CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The Illinois football team will conclude its 2020 season at Penn State on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. CT on FS1 with Cory Provus and Robert Smith on the call. 

Offensive coordinator Rod Smith will be the acting head coach for Illinois after AD Josh Whitman relieved Lovie Smith of his duties as head coach. Defensive ends coach Jimmy Lindsey will call the defense for the Fighting Illini. 

ILLINOIS STATS AND NOTES

MID-YEAR WINS HIGHLIGHT THE SEASON

• Illinois won Big Ten road games in consecutive weeks against Rutgers 11/14/20 and Nebraska 11/21/20. It was the first time Illinois had won Big Ten road games in back-to-back weeks 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 at Nebraska 11/21/20 in a 41-23 win, 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. 

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, more than any other 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 (16 games played).
• Hansen has the #6 tackling grade in the nation according to PFF (min. 350 snaps). He has three missed tackles all season according to PFF.
• Current Big Ten ranks: tied for the B1G lead in forced fumbles, #2 in fumble recoveries, #6 in tackles, #7 in interceptions, #9 in TFLs
• Hansen is the #2 active player in the nation in career forced fumbles per game (0.25), behind only Fresno State's David Perales (0.31) and #2 in career forced fumbles (10), behind only Northwestern's Paddy Fisher (11).
• 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

CARNEY'S BREAKOUT YEAR

• Senior DE Owen Carney Jr. is third in the Big Ten in sacks (5.0) and ranks 10th in TFLs (7.0).

GROUND GAME

• Illinois leads the Big Ten in rushing yards (1,416). Penn State is third (1,316).
• Illinois ranks second in rushing yards per game (202.3), behind only Ohio State (251.0).
• Illinois had multiple 100-yard rushers in back-to-back Big Ten games against Rutgers and Nebraska. It was the first time Illinois accomplished the feat since at least 1945 when complete records began.
• Illinois had five 100-yard rushing performances in the three-game stretch of Minnesota, Rutgers, Nebraska.
• RB Mike Epstein (113) and RB Chase Brown (110) both went over 100 yards at Nebraska.
• 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 against Minnesota 11/7/2020.
• Illinois has three players in the Big Ten's top 10 in yards per carry.
       » Williams is fourth in the Big Ten in yards per carry (6.0)
       » Epstein is fifth the Big Ten in yards per carry (5.9)
       » Brown is eighth in the Big Ten in yards per carry (5.5)

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 7-7 when Peters starts and plays into the fourth quarter and 1-5 when he does not. 

IN THE NATIONAL RANKS

• Illinois is 7th in kickoff return defense (16.25).
• Illinois is 11th in the nation in turnover margin (+1.0).
• Illinois is 16th in fewest interceptions against (3).
• Illinois is 22nd in fewest turnovers lost (7).
• Illinois is 27th in the nation in rushing offense (202.3).

ALL-TIME SERIES

ILLINOIS vs. PENN STATE

• Series: Illinois trails, 5-19
• Last: Penn State 63, Illinois 24 (at Champaign, 9/21/2018)
• Streak: Penn State W2
• at Penn State: Penn State leads, 9-1
• Penn State leads the all-time series against Illinois, 19-5, including a 9-1 advantage at Penn State.
• Illinois has won three of the last 10 meetings (2007, 2010 and 2014). Prior to 2007, Penn State had won 11 of 13 meetings, including seven in a row from 1972-2000.
• Illinois' last win over Penn State was in 2014, when David Reisner's 36-yard field goal with eight seconds left secured a 16-14 victory.
• In Illinois' last meeting with Penn State, WR Trenard Davis threw his first career touchdown pass on a trick play in the third quarter, a 17-yard completion to WR Ricky Smalling, that gave Illinois a 24-21 lead. Penn State then finished the game with 42 unanswered points, including a 35-0 fourth quarter. Then-sophomore DE Bobby Roundtree had a huge game with 12 tackles (10 solo), 2.0 TFLs, 1.0 sack and one PBU.
• Penn State won during Illinois' last visit to University Park, 39-0, on Halloween in 2015. Current University of Illinois Department of Intercollegiate Athletics operations employee D.J. Taylor led the Illini with four catches for 45 yards.
• Last 100-yard rusher vs. Penn State: Jason Ford, 100, 10/29/2011
• Last 300-yard passer vs. Penn State: Nathan Scheelhaase, 321, 11/2/2013
• Last 100-yard receiver vs. Penn State: Ryan Lankford, 104, 9/29/2012
• Penn State co-defensive coordinator Tim Banks was in the same role at Illinois from 2012-15
• Former Illini V'Angelo Bentley is a graduate assistant for Penn State. Bentley is Illinois' career leader in kickoff return yardage and had the Illini's last kickoff return for a touchdown against Southern Illinois in 2013.