-yard field goal with 0:03 left led to the 23-20 win. 
• Williams was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week and McCourt was named the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week after the Rutgers game. 

FOUR GAMES, FOUR QBS

• Illinois started four quarterbacks in the first four games. 

        » Brandon Peters, the season-opening starting QB, tested positive for COVID after one game played. He missed the next three games before returning to lead Illinois to the road win at Nebraska. 
        » Matt Robinson started against Purdue in place for Peters, but was hurt on the second drive.
        » Coran Taylor started against Minnesota, the first start of his career.
        » Isaiah Williams had 296 yards of total offense (192 rushing, 104 passing) at Rutgers, 67% of the team's total offense, in his first career start and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week.

• This is the first time Illinois has started four quarterbacks in a single season since the program's starters records began being kept in 1975.
• In Peters' two seasons at Illinois, the Illini are 7-5 when Peters starts and finishes the game and 1-5 when he does not. 

HANSEN AMONG NATION'S BEST LINEBACKERS

• Senior LB Jake Hansen is the only 2019 Butkus Award semifinalist that returned to college football in 2020.
• Hansen has been involved in 14 takeaways in the last two seasons, the most of any player in the nation. He has eight forced fumbles recovered by Illinois, three fumble recoveries (on fumbles he did not force), and three interceptions.
        » Hansen also has one forced fumble that Illinois did not recover and one fumble recovery on a fumble he forced. In total, Hansen has nine forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, and three interceptions in the last two seasons (14 games played). 
• Hansen has the #1 tackling grade in the nation according to PFF (min. 300 snaps). He has 0 missed tackles. 
• Hansen and Syracuse LB Mikel Jones are the only two linebackers in the nation with multiple interceptions, forced fumbles, and fumble recoveries in 2020.
• Current Big Ten ranks: Tied for the Big Ten lead in forced fumbles, #2 in fumble recoveries, #4 in TFLs, #8 in interceptions, #10 in tackles
• Seven tackles, 2.5 TFLs, one interception, and one fumble recovery at Nebraska 11/21/20
• Team-high 15 tackles at Rutgers 11/14/20, along with 1.0 sack, one interception and one pass breakup
        » Top-graded linebacker in Power-5 the week of Nov. 14 by PFF (81.3)
• Hansen is tied for third in Illinois history in forced fumbles (10), behind only Illinois legends Simeon Rice (13) and Whitney Mercilus (11).
• Led the nation in forced fumbles (7) and ranked fifth in fumbles recovered (3) in 2019

GROUND GAME

• Illinois leads the Big Ten in rushing yards (1,112) and ranks second in rushing yards per game (222.4), behind only Ohio State (233.3)
• Illinois has had multiple 100-yard rushers in back-to-back Big Ten games for the first time since at least 1945 when complete records began.
• Illinois has had five 100-yard rushing performances in the last three games.
• RB Mike Epstein (113) and RB Chase Brown (110) both went over 100 yards at Nebraska. 
       » Epstein ranks third in the Big Ten in yards per carry (6.1)
        » Brown ranks sixth in the Big Ten in yards per carry (5.9)
• QB Isaiah Williams (192) and RB Chase Brown (131) both went over 100 yards at Rutgers. 
        » Williams and Brown combined to become the second QB/RB duo to both rush for 130+ yards in a game in Illinois history. RB Rashard Mendenhall (201) and QB Isiah "Juice" Williams (133) both ran for 130+ at Minnesota 11/3/2007.
• Epstein ran for 108 yards three weeks ago against Minnesota.

IN THE NATIONAL RANKS

• Illinois is 6th in the nation in takeaways per game (2.60). Iowa ranks 4th (2.67).
• Illinois is 10th in the nation in forced fumbles per game (1.40).
• Illinois is 13th in the nation in turnover margin (+1.2).
• Illinois is 14th in the nation in fumble recoveries per game (1.2).
• Illinois is 18th in the nation in rushing offense (222.4).

PETERS RETURNS AFTER POSITIVE COVID TEST

• Senior QB Brandon Peters and redshirt freshman TE Griffin Moore were both sidelined for 21 days following positive test results Oct. 29 for the COVID-19 virus. Both players returned against Nebraska.
• Peters is the No. 3 graded quarterback in the Big Ten this season according to PFF, behind only Ohio State's Justin Fields and Indiana's Michael Penix. 
• Peters was the No. 4 graded quarterback in the nation the week of Nov. 21 by PFF.

ALL-TIME SERIES

ILLINOIS vs. IOWA

• Series: Illinois leads, 38-35-2
• Last: Iowa 19, Illinois 10 (11/23/2019 at Iowa City, Iowa)
• Streak: Iowa W6
• at Champaign: Illinois leads, 20-15
• Saturday will be the 76th meeting between the Illini and Hawkeyes in a series that dates back to 1899.
• Illinois and Iowa did not play a game from 1953-1966 because of a fight following the 1952 game.
• Illinois leads the all-time series 38-35-2.
• Iowa has won six straight meetings dating back to 2008, their longest streak in the series history.
• Illinois hung with #17 Iowa last season in Iowa City in a defensive battle. The Illini had more first downs than Iowa (20-16) and held the Hawkeyes to four field goals on scoring drives, but Illinois could only put 10 points on the board behind 336 yards of total offense. Donny Navarro caught a 31-yard touchdown pass from Brandon Peters for Illinois' only touchdown of the game, which tied the game 7-7 in the first quarter. After Navarro's touchdown it was a field goal battle with Illinois hitting one and Iowa hitting four.
• Iowa shut out Illinois, 63-0, at Memorial Stadium in the Hawkeyes' last visit to Champaign 11/17/2018.
• The Illini's last win in the series was a 27-24 victory in Champaign on Nov. 1, 2008. Matt Eller kicked a 46-yard field goal with 24 seconds left and Illinois withstood Iowa's fourth-quarter comeback. Illinois sacked Ricky Stanzi six times, scoring a touchdown on one of them when DB Dere Hicks forced a fumble, scooped up the ball and ran in for 24-9 lead in the third quarter. The 2008 win snapped Iowa's five-game winning streak against Illinois.
• Al Brosky started one of the most impressive streaks in college football history when he intercepted a pass Nov. 11, 1950 against Iowa. That was the first of Brosky's NCAA record 15 consecutive games with an interception.
• Shawn Wax tied a program record with three touchdown receptions vs. Iowa 11/3/1990.
• Dike Eddleman set an Illinois record with an 88-yard punt vs. Iowa 11/6/1948.
• Iowa junior Henry Marchese is the twin brother of Illini senior Michael Marchese. Their dad, John Marchese, played football at Iowa from 1982-86.
• Illinois head football athletic trainer Jeremy Busch graduated from Iowa and worked as an undergraduate athletic trainer for the Hawkeyes.