CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Following its off weekend, the Illinois football team is back in action Saturday against Minnesota in Minneapolis. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network.
Illinois (3-5, 1-4 Big Ten) is looking for its third straight win over Minnesota (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten). The Illini have not beaten Minnesota in three straight meetings since 1993-95.
Connor Onion (play-by-play), Matt Millen (analyst), and Elise Menaker (reporter) have the television coverage on Big Ten Network. The Busey Bank Illini Sports Network has the radio call with Brian Barnhart, Martin O'Donnell, and Michael Martin.
Press Conference
Notes
Illinois Travels to Minnesota Coming off Bye Week
• Illinois is coming off its bye week, the team's latest first bye since 2011 (Nov. 5).
• Illinois is looking for its third straight win over Minnesota. The Illini have not beaten Minnesota in three straight meetings since 1993-95.
• Bret Bielema is looking for his seventh Big Ten road win in his first three seasons as Illinois' head coach. Currently, his six Big Ten road wins are tied for the third-most by a head coach in Illinois history through their first three seasons. Only John Mackovic (9, 1988-90) and Lou Tepper (8, 1992-94) won more Big Ten road games in their first three seasons at Illinois than Bielema. Mike White (1980-82) and Ray Eliot (1942-44) also won six Big Ten road games in their first three seasons.
• Bielema's 10 Big Ten wins through his first three seasons at Illinois are the most since Lou Tepper won 13 in his first three seasons (1992-94). Bielema already has the fifth-most Big Ten wins through three seasons among the Illini's 13 head coaches in modern history (post-1940).
The Law Firm of Newton and Randolph
• Defensive tackles Jer'Zhan "Johnny" Newton and Keith Randolph Jr., who go by the nickname "The Law Firm," are one of the top defensive tackle duos in the nation over the last two seasons.
• Newton was named to the AP Midseason All-American First Team. He is looking to be the second Illini defender to earn Consensus All-American honors in as many years, following DB Devon Witherspoon. Illinois has not had back-to-back years with consensus All-Americans since linebackers Dana Howard (1994) and Kevin Hardy (1995) from 1994-95.
• Newton is tied for the national lead in QB pressures among interior defenders with 31, according to PFF, equal to Tulane's Patrick Jenkins. Newton leads Big Ten defensive tackles by eight pressures with the next closest being Ohio State's Michael Hall Jr. (23).
• Newton has been one of the most durable interior defenders in the nation, as he ranks third in the nation in snaps among defensive tackles with 502 (62.75 per game). Newton has played 67 more snaps than any other Big Ten interior defender, as Iowa's Logan Lee is the next closest at 435.
• Newton's two biggest games have come against two of Illinois' best opponents. He had eight pressures against Wisconsin, the most by any defensive tackle in the nation this season, and seven pressures against #7 Penn State in Illinois' Big Ten opener, the second-most by any defensive tackle in a game this season. Newton was the highest-rated Power-5 defensive tackle in the nation during Week 3 vs. Penn State and Week 8 vs. Wisconsin (minimum 30 snaps), according to PFF. His 95.0 grade against Wisconsin was the highest by a Big Ten defender since 2019.
• Randolph leads the nation in tackles per game among defensive tackles with 5.5.
#1 Among Nation's Most Reliable
• Isaiah Williams is second in the Big Ten in receptions (46) and receiving yards (562), trailing only Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. (48-889) in both categories.
• Williams is third in the Big Ten with 26 first-down receptions, tied with Minnesota's Daniel Jackson and trailing only Harrison (34) and Penn State's KeAndre Lambert-Smith (27).
• Williams has at least one catch in all 33 games since he switched from QB prior to the start of the 2021 season, the longest active streak in the Big Ten and tied for the 9th-longest active streak in the nation.
• Williams has at least three catches in 22 straight games.
