For the second consecutive week, the Fighting Illini will travel to take on a ranked Big Ten opponent away from home. No. 19 Illinois will fly out east to play No. 9 Penn State under the lights on Saturday night.
The Orange and Blue found success on the road in their Week 4 overtime win at No. 22 Nebraska, which saw the Illini improve to 4-0 for the first time since 2011. Illinois held the hosting Cornhuskers to just seven points after halftime en route to the Illini's second ranked win of the season and their third straight victory in Lincoln.
Illinois has embraced the underdog mentality when playing away from Champaign under head coach Bret Bielema. The Illini have secured three ranked road wins across Bielema's four seasons at Illinois, including a record-setting nine-overtime win at No. 7 Penn State in 2021 in the longest game in college football history.
That victory occurred during Illinois' most recent trip to Happy Valley, though the Nittany Lions hold the all-time 10-2 edge at Beaver Stadium.
"We went through a lot of detail about making home and away as similar as possible," Bielema said. "The part that our guys really relish is that we're always playing the underdog role. We always say we don't have one chip on our shoulder; we have two. I think that plays out a little bit."
Saturday's contest will serve as NBC's Big Ten Saturday Night game, which will also be available to stream on Peacock.
Here are a few notable storylines to follow ahead of the Illini's first top-20 vs. top-20 conference game since 2000.
Illinois Defense Enters Happy Valley With Momentum
The Illini defense has made significant strides this season under second-year defensive coordinator Aaron Henry. Illinois ranks 15th in the nation in scoring defense (12.5 points per game allowed), fourth in interceptions (7), and 10th in fourth-down defense (20%).Â
The Orange and Blue have held opponents to a 1-for-5 fourth-down conversion rate, while the Nittany Lions have successfully converted on both of their fourth-down attempts this season. While the Illini ranks among the top 15 programs in scoring defense, Penn State sits third in the Big Ten in scoring at 41.3 points per game. The Nittany Lions also rank seventh nationally in total offense with 537.7 yards per game, which is the second-best mark in the conference behind only Ohio State.
Illinois held Nebraska to 110 total yards of offense between the second half and overtime period in the team's 31-24 road win on Sept. 20. The Illini recorded three sacks in OT, and they posted an interception for the fifth consecutive game. Three Illinois defensive backs have multiple picks this season, and Henry knows his guys will be up for the task against the Nittany Lions on Saturday.
"Every week, we are going to play against better players," Henry said. "Every team that we're going to play for the rest of the season is going to have a lot of talent. It's so cool to see our players embrace that challenge collectively, from the secondary to the guys up front. Every week, we're going to play against good wide receivers. Every week, we're going to play against a good offensive line."
"It's going to be a fun environment. It's going to be an incredible environment. This is what college football is all about, and this is what it is made for. I'm excited that our coaching staff and our players are going to have an opportunity to represent the University of Illinois in that regard."
Red Zone Efficiency
Illinois and Penn State have been two of the better teams in the nation in the red zone this season.Â
The Nittany Lions have converted on all but one trip to the red zone this season, going 13 for 14 with 12 touchdowns. The lone failed trip came against Bowling Green in Week 2 on an interception as time expired in the third quarter.
The Illini have scored on all 16Â trips to the red zone through the first four contests of their 2024 slate. 11 of those 16 scoring drives resulted in a touchdown.
Defensively, Illinois' opponents have gone a perfect 10-for-10 once entering the red zone, though the Illini have held their counterparts to five field goals. All five touchdowns allowed have come through the air.
Penn State's defense has only allowed its opposition to move into the red zone on only seven occasions through three games, and it has held its opponents scoreless once in those seven tries. The lone stop occurred in the Nittany Lions' season opener at West Virginia in Week 1, when the Penn State defense held strong and prevented a first down on a fourth-and-1 run from the Mountaineers at the PSU 16-yard line.
Illinois offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. knows the challenges his unit will face on Saturday against a dynamic Penn State defense, but he likes the way his offense has looked through the Illini's first four games of the season.
"The unique thing about them is they are, without question, the twitchiest, quickest defense that we will play up to this point," Lunney said. "They have some elite pass-rushers with some really good back-end players. At all levels, they have some highly recruited, highly decorated guys. They play with a lot of quickness. They are very, very quick. Last year, that gave us problems with their speed and power, so we're going to have to match that."
Opponent Scout
No. 9 Penn State is led by head coach James Franklin, who is currently in his 11th season at the helm for the Nittany Lions.
Quarterback Drew Allar, who also earned the start when Illinois hosted Penn State last season, has totaled 729 passing yards, 77 rushing yards, 10 total touchdowns (8 passing, 2 rushing), and one interception.
The Nittany Lions' rushing attack is headlined by the duo of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Both players have at least 35 carries and have amassed over 180 total rushing yards apiece. Singleton has team-high tallies with 314 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.
Allar's favorite target thus far has been tight end Tyler Warren, who leads the team with 226 receiving yards on 16 catches, the latter of which is twice as many as the next-closest pass-catcher. Wide receivers Omari Evans (8 catches, 205 yards, 2 touchdowns) and Harrison Wallace III (8 catches, 146 yards, 2 touchdowns) are the other receivers who have surpassed the 100-yard mark thus far this season.
Defensively, safety Jaylen Reed has registered a team-most 22 tackles. Four different Nittany Lions have recorded a sack thus far, while three Penn State defenders have tallied an interception.
"They are a program that has been at the top of college football for a long time," Bielema said of the Penn State program. "They are undefeated and ranked in the top 10 for a reason. They have really good players. They have phenomenal coaches. They have a great environment. Now, we get to go be a part of it."
