#24 Illinois Faces First Road Test Against #22 Nebraska on Friday Night

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – It will be a Friday night showdown between two undefeated and ranked opponents as No. 24 Illinois (3-0) travels to take on No. 22 Nebraska (3-0) in Lincoln. The nationally televised contest marks the first road game for the Fighting Illini this season and serves as the Big Ten opener for both programs. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. CT on FOX.

The Illini make the trip west after defeating Central Michigan on Homecoming, 30-9, a result that saw the Orange and Blue improve to 3-0 for the first time since 2011. Wide receiver Pat Bryant hauled in seven catches for 102 yards and two scores, his second multi-touchdown game of the season. Kicker Ethan Moczulski set a new program record with a 59-yard field goal as time expired in the first half, a kick that tied for the longest in college football thus far in 2024. Defensive back Xavier Scott tallied his third interception of the campaign and his second consecutive outing with a pick.

Nebraska (3-0) completed its nonconference slate with a 34-3 win over Northern Iowa on Saturday. The Cornhuskers held the Panthers scoreless over the final three quarters en route to the 31-point victory. This week marks the final contest of Nebraska's season-opening four-game homestand.

Friday night will be the Illini's first ranked vs. ranked game since 2008, when No. 21 Illinois fell, 38-24, at No. 12 Penn State. The Illini and Cornhuskers will meet as ranked foes for the first time since Sept. 21, 1985, when No. 17 Nebraska knocked off No. 20 Illinois, 52-25, in Lincoln.

Illinois has won its last two games in Lincoln after securing road wins over the Cornhuskers in both 2020 and 2022. The Illini fell in last season's meeting between the sides, 20-7, in Champaign.

Tim Brando (play-by-play), Devin Gardner (analyst), and Josh Sims (reporter) have the call on FOX. The Busey Bank Illini Sports Network has the statewide radio broadcast with Brian Barnhart (play-by-play), Carey Davis (analyst), and Michael Martin (reporter) on the call. 

Press Conference

Notes

• The Illinois football program, #24 in the Week 4 AP Top 25, visits #22 Nebraska on Friday night (7 p.m. CT / FOX). 
• Illinois returns to the top 25 for the first time since 2022, when the Illini reached as high as #14 and were ranked for four consecutive weeks in October and November. 
• The game vs. Nebraska is the Illini's first ranked vs. ranked game since 2008, when #21 Illinois fell 38-24 at #12 Penn State. 
• The Sept. 15 poll marks the earliest in the season that Illinois has been voted into the top 25 since the 2008 preseason (#20).
• Bret Bielema is the first Illini coach to earn Top 25 rankings in two of his first four seasons since Ron Zook led the Illini into the top-25 rankings in 2007 and 2008, his Years 3 and 4 in Champaign, respectively. 
• Illinois and Nebraska will meet as ranked foes for the first time since Sept. 21, 1985, when #17 Nebraska knocked off #20 Illinois, 52-25, in Lincoln.
• Since 1942, Illinois has compiled a record of 81-50-2 (.620) when ranked in the AP Top 25
• Beginning with Friday's game at Nebraska, Illinois is on track to play five ranked opponents over a seven-game stretch, which would tie the program record for the most ranked opponents played during a regular season. The last time Illinois played five ranked opponents during a regular season was 2005.

