For the first time since 2016, Illinois will play in front of a sold-out Memorial Stadium crowd when No. 19 Kansas comes to town this weekend. With both teams coming off 45-point wins over Big South - OVC programs in their respective season openers, Saturday's 6 p.m. nationally televised kickoff will be nothing short of loud and electric.
Illinois enters the contest following a dominant 45-0 victory over Eastern Illinois on Aug. 29, a game in which quarterback Luke Altmyer threw for four touchdowns, running back Kaden Feagin recorded the first 100-yard rushing game of his career, and the Illini defense forced four total takeaways.
The visiting Jayhawks opened their 2024 slate with a 48-3 win over Lindenwood. Kansas totaled seven touchdowns, over 500 yards of offense, and 331 yards on the ground while never being forced to punt.
The Orange and Blue head into the contest looking to avenge last season's loss to the Jayhawks in Lawrence. Kansas is making the trip to Champaign for the first time since 1968, while the all-time series is split at three wins apiece.
With the Illini hosting their annual Hail to the Orange Out and celebrating the first-annual FamILLy Weekend, here are a few storylines to watch ahead of Saturday's matchup.
Offense: Illinois aims to find more success in its rushing game against Kansas
In last season's contest, Illinois finished with 139 rushing yards while averaging about five yards per carry. Outside of a 72-yard touchdown run from Luke Altmyer, though? The Illini recorded just 67 yards on the ground for an average of 2.5 yards per rush.
The Illini found success on the ground in the team's season opener against EIU. The offense totaled 251 rushing yards, with Kaden Feagin (16 carries, 108 yards) and Aidan Laughery (10 carries, 79 yards) both setting new career-high yardage totals against the Panthers.
In the Jayhawks' first game of the season against Lindenwood, Kansas allowed 75 yards on 27 carries for an average of 2.8 yards per carry. In 2023, though, they gave up 75 yards or fewer on four different occasions.
With Kansas ranking second in the Big 12 in fewest passing yards allowed last season (216.7), the Illini will need to find more success in their rushing attack when the teams clash once again on Saturday.
"They are really, really good at what they do," said offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. on the Kansas defense. "We saw more of that with the way they started the 2024 year off and how they picked up from last year. I have tons of respect for the way they play football on the defensive side. They play with great fundamentals, they play very fast, and they know their scheme very well.
"We are going to have to play much better this week to win, but I was pleased given it was a Week 1 performance. I thought our guys played with a lot of energy and took care of the ball, but we have to make a big jump this week to be able to win this game."
Defense: Illinois looks to prevent a hot start from the Jayhawk offense on Saturday
In Kansas' 13 games last season, the Jayhawks scored at least 10 first-half points in all but two games, both of which resulted in losses. When Illinois traveled to Lawrence last season, Kansas registered a season-high 28 points. Though the Illini outscored the Jayhawks in the second half, 16-6, it was not enough to overcome their halftime deficit.
Kansas continued that trend in its season opener, holding a 34-0 halftime lead via 27 second-quarter points and over 300 yards of offense through the opening two periods of play.
The Orange and Blue defense set the tone on EIU's first drive of the game last week. Across the Panthers' seven first-half possessions, each drive ended in either a three-and-out or a turnover.
Illinois will need to continue that trend against a dynamic Jayhawk offense that features several returners from one season ago, including two All-Big 12 honorees.
"Last year was an incredible teaching moment for me as a coach," said defensive coordinator Aaron Henry. "From that standpoint, I've probably watched the Kansas game 100+ times, just in terms of what we did, what I liked about that game, and what we didn't do well.
"They are coached really well. They are ranked coming to our home stadium, and we could not be more excited about it from not only a team standpoint but from a defensive standpoint to go out there and play. We are really looking forward to it."
Opponent: Kansas brings "a very talented football team" to Champaign
The matchup against the Jayhawks will be the first of six "rematch" games for the Illini this season, with Kansas bringing a ranked squad into Memorial Stadium on Saturday evening.
The Jayhawk offense features dynamic weapons at every position, starting with redshirt junior quarterback Jalon Daniels, who was named to several preseason watch lists ahead of his fifth collegiate campaign. A true dual-threat QB, Daniels played in only three games last year while notching 705 passing yards, 74 rushing yards, a 74.7% completion rate, and five touchdowns. Against the Illini in 2023, Daniels went 21-for-29 with 301 total yards of offense, two touchdowns, and one interception. Playing only the first half against Lindenwood, he threw for 148 yards and one touchdown while completing 60% of his passes.
Running back Devin Neal, a 2023 All-Big 12 Second Team selection, provides another threat within the Kansas offense. Neal rushed for 100+ yards six times last season, including a 10-carry, 120-yard effort against the Illini. He also amassed 16 rushing touchdowns as a junior in 2023, which ranked tied for second in the Big 12. He got out to a hot start in the season opener, making eight carries for 112 yards and two touchdowns.
The Jayhawks also brought back their top-three leading receivers from one season ago, Lawrence Arnold, Quentin Skinner, and Luke Grimm. Arnold earned all-conference honors in 2023 after finishing with team-leading tallies in receptions (44) and receiving yards (782). Arnold and Grimm tied for the team-best mark with six touchdown catches.
Defensively, Kansas lost three of its top four leaders in tackles, including Austin Booker, who was named the 2023 Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year and was drafted by Chicago Bears. The