Preview

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- No. 24-ranked Illinois (5-1, 2-1) faces off with Minnesota (4-1, 1-1) in its annual Homecoming game, with kickoff set for 11 a.m. CT. The program's 5-1 record is the best mark to start the season since 2011.

The Fighting Illini earned their first AP ranking since 2011, and the team is tied atop the Big Ten West standings.

The Illini enter the conference contest on a four-game winning streak, with the team's most recent win coming on Saturday night against Iowa, the Illini's first win over the Hawkeyes since 2008. The Golden Gophers had a bye last week, though they lost to Purdue, 20-10, in their most recent fixture.

The Illinois defense has now gone four straight home games without allowing a touchdown, while the unit's 8.4 points allowed per game is the best mark in the FBS.

Running back Chase Brown still sits atop the rushing rankings with 879 yards through six games, and he has now run for at least 100 yards in seven consecutive contests.

Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT, and the game will air on Big Ten Network.

Illini Stats and Notes

Homecoming/With Illinois Celebration

• The Illini football game is final activity in a week-long celebration of Illinois alumni returning to campus. Homecoming week at Illinois celebrates the 111th year of Illinois traditions. This year's theme is "We are FamILLy."
• Events include a pep rally on the quad Monday at 5 p.m., the With Illinois Campaign Celebration Close on Friday from 6-10 p.m. in Grange Grove, a Sky Show of drones on Friday at 8 p.m. in Grange Grove, and the Homecoming parade on Friday at 5:30 p.m.
• More information is available at homecoming.illinois.edu.

Illinois Setting New Expectations

• Illinois is ranked in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2011.
• Illinois is on a five-game home winning streak for the first time since 2014-15. The Illini have outscored opponents 149-29 (29.8-5.8) during the five-game home winning streak.
• Illinois has won five of its first six games for the first time since starting the 2011 season 6-0. The Illini are also looking for their first five-game winning streak since that start in 2011.
• Illinois has won three straight games against Big Ten West opponents for the first time since the Big Ten switched to East/West divisions in 2014.
• Illinois beat Iowa for the first time since 2008, after winning in Madison for the first time since 2002.
• Illinois has already tied its win total from last season (5).
• Bret Bielema is 10-8 in his Illinois career (6-6 Big Ten). It is the best start for an Illinois head coach since John Mackovic started 11-6-1 in the 1988-89 seasons.
• Illinois is 3-0 against teams it lost to in 2021. The Illini have avenged losses against Virginia, at Wisconsin, and against Iowa by a 67-19 margin after losing to the same three opponents by a combined 99-37 last year.
• Illinois beat Iowa for the first time since 2008, snapping an eight-game losing streak.
• Illinois beat Iowa and Wisconsin in the same season for the first time since 1989.
• Illinois won in Madison for the first time in 20 years by cruising to a 34-10 win over Wisconsin.
• Illinois held Wisconsin to just two yards rushing, the fewest yards the Badgers have rushed for at home since being held to 12 yards on Nov. 3, 2007, vs. Ohio State.
• The 24-point margin of victory over Wisconsin was the third-largest in an Illinois win in Madison and its biggest since 1988. It was the largest margin of victory for the Illini in a Big Ten road game since defeating Purdue by 34 points on Nov. 7, 2015.
• Bielema was the first Illinois head coach to win in his first trip to Madison since Lou Tepper in 1992.
• Bielema's three Big Ten road wins in first two seasons are the most since Lou Tepper won five Big Ten road games in his first two seasons 1992-93.
• Illinois is 8-3 in the last calendar year, tied for the third-fewest losses in the Big Ten during that span. Minnesota also has three losses in the last year, while Michigan has two and Ohio State has one.

Illinois Defense Keeps Trending Up

• Illinois national ranks: 1st in scoring defense (8.0), 1st in touchdowns allowed (3), 1st in passing efficiency defense (80.7), 2nd in red zone defense (55.6%), 3rd in total defense (227.8), 3rd in rushing defense (67.2), 4th in fourth down defense (12.5%), 6th in first downs allowed (74), 6th in takeaways (14), 6th in third down defense (26.4%), 7th in interceptions (9), 9th in passing defense (160.7)
• Illinois' 48 points allowed are its fewest through six games since 1950.
• Illinois is the only school in the nation that has yet to allow a touchdown at home this season.
• Illinois has allowed 221 rushing yards over 142 rushes in the last five games (1.6 yards/rush).
• Illinois has allowed only three touchdowns on 79 opponent drives and only one in the last 53 drives. The Illini lead the nation in fewest touchdowns allowed. Indiana is the only opponent to score points on back to-back drives against Illinois this season.
• Illinois has at least one interception in all six games this season and has an interception in nine straight games dating back to last season. Six different Illini have an interception this season.
• Illinois has held four straight opponents to less than 100 rush yards and 0 rush TDs. In the playoff era, only four teams have had longer streaks: 2016 Alabama (6), 2021 San Diego State (5), 2016 Michigan (5), and 2015 Michigan (5).
• During Illinois' five wins, opponents have a third down conversion rate of 19.4% (14-72).
• 11 different Illini have a sack this season, tied for the third-most in the nation.
• Illinois has allowed only 10 second half points and only seven points in fourth quarters. The Illini are outscoring opponents 64-10 in the second half.

