For the final time in 2024, the Fighting Illini will take the field at Memorial Stadium as Illinois hosts Michigan State on Saturday for Senior Day.
The Orange and Blue (6-3, 3-3 Big Ten) have found success on their home turf this season, registering a 5-1 record in Champaign heading into Saturday's 1:30 p.m. kickoff on FS1. The Illini have won two ranked games at Memorial Stadium this season – victories over No. 19 Kansas and No. 24 Michigan – during the Memorial Stadium 100th Anniversary season.
Both the Illini and the Spartans enter the contest after taking idle weeks in Week 11 while also both looking to snap two-game skids on Saturday. Illinois most recently fell to Minnesota, while Michigan State makes the trip to Champaign after suffering a 47-10 home defeat to top-10 Indiana.
Under the guidance of first-year head coach Jonathan Smith, who took over after moving from Oregon State, the Spartans sit at 4-5 overall and 2-4 in Big Ten play this season. Saturday's visitors started the season 3-0 with triumphs over Florida Atlantic, Maryland, and Prairie View A&M, though MSU has since lost five of its last six contests. Three of those defeats came against teams ranked in the top five of this week's AP poll – #1 Oregon, #2 Ohio State, and #5 Indiana – along with narrow road defeats to Boston College and Michigan.
The Spartans won the most recent contest between the sides in a 23-15 victory in Champaign in 2022, while the Illini won the previous two meetings in the series.
With the Illini set to close the season away from home, here are a few things to watch for in the Orange and Blue's final home game of the year.
Illini Ranked Among Nation's Most Disciplined Teams
Illinois has put its "tough, smart, and dependable" mantra into practice thus far this season, especially when it comes to penalties and mental mistakes. The Illini sit fourth in the Big Ten with only 38.2 penalty yards per game, a mark that also ranks tied for ninth nationally. This is a significant shift from the 2023 Illini team that averaged the most penalty yards per game in the conference.
This season, The Orange and Blue have committed three or fewer penalties in four games while only recording double-digit penalties once.
Michigan State, on the other hand, averages the third-most penalty yards in the conference (60.2) while ranking tied for fourth-worst in terms of penalties per game (6.7).
The Illini have suffered more penalties than their opponents only twice this season (vs. Central Michigan and at #9 Penn State) while committing fewer penalties four times. The Illini will look to continue the trend of remaining disciplined and limiting mental mistakes against the Spartans on Saturday.
Opponent Scout: Michigan State Offense
The Spartan offense is led by quarterback Aidan Chiles, who averages 205.6 passing yards and 18.9 rushing yards per game. A dual-threat quarterback, Chiles has tallied just over eight rushes per game, completed 61.6% of his pass attempts, and totaled 11 total touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Michigan State's backfield features two dynamic running backs in Kay'ron Lynch-Adams and Nate Carter, who have both registered over 400 yards on the ground this season. Posting nearly identical production numbers, Lynch-Adams has notched a team-leading 469 yards and two touchdowns on 98 carries, while Carter is not far behind with 94 carries for 418 yards and three rushing scores. The Spartans are one of five Big Ten teams with multiple rushers ranked among the top 20 in rushing yards in the conference.
Freshman Nick Marsh is the Spartans' leading receiver with 33 catches and a team-high 553 yards and three touchdowns. Montorie Foster Jr. has made a team-most 36 receptions in addition to his 453 receiving yards and two scores. Tight end Jack Velling ranks third on the team with his 29 catches and 318 receiving yards, while wide receivers Aziah Johnson (12 catches, 193 yards) and Jaron Glover (13 catches, 158 yards) round out the top five.
"They have a lot of talent in that room. Those two running backs are as talented as they come in this conference," said Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry. "They have a set of tight ends, and obviously the o linemen do a tremendous job in the run game and in trying to stretch the ball vertically. It's going to create a tremendous challenge. They want to play Big Ten football. They're not trying to hide what they're trying to do; I love and respect that. I have a great appreciation for that.
"They play great defense, and they do a great job of playing complementary football, which puts them in advantageous positions on offense. They have an overall good team, but I think that quarterback is a key piece to making them go."
Opponent Scout: Michigan State Defense
Led by longtime Big Ten defensive coordinator Joe Rossi, the Spartans allow an average of 24.1 points per game, which ranks tied for 15th in the Big Ten. That number is a bit skewed by two big losses to Ohio State and Indiana (85 combined points allowed); across the team's other seven games, MSU allowed an average of 18.9 points per game.
Linebacker Jordan Turner is the team's leading tackler with 51 tackles and a team-high 7.5 tackles for loss. He is also tied with defensive lineman Khris Bogle with the team lead in sacks (3.0).
Defensive backs Charles Brantley and Nikai Martinez have both recorded multiple interceptions this season, while Brantley's three picks rank tied for fourth in the conference.
The Spartans have not found a ton of success with forcing turnovers, ranking 17th in the Big Ten and 112th nationally with only nine defensive takeaways thus far this season. Â
"They're super well-coached," said Illini offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. on the Spartan defense. "I've been really impressed with the way they play and the way they compete like you would expect a Big Ten football team to do. They certainly do that, and they have talent all over the field."
Illinois and Michigan State will square off at Memorial Stadium on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. CT.