• The Illini rank second nationally with a turnover margin of +2.67 through three games. 
• Offensively, the Illini rank first nationally in red zone offense (1.000), coming away with eight touchdowns and four field goals in 12 trips inside the opponents' 20-yard line this season, and are sixth in fewest turnovers lost (1).  
• Defensively, Illinois ranks third in the nation in passes intercepted (6), fifth in turnovers gained (9), 10th in fumbles recovered (3), 11th in passing efficiency defense (87.98), 14th in fewest defensive touchdowns allowed (2), and 14th in scoring defense (8.7).
• Illinois ranks fourth nationally in points off turnover margin at +11.33. The Illini offense has scored 34 points on nine opponent turnovers (three fumbles and six interceptions), while the Illinois defense has yet to surrender a point off of just one giveaway (a fumble vs. Kansas).  
• According to PFF, Illinois is graded No. 20 in overall offense (81.6), 37th in special teams (78.0), and 41st in overall defense (80.6). The Illini rank seventh in run blocking (80.6), 24th in receiving (73.8), 32nd in defensive coverage (85.6), and 40th in passing (78.4)
• Individually WR Pat Bryant has four touchdown receptions, ranked fourth in the nation entering Week 4. 
• Offensive lineman Melvin Priestly is the top graded tackle in the Big Ten and No. 2 in the country with a PFF grade of 85.8 (minimum 150 offensive snaps). 
• Illini's DBs Xavier Scott (3 interceptions) and Miles Scott (2) rank second and fifth in the nation, respectively, in total interceptions. They are the No. 2-ranked tandem in the nation with five combined picks, trailing only the Cal duo of Nohl Williams (4) and Marcus Harris (2), who have combined for six interceptions.
• Three different Illini defenders have already recovered a fumble this season, tying OLBs Alec Bryant and Seth Coleman with DB Kaleb Patterson for third in the nation entering Week 4. 
• On special teams, kickers David Olano and Ethan Moczulski have made their mark among the nation's best. Moczulski's 59-yard field goal vs. CMU, the first attempt of his career, set an Illinois program record and is tied for the longest field goal in the nation this season. Olano is ninth in the country at 2.0 field goals per game, including a career-long 50-yarder vs. KU.

• The Fighting Illini have knocked off Eastern Illinois, #19 Kansas, and Central Michigan to start the season 3-0 for the first time since 2011 (6-0). Illinois is 3-0 with a top-20 win for the first time in 50 years (1974). 
• Bret Bielema improved to 21-19 in his Illinois career. He is the first Illinois head coach to start .500 or better through his first 40 games since Lou Tepper started 21-18-1 in 1995. 
• Following the team's Week 3 Homecoming win vs. Central Michigan, head coach Bret Bielema improved to 9-4 through his first 13 nonconference games (including postseason) at Illinois. It is the best record through 13 nonconference games for an Illinois head coach since Robert Zuppke started 10-3 against non-Big Ten opponents from 1913-18. 
• Illinois' 23-17 victory over #19 Kansas in Week 2 marked the program's highest-ranked nonconference win since beating #17 Arizona, 9-7, on Sept. 16, 1995. 
• The Illini's sellout crowd of 60,670 vs. KU was the program's first capacity crowd since Week 2 of 2016 vs. North Carolina. 
• The Illini's win over the Jayhawks was the first in front of a sellout crowd since the Orange and Blue defeated Iowa, 27-24, in front of a packed Memorial Stadium on Nov. 1, 2008. It also marked the Illini's first win in front of a sellout home crowd vs. a nonconference opponent since Sept. 6, 1986, vs. Louisville (23-0).
• The Illini's 45-0 win over EIU in the opener marked the first shutout since a 31-0 win over Chattanooga on Sept. 22, 2022, and Illinois' first season-opening shutout since Sept. 6, 1986, vs. Louisville (23-0). 

• The Illini defense recorded an interception for the third-straight game to open the 2024 season. Illinois has now picked off at least one pass in four consecutive games dating back to last season. 
• QB Luke Altmyer went 19-for-29 for 242 yards with two touchdown passes, his second game of the season with a pair of passing scores after throwing for four in the opener vs. EIU. 
• WR Pat Bryant caught seven passes for 102 yards and two touchdowns, bringing his streak of consecutive games with a reception to 15. Bryant recorded his 12th and 13th career touchdowns to move to seventh in program history. It marked Bryant's third multi-touchdown game of his career, and his third 100-yard receiving game.
• RB Josh McCray rushed eight times for a team-leading 54 yards, including a 28-yard gain on his first carry of the game, his longest since also running for 28 yards on Oct. 23, 2021, at Penn State.
• Freshman RB Ca'Lil Valentine carried the ball five times for 53 yards, while sophomore starter Kaden Feagin recorded his third touchdown of the season in the fourth quarter, giving him a score in each game this season.
• K Ethan Moczulski made a 59-yard field goal to end the first half, setting a new program record in his first collegiate attempt. It tied for the second-longest field goal at Memorial Stadium, tied for the longest made field goal in the FBS this season, and tied for the eighth-longest in Big Ten history. 
• LB Seth Coleman recorded five tackles (three solo) with one tackle for a loss, one pass breakup and two quarterback hurries, while LB Gabe Jacas posted six tackles, five solo, with 1.0 sacks and two tackles for a loss and DL Dennis Briggs Jr. recorded his first sack as an Illini in the third quarter.  

