Illinois heads east for its first road game of the season as it will take on the Indiana Hoosiers in Bloomington, Indiana, on Friday night to kick off conference action.

The two teams will square off for the first time since 2017, and the Illini look to snap a three-game skid against the Hoosiers without running back Josh McCray, who will miss the game after suffering an injury in the team's Week Zero opener.

Indiana struggled last season with injuries, but it made back-to-back bowl appearances in 2019 and 2020 and has lots of talent under head coach Tom Allen.

With kickoff just around the corner, here are a few storylines to keep an eye on.

Who will step up with McCray missing out due to injury?

McCray firmly established himself as the Illini's secondhand man in the run game, but an injury in the Illini's season opener has put McCray on the sidelines for at least the next two weeks. One of the team's most dynamic options on the ground, McCray will leave a fairly sizeable hole that Illinois will need to fill while he recovers.

Along with Chase Brown, who recorded three total touchdowns and over 150 rushing yards on Saturday, three options have emerged for Bielema and the Illini: Reggie Love III, Chase Hayden, and true freshman Aidan Laughery.

Love recorded his first-career touchdown against Wyoming, registering 46 yards on just three carries, while Hayden also looked good after rushing for 30 yards on seven carries.

"Chase Hayden and Reggie probably had the best week of preparation to this point since I've been here," Bielema said. "I think to know that they're into the rotation, to know that they're going to be involved in the game plan has really helped their confidence."

Laughery is slated to make his Illinois debut against Indiana after missing Saturday's opener, and it's no secret that Bielema is a big fan of the Gibson City native.

"He'll be involved in our plans. Another freshman that has been very impressive since he got here. We had him last spring, and we like what he brings to the table, especially in the running back room."

How will defense react to unknowns at quarterback for Indiana?

For the second straight week, the Illini will be taking on a team that will not name a starting quarterback until game day. 

Wyoming struggled to establish a passing attack against the Illinois secondary, and the Illini held the visitors to just 30 passing yards, which marked the first time since 2017 that they held an opponent under 50 passing yards. Illinois also recorded two takeaways and dominated for a majority of the afternoon.

The Illini defense adapted quickly to Wyoming's quarterback and offensive schemes, so it'll be important to see how fast they can catch onto a Big Ten offense in Indiana, which also added a new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach this offseason.

Can the Illini establish an aerial attack against a talented Indiana secondary?

The Illini were able to get catches from 12 different receivers on Saturday, but Indiana touts an experienced secondary, which includes former First-Team All-American and All-Big Ten defensive back Tiawan Mullen.

Bielema says the Indiana corners are among the conference's best, and he expects a battle on Friday night.

"I think both corners for Indiana that we project to see are probably the better pair of corners possibly in the Big Ten. Very talented, very skilled, and 23 in particular shows up in every phase of the kicking game. I respect the way the players play, no matter how they line up or in what fashion."