CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Illinois football team travels to #7 Penn State for an 11 a.m. CT kickoff on Oct. 23. Illinois will travel to Happy Valley for the second straight year after ending the 2020 season at Penn State on Dec. 19, the day the Illini announced Bret Bielema as head coach.

Illinois (2-5, 1-3 Big Ten) and Penn State (5-1, 2-1 Big Ten) are both coming off by weeks following losses in Big Ten play. The Illini fell to Wisconsin at home on Homecoming and Penn State lost in Iowa City to #3 Iowa.

ABC has the television broadcast from Happy Valley with Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Dan Orlovsky (analyst), and Kris Budden (reporter) on the call. The Busey Bank Illini Sports Network will have the radio call featuring Brian Barnhart (play-by-play), Martin O'Donnell (analyst), and Michael Martin (sideline).

PRESS CONFERENCE

ILLINOIS STATS AND NOTES

BACK TO PENN STATE

• Illinois will travel to Happy Valley for the second straight year after ending the 2020 season at Penn State on Dec. 19, the day the Illini announced Bret Bielema as head coach.
• Bielema attended last year's game at Penn State before flying to Champaign the following day and speaking to the Illini team for the first team on Dec. 20. Bielema's introductory press conference was the following Monday (Dec. 21).
• Illinois will play its first game against a top-10 opponent since beating No. 6 Wisconsin, 24-23, on Oct. 19, 2019 in one of the biggest upsets in Big Ten history.

DEFENSE STEPS UP

• Illinois has held opponents to 24 points or fewer in four straight games for the first time since October 2011 against Indiana, Ohio State, Purdue, and Penn State . Last year's Illini team allowed 24 points or fewer twice in eight games.
• Illinois is fifth in the nation and leads the Big Ten in fumbles recovered (8).
• Illinois is ninth in the nation and second in the Big Ten in turnover margin (+1.14).
• Illinois is 13th in the nation and second in the Big Ten in takeaways (13).

GROUND GAME

• Illinois has had two record-book worthy performances from running backs this season with Chase Brown rushing for 257 yards against Charlotte and Josh McCray going for 156 at Purdue.
• Brown rushed for a career-high 257 yards against Charlotte and tied his career-high with two rushing touchdowns, giving him three TDs on the season and five for his career. Brown's 257 yards were the fourth-most in a single game in program history.
• Brown's 257 yards were the most by a RB coached by Bret Bielema in his 13 years as a head coach.
• Brown's first TD against Charlotte gave the Illini a 17-14 lead in the third quarter. He carried the ball six times for 72 yards on the drive which covered 94 yards overall, Illinois' longest drive of the season by yards.
• Brown's second TD against Charlotte, an 80-yard score, came on the first play of the ensuing Illini possession and gave Illinois a 24-14 lead as time expired in the third quarter. The 80-yard scoring run tied for the 10th-longest run in Illinois program history.
• Josh McCray ran for a career-best 156 yards on 24 carries against Purdue 9/25/21. It was the fifth-most rushing yards by a true freshman in program history, and the most by a true freshman running back since Ke'Shawn Vaughn recorded 180 yards at Purdue 11/7/2015.

LOWE, PALCZEWSKI ONE AWAY FROM STARTS RECORD

• Illinois offensive tackles Vederian Lowe and Alex Palczewski are approaching the Illini record for career starts. With a start against Penn State, they would tie the record for career starts in Illini history (48) currently held by QB Nathan Scheelhaase (2010-13), C Ryan McDonald (2005-08), and OL Tim Simpson (1988-91).

KERBY'S EMERGENCE

• Kerby Joseph is the only player in the nation with 3+ interceptions and 3+ fumble recoveries.
• Joseph is tied for the national lead in fumble recoveries (Lorenzo Dantzler, UTSA).
• Joseph is one of only four Illini since 1971 to record 3+ interceptions and 3+ fumble recoveries in a single season.
• Joseph is one of only three Big Ten players since 2016 to record 3+ interceptions and 3+ fumble recoveries in a single season.
• Joseph's three fumble recoveries are tied for the 10th-most in Illinois history (stat since 1971).
• Joseph has either an interception or a fumble recovery in five straight games.

CARNEY ON A ROLL

• Illinois OLB Owen Carney Jr. has 4.5 sacks in his last four games.
• Carney is tied for sixth in the Big Ten in sacks (4.5).
• Carney has 14.0 career sacks, 1.0 away from Illinois' all-time career top 10 list.

SPECIAL TEAMS

• Illinois is eighth in the nation in net punting (44.10).
• Illinois is seventh in the nation in kickoff return defense (15.0).

OFFENSIVE LINE

• Doug Kramer is the No. 30 graded center in the nation according to PFF (69.0) (min. 300 snaps). Kramer has the No. 24 run blocking grade in the nation among centers (72.8).
• Vederian Lowe is the No. 28 graded tackle in the nation according to PFF (76.9) (min. 300 snaps). Lowe was the highest graded offensive lineman in the nation in Week 5 against Charlotte (93.7).
• Alex Palczewski is the No. 58 graded tackle in the nation according to PFF (72.4) (min. 300 snaps). Palczewski has the No. 15 run blocking grade in the nation among tackles (85.2).

ALL-TIME SERIES

ILLINOIS vs. PENN STATE

• Series: Illinois trails, 5-20
• Last: Penn State 56, Illinois 21 (12/19/2020)
• Streak: Penn State W3
• at Penn State: Illinois trails, 1-10