• Illinois trails, 6-14-1, in the all-time series which dates back to Oct. 24, 1892.  
• Illinois won three straight in the series from 2020-22 before a 20-7 setback last season in Champaign.
• Entering Friday, the Illini have won their last two games in Lincoln in 2020 (41-23) and 2022 (26-9).  
• In their last visit to Lincoln in 2022, #17 Illinois beat Nebraska, 26-9, to move to 7-1 on the season. Chase Brown recorded his ninth-straight 100-yard rushing game with 149 yards on the ground alongside two total touchdowns. Tommy DeVito went 20/22 with 179 yards and two touchdowns, and Isaiah Williams made nine catches for 93 yards and a score. DeVito's .909 completion percentage broke the Illinois record (min. 20 attempts) and set the stadium record at Nebraska's Memorial Stadium.
• The 2021 victory in Champaign (30-22) was the first game of the Bret Bielema era. Former Illini QB and current assistant QB coach Artur Sitkowski entered for injured starter Brandon Peters in the first quarter and led the Illini to the win. Sitkowski threw two third-quarter touchdown passes to TE Luke Ford and WR Isaiah Williams, while RB Mike Epstein added a 1-yard touchdown plunge, and LB Calvin Hart Jr. posted a 41-yard scoop-and-score fumble recovery to lift the Orange and Blue. 
• In 2020, the Illini won at Nebraska 41-23 to snap a four-game losing streak to the Huskers. The victory was Illinois' first in Lincoln since 1924. The 41 points scored in 2020 were a season high and the most the Illini have ever scored on the road in Lincoln. 
• Illinois is 4-7 against Nebraska since the Cornhuskers joined the Big Ten in 2011. The two programs have met every year since 2013, after meeting 10 times as nonconference foes from 1892 to 1986. 
• The 2015 Illini win over the Huskers ended in dramatic fashion, as QB Wes Lunt found WR Geronimo Allison for a 1-yard touchdown with 10 seconds remaining to give the Illini a 14-13 victory in Champaign. Illinois went 72 yards in the final 41 seconds for the winning score. 

• Red Grange set Illinois' punt return yardage record (125) against Nebraska in 1923.
• Illinois QB Tommy DeVito set the Illinois program record and Nebraska's Memorial Stadium record with a .909 (20/22) completion percentage (min. 20 attempts) in the Illini's 2022 win in Lincoln. 
• Illinois' most rushing yards vs. Nebraska: 187 A.J. Bush Jr. 10/10/2018, 149 Chase Brown 10/29/2022, 142 J.C. Caroline 9/26/1953 
• Illinois' most receiving yards vs. Nebraska: 119 David Williams 9/21/1985, 118 Geronimo Allison 9/27/2014
• Illinois' most passing yards vs. Nebraska: 292 Jack Trudeau 9/21/1985
• Illinois' longest rush vs. Nebraska: 73 J.C. Caroline 9/26/1953, 66 Reggie Corbin 9/21/2019, 65 Red Grange 10/6/1923
• Illinois' longest pass vs. Nebraska: 58 Reilly O'Toole to Geronimo Allison 9/27/2014

• Illinois head football athletic trainer Jeremy Busch spent two years at Nebraska as an assistant football athletic trainer/rehabilitation coordinator. 
• Illinois assistant strength & conditioning coach Mike Manninger played at Nebraska from 2008-2012.
• Illinois freshman TE Tanner Holllinger was an all-state performer in 8-man football at Cross County High School near his hometown of Stromsburg, Nebraska, approximately 45 miles northwest of Lincoln. 
• Nebraska's sophomore TE Mac Markway, a transfer from LSU who will miss the 2024 season due to injury, is from St. Louis. His father, Matt Markway, played tight end at Iowa in 1996-97, Illini head coach Bret Bielema's first two seasons as a full-time assistant coach working with linebackers in Iowa City.
• Nebraska's roster features three players from Chicago, Illinois, in DB brothers Mario Buford and Marques Buford, and LB Danny Pasko. Pasko was a high school teammate of Illinois freshman DL Eddie Tuerk at Lyons Township High School. Marques Buford was a teammate for one season (2020) with Illini DB Miles Scott at St. Thomas More (Conn.) Prep before moving on to Nebraska and Illinois, respectively. 

COMPLETE GAME NOTES (PDF)