• Williams is No. 2 in Illinois history in career receptions with 178. In the Illinois record book, Williams trails only College Football Hall of Famer David Williams' 262 receptions (1983-85).
• Williams has 1,811 career receiving yards, ninth all-time in Illinois history.
• Williams is the Power-5 active leader in receptions among players who have eligibility remaining.
Discher Leading Top-Ranked Special Teams
• Illinois leads the nation in blocked kicks (4) under first-year coordinator Robby Discher.
• PFF ranks Illinois' overall special teams unit at #10 in the nation.
• All-American Johnny Newton has two blocked kicks (vs. Penn State, at Purdue), and the Illini have blocked punts by Ashton Hollins (at Purdue) and Ryan Meed (vs. Penn State). No other Big Ten team has more than two blocked kicks/punts.
• Illinois is one of only five teams in the nation with two blocked punts (OU, Pitt, Vandy, SJSU).
• K Caleb Griffin is the first Illini kicker to have two game-winning field goals in a single season. His 43-yard winner at Maryland was the second walk-off field goal on the road in Illinois history, along with Mike Bass' 46-yard winner as time expired at Wisconsin in 1982.
• Griffin hit a 53-yard field goal to end the first half at Purdue, his career long. It was the 6th-longest in program history and the longest ever by an Illini in a road game.
• P Hugh Robertson's average is up to 43.05 yards/punt, 3.05 better than last season.
True Freshmen Impact
• Illinois' 2023 recruiting class was the program's highest-ranked class since 2009 according to Rivals and highest ranked since 2011 according to 247Sports. Bielema's first two-year stretch of recruiting was Illinois' best since 2008-09 according to 247Sports and Rivals.
• Running back Kaden Feagin ranks 11th in the Big Ten in yards/carry (4.9) and leads the conference among true freshmen.
• Feagin has started the last two games. If Feagin starts the rest of the regular season, he would tie Robert Holcombe's Illinois record of six starts by a true freshman running back set in 1994.
• In his first significant playing time against Florida Atlantic, corner Zachary Tobe was the highest-graded true freshman defender in the nation during Week 4 (87.0), according to PFF. Tobe was also the highest-graded freshman in the Big Ten (all positions) during Week 4 (87.0).
• Tobe and fellow true freshman CB Saboor Karriem both had three pass breakups against FAU.
• Wide receiver Malik Elzy has five receptions for 52 yards and a touchdown on the season, all coming in Big Ten games. He missed the Maryland game with an injury.
• 10 Illinois true freshmen have passed the four-game redshirt limit: DL Alex Bray, DB Jaheim Clarke, WR Malik Elzy, RB Kaden Feagin, OL Brandon Henderson, DB Saboor Karriem, K David Olano, DB Mac Resetich, DB Zachary Tobe, and WR Kenari Wilcher.
The Illinois-Minnesota Series
• Saturday's game between Illinois and Minnesota will be the 76th meeting between the two teams.
• Illinois trails in the all-time series against Minnesota, 32-40-3.
• In the two teams' last meeting, Illinois took care of business on Homecoming, defeating Minnesota, 26-14, to move to 6-1 on the season. The victory was the team's fifth consecutive win and sixth straight home win at Memorial Stadium. The Fighting Illini registered 472 yards of offense and went 4-for-4 on fourth-down conversions in the win. Chase Brown rushed for 180 yards, his eighth straight game with over 100 yards on the ground. The Illini defense allowed only 180 total yards, including just 38 through the air.
• In Illinois' last trip to Minneapolis in 2021, 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. A late-game interception by Kerby Joseph sealed a 14-6 win over #20 Minnesota on Nov. 6, 2021 at Huntington Bank Stadium. The Illini defense held the Gophers to their lowest point total of the season, while Chase Brown's 150 rushing yards led the offense. The win came just two weeks after the historic nine-overtime victory at #7 Penn State.
• Illinois head coach Bret Bielema is 9-0 all-time as a head coach against Minnesota.
