CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Illinois football team returns to Big Ten play when Wisconsin comes to Memorial Stadium on Saturday for a 2:30 p.m. CT kickoff on Big Ten Network. The game is part of the University of Illinois' 111th Homecoming celebration, which runs all week.

Illinois (2-4, 1-2 Big Ten) is coming off a 24-14 win over Charlotte last week at Memorial Stadium. Chase Brown had a career day with 257 rushing yards, the fourth-most in Illinois history, as the Illini controlled the line of scrimmage. The Illini owned a 34:03-25:57 advantage in time of possession and held the ball for over nine minutes of the fourth quarter, including a game-ending 6:43 drive. Illinois' final five drives - outside of a two-play drive to end the first half - resulted in a touchdown, touchdown, touchdown, missed field goal, and the game-ending 6:43 drive.

The Illini defense stepped up to earn a second-half shutout against Charlotte and allowed only seven total yards in the fourth quarter. Illinois has allowed 20 points or fewer in three straight games for the first time since the start of the 2011 season. Owen Carney Jr. is one of 12 players in the nation with an active streak of three straight games with 1.0+ sack and Kerby Joseph is the only player in the nation with 2+ interceptions and 2+ fumble recoveries.

Mark Followill (play-by-play), Matt Millen (analyst), and Elise Menaker (sideline) have the call of Illinois vs. Wisconsin on Big Ten Network. 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).

Tickets can be purchased at FightingIllini.com/tickets.

PRESS CONFERENCE

GAME PROGRAM

ILLINOIS STATS AND NOTES

HOMECOMING HISTORY

• The first homecoming celebrated on Illinois' campus was on Oct. 15, 1910, which the Illini won 3-0 over Chicago.
• Illinois boasts being one of the first universities to celebrate Homecoming, a tradition on almost every college campus. It was conceived in 1909 by students C.F. Williams and W. Elmer Ekblaw, members of the Shield and Trident senior society. They joined with another society, Phoenix, to organize the three-day event.
• For years, there has been a debate over which university had the first homecoming. Historians from various schools found research that puts Illinois among one of the first five universities to celebrate the Homecoming tradition. Baylor has documented proof of a formally named Homecoming celebration in 1909, but took a six-year hiatus before celebrating the second event at the school in 1915. Northern Illinois had alumni events beginning in 1906, but didn't use the proper noun "Homecoming" until 1911. Indiana University renamed their 1909 Gala Day to Homecoming on Nov. 5, 1910, and Michigan began inviting alumni back to campus in 1897, but the formal name began on the Ann Arbor campus in 1916.

GROUND GAME

• Illinois had two record-book worthy performances from running backs in the last two weeks 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 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 are the fourth-most in a single game in program history.
• Brown's 257 yards were the third-most by a running back in college football this season. Only Ohio State's TreVeyon Henderson (277 vs. Tulsa) and Michigan State's Kenneth Walker III (264 vs. Northwestern) have had more in a game this season.
• 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.
• McCray had 150 yards after contact at Purdue according to PFF, the most yards after contact in college football in Week 4 and tied for the eighth-most yards after contact in a game this season.
• McCray's 156 rushing yards at Purdue were the second most by a true freshman this season (Ohio State's TreVeyon Henderson, 277 vs. Tulsa).
• McCray's 156 rushing yards at Purdue are the most by a true freshman in a road game this year and the second most by any freshman in a road game (Memphis' Brandon Thomas, 191 at Arkansas State).
• McCray became the first true freshman to start at running back for the Illini since Ra'Von Bonner at Minnesota 10/21/2017. Bonner and Mike Epstein each started three games as true freshmen during the 2017 season.
• Illinois is one of five FBS teams to have two different players rush for over 150 yards in a game this season (Georgia Southern, Michigan, Minnesota, Tulsa).

DEFENSE STEPS UP

• Illinois has held opponents to 20 points or fewer in three straight games for the first time since starting the 2011 season with four straight games allowing 20 points or fewer. Last year's season low was 20 points allowed vs. Rutgers.
• Illinois has missed two of its top defenders in the last two games due to injuries: LB Jake Hansen and DB Devon Witherspoon.
• Illinois is fifth in the nation and leads the Big Ten in fumbles recovered (7).
• Illinois is 12th in the nation and second in the Big Ten in takeaways (12).
• Illinois is 15th in the nation and third in the Big Ten in turnover margin (+1.0)

CARNEY ON A ROLL

• Illinois OLB Owen Carney Jr. has 4.5 sacks in his last three games.
• Carney is one of 12 players in the nation that has an active streak of three consecutive games with 1.0+ sack. He is one of only three Big Ten players with an active streak of three consecutive games with 1.0+ sack (Minnesota's Boye Mafe and Ohio State's Tyleik Williams).
• Carney is fourth in the Big Ten and 19th in the nation in sacks (4.5).
• Carney now has 14.0 career sacks, 1.0 away from Illinois' all-time career top 10 list.

KERBY'S EMERGENCE

• Kerby Joseph is the only player in the nation with 2+ interceptions and 2+ fumble recoveries.
• Joseph has either an interception or a fumble recovery in four straight games.