More on the Illinois Defense

• Illinois' defense is ranked fourth in the nation by ESPN's SP+ metric and fifth by PFF.
• Illinois' run defense is ranked third in the nation and its pass coverage is ranked fourth by PFF.
• Illinois did not allow a touchdown in nonconference play for the first time since 1921 (52-0 vs. South Dakota, 21-0 vs. DePauw), helping Illinois complete its first undefeated nonconference schedule since 2011. It was the first time Illinois played 3+ nonconference games without allowing a TD since 1917 (22-0 vs. Kansas, 44-0 vs. Oklahoma, 28-0 vs. Camp Funston).
• Illinois has allowed 50 passing yards or less in two games (30 vs. Wyoming, 49 vs. Chattanooga). It is the first time since at least 2000 Illinois has held two opponents under 50 passing yards.
• Kendall Smith is tied for eighth in the nation in interceptions (3) and tied for the Big Ten lead. Illinois free safeties have eight interceptions in the last 16 games, with Kerby Joseph - a third round pick of the Detroit Lions - having five interceptions in the final 10 games of last season and Smith having three interceptions in the first six games this season.
• Devon Witherspoon ranks second in the nation in passes defended (1.8 per game) and Jartavius Martin ranks 11th (1.5 per game). Martin has a pass breakup in seven straight games dating back to last season.
• Keith Randolph has 1.0+ sacks in four straight games.
• Johnny Newton (31) and Seth Coleman (25) have 56 combined pressures, the most of any teammates in the nation, according to PFF.

Chase Brown Chases History

• Chase Brown is the nation's leading rusher with 879 yards.
• Brown leads the nation in rushes of 10+ yards (28), six more than any other player. He is tied for fourth in 20+ yard runs (8) and tied for second in 30+ yard runs (4).
• Brown ranks third in the nation in all-purpose yards (927) without having return duties.
• Brown leads the nation in yards after contact (515), according to PFF. He ranks third in the nation in forced missed tackles (40).
• Brown's 40 first down runs is tied for fourth in the nation, according to PFF.
• Brown has rushed for 100+ yards in seven straight games.
• Brown is the only player in the nation to rush for 100+ in his last seven team games.
• Brown's streak of seven straight 100-yard games is the second longest active streak in the nation, behind only Minnesota's Mohamed Ibrahim (13), who missed most of the 2021 season.
• Brown is the first Illini in history to rush for 100+ yards in the first six games of a season.
• Brown had his 12th career 100-yard game against Iowa. Only Robert Holcombe (16 from 1994-97) has more in Illinois history.
• Brown was the first player in program history to rush for 140+ yards in the first three games of a season. He went for 146 yards on 20 carries against Virginia, had 199 yards on 36 careers at Indiana, and 151 yards on 19 carries against Wyoming in Week 0.
• Brown became the 14th 1,000-yard rusher in program history when he broke the 1,000-yard mark in the season finale against Northwestern last year. He finished the season with 1,005 rushing yards on 170 carries (5.9 per carry) and five touchdowns.
• Brown is looking to join an elite group if he can reach 1,000 yards again in 2022. Only Jim Grabowski and Robert Holcombe have reached 1,000 yards rushing in two seasons for Illinois.
• Brown has 2,442 rushing yards for his career at Illinois, No. 12 on Illinois' all-time career rushing list. Brown tallied 352 yards as a freshman at Western Michigan for 2,794 for his career, good for No. 11 on the NCAA's active career leaders list.
• Brown was the 14th 1,000-yard rusher coached by Bielema in his 13-year head coaching career.
• Brown's 223-yard rushing game at Penn State marked his second game of 2021 with 200+ yards (257 vs. Charlotte). He joined Howard Griffith (1990) and Rashard Mendenhall (2007) as the only players in Illinois history with multiple 200-yard rushing games in a single season. Brown nearly became the first Illini running back to rush for 200 yards on three occassions, falling one yard short at Indiana. 
• Brown's 223 rushing yards at Penn State last year were the most ever by an opponent at Beaver Stadium and the fourth-most ever against Penn State.
• Brown was the first Illini in history to run for 220+ yards twice in a career. He did it in the span of three games during the 2021 season (vs. Charlotte, at Penn State).

Time of Possession

• Illinois is eighth in the nation and second in the Big Ten in time of possession (34:06). Minnesota leads the nation in time of possession (37:58).
• Illinois held the ball for 10+ minutes in every fourth quarter of the first five games. During the Iowa game, Illinois held the ball for 8:19 in the fourth quarter.