OFFENSIVE LINE NOTES

• Doug Kramer is the No. 7 graded center in the nation according to PFF (75.8) (min. 200 snaps). Kramer has the No. 4 run blocking grade in the nation among centers (78.0).
• Vederian Lowe is the No. 26 graded tackle in the nation according to PFF (77.8) (min. 200 snaps). Lowe was the highest graded offensive lineman in the nation in Week 5 against Charlotte (93.7).
• Alex Palczewski is the No. 40 graded tackle in the nation according to PFF (74.9) (min. 200 snaps). Palczewski has the No. 8 run blocking grade in the nation among tackles (83.8).
• Julian Pearl is the No. 41 graded guard in the nation according to PFF (71.0) (min. 200 snaps).
• Illinois has the No. 6 team run-blocking grade in the nation according to PFF (82.4). Ohio State is the only Big Ten team graded ahead of Illinois in run blocking (1st, 86.5).

QUARTERBACKS TURNED WIDE RECEIVERS

• Isaiah Williams and Deuce Spann have both transitioned from quarterback to wide receiver in 2021 and have become Illinois' top two leading receivers.
• Isaiah Williams leads the team in receptions (28) and receiving yards (275).
• Isaiah Williams is eighth in the Big Ten in receptions per game (4.7).
• Isaiah Williams is 12th in the Big Ten in receiving yards (275).
• WR Isaiah Williams led the Illini with eight catches for 101 yards against UTSA, his first career 100-yard receiving game. Williams was the first Illini with 100+ receiving yards since Josh Imatorbhebhe had 178 yards on Nov. 9, 2019 at Michigan State.
• Deuce Spann is second on the team in receiving yards (117), second on the team in receiving touchdowns (2), and leads the team in yards per catch (29.25).
• Deuce Spann is the No. 26 graded receiver in the nation according to PFF (85.6) with a minimum of one target per game. He has sox targets and four receptions for 117 yards and two touchdowns.
• Two of Deuce Spann's four catches have been 30+-yard touchdowns: 31-yard TD against UTSA and a 33-yard TD against Virginia.

ALL-TIME SERIES

ILLINOIS vs. WISCONSIN

• This is the 89th meeting between the Fighting Illini and the Badgers.
• Wisconsin holds a 43-38-7 edge in the all-time series.
• Illinois pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Big Ten history in 2019. James McCourt's 39-yard field goal as time expired beat the No. 6/6 Badgers, 24-23, on Illinois' Homecoming, as the Illini won as 30.5-point underdogs (according to ESPN). Illinois had the most points (24), takeaways (3), rushing yards (141), passing touchdowns (2, tied), rushing touchdowns (1, tied), yards per carry (4.0), and the longest rush (43, Corbin) against Wisconsin to that point in the season.
• Illinois is 22-18-3 all-time against Wisconsin in Champaign.
• The 1995 game between the Illini and Wisconsin holds historical significance as the last college football game to end in a tie (final score was 3-3). Overtime rules were instituted the following season.

ILLINOIS SUPERLATIVES vs. WISCONSIN

• Illinois' most receiving yards vs. WIS: 167 D. Williams 10/6/1984, 154 T. Brewster 10/23/1982, 142 O. Williams 10/24/1981
• Illinois' most rush yards vs. WIS: 239 Grabowski 11/14/1964, 196 Grabowski 11/13/1965, 160 R. Mendenhall 10/6/2007
• Illinois' most passing yards vs. WIS: 479 T. Eason 10/23/1982, 401 K. Kittner 10/20/2001, 357 T. Eason 10/24/1981
• Illinois' longest rush vs. WIS: 80 R. Corbin 10/20/2018, 73 J. Wilson 11/13/1971, 69 B. Brown 11/14/1959,
• Illinois' longest pass vs. WIS: 86 Eason to O. Williams 10/24/1981
• Last 100-yard receiving game vs. WIS: Steve Hull, 105, 10/19/2013
• Last 100-yard rushing game vs. WIS: Reggie Corbin 10/20/2018
• Last 300-yard passing game vs. WIS: Jon Beutjer, 319, 11/9/2002

CONNECTIONS

• Illinois head coach Bret Bielema was defensive coordinator (2004-05) and the head coach (2006-12) at Wisconsin. He led the Badgers to three Big Ten championships (2010-12), six consecutive bowl games and a 68-24 record (.739).
• Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst was the offensive coordinator for Bielema's Wisconsin teams from 2006-11 before leaving to take the head coaching job at Pittsburgh.
• Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst was the tight ends coach for the San Diego Chargers in 2001 when Illinois AD Josh Whitman played for the Chargers.
• Illinois outside linebacker coach Kevin Kane was at Wisconsin from 2008-10 serving as a graduate assistant and serving as a graduate assistant (2008-09) and quality control assistant (2010) under Bielema.
• Illinois linebackers coach Andy Buh served the same postion at Wisconsin in 2012 under Bielema.
• Illinois defensive line coach Terrance Jamison played on the defensive line for the Badgers from 2005-07 under Bielema before knee injuries forced him to the sidelines, and combined to serve four seasons as a student assistant (2008-09), quality control assistant (2011) and a graduate assistant (2012).
• Illinois defensive backs coach Aaron Henry played under Bielema at Wisconsin where he was an All-Big Ten first team defensive back, earning 32 starts from 2007-11, and helping lead the Badgers to consecutive Big Ten titles and Rose Bowl appearances as a junior and senior.
• Illinois Football Chief of Staff Mark Taurisani spent seven seasons at Wisconsin, including the final four as Director of Football Operations. He served as football operations coordinator (2008-09), following two seasons as an operations assistant in 2006-07.
• Illinois linebacker Sean Coghlan's sister, Erin, played lacrosse at Wisconsin.