#1 from QB to WR

• Former quarterback Isaiah Williams has been Illinois' leading receiver over the last two seasons, his first two seasons playing wide receiver in his life.
• Williams set career highs in receptions (9) and receiving yards (112) at Indiana, then he had nine more receptions and 103 yards against Chattanooga.
• Williams had a 90.3 grade by PFF against Indiana, the second-best offensive grade in the Big Ten in Week 1 behind only Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud.
• Williams has at least one catch in all 18 games of the last two seasons.
• Williams ranks 28th in the nation and fourth in the Big Ten in receptions per game (6.3).
• Last season, Williams was third in the nation among Power-5 freshmen in receptions (47), behind only Texas' Xavier Worthy (62) and Georgia's Brock Bowers (56). 

Sixth-Year Palczewski

• Alex Palczewski is the No. 6 graded tackle in the nation according to PFF (min. 300 snaps). The Law Firm
• Defensive linemen Jer'Zhan "Johnny" Newton and Keith Randolph Jr., who go by the nickname "The Law Firm," have been one of the top defensive tackle duos in the nation to date.
• Newton is the #3 graded interior defensive lineman in the nation by PFF and Randolph is #41.
• Newton leads the nation in QB hits with 13 and is tied for the national lead in QB pressures with 31, both according to PFF.
• Newton and Randolph's combined 45 pressures are the most in the country among any interior defensive line tandem.
• Randolph is tied for 16th in the nation in TFLs (8.0).

Series vs. Minnesota

Series: Illinois trails, 31-40-3
Last: Illinois 14, Minnesota 6 (11/3/21 at MINN)
Streak: Illinois W1
at Champaign: Illinois leads, 19-17-1
Bielema vs. Minnesota: 8-0

The Illinois-Minnesota Series

• Saturday's game between Illinois and Minnesota will be the 75th meeting between the two teams.
• Illinois trails in the all-time series against Minnesota, 31-40-3.
• Last season, the Illinois defense held Minnesota to six points and 289 total yards, as the Illini secured their first ever win over a College Football Playoff ranked opponent.
• In Minnesota's last trip to Champaign, a short-handed Illinois team fell 41-14 against the Gophers.
• John Sullivan set Illinois' single-game tackles record of 34 vs. Minnesota 11/12/1977
• Rich Kreitling set Illinois' single-game yards per catch record of 41.5 (4-166) at Minnesota 10/18/1958
• Dike Eddleman set Illinois' single-game punt return average record of 51.0 vs. Minnesota 10/18/1947 

Illinois Superlatives vs. Minnesota

• Illinois' most rushing yards vs. Minnesota: 315 Robert Holcombe 11/16/1996, 213 Reggie Corbin 11/3/2018, 206 Robert Holcombe 11/18/1995, 205 J.C. Caroline 10/17/1953, 201 Rashard Mendenhall 11/3/2007
• Illinois' most receiving yards vs. Minnesota: 188 David Williams 11/5/1983, 181 Arrelious Benn 10/11/2008
• Illinois' most passing yards vs. Minnesota: 462 Juice Williams 10/11/2008, 343 Jeff George 10/29/1988
• Illinois' longest rush vs. Minnesota: 77 Reggie Corbin 11/3/2018, 72 Reggie Corbin 11/3/2018, 72 Dre Brown 11/3/2018
• Illinois' longest pass vs. Minnesota: 83 Hickey to Kreitling 10/18/1958, 80 Eason to Martin, 10/2/1982
• Longest Illinois winning streak vs. Minnesota: 5 (1981-1984, 1987)
• Longest Minnesota winning streak vs. Illinois: 7 (1900-1903, 1911-1913)

Illinois-Minnesota Connections

• Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck is a native of Sugar Grove, Illinois, and went to Kaneland High School. Fleck was coached by Illinois wide receivers coach George McDonald at Northern Illinois.
• Illinois wide receivers coach George McDonald served as the wide receivers coach at Minnesota for two seasons (2007-08).
• Illinois offensive line coach Bart Miller coached the offensive line at Minnesota during the 2016 season.
• Illinois chancellor Robert J. Jones had a 34-year career at the University of Minnesota, where he began as a plant physiologist in the department of agronomy and plant genetics and rose through a series of academic administrative appointments, serving as senior vice president for academic administration at the University of Minnesota System from 2004 to 2013.
• Illinois head football athletic trainer Jeremy Busch was a graduate assistant athletic trainer with the Minnesota football program and graduated from Minnesota with a master's degree in sports management in 2005.
• Illinois Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Nutrition Brittany Perry was a four-year hockey letterwinner for Minnesota. Her husband, Travis Perry , is a graphic designer in the Illinois athletic department and worked on Minnesota's football staff for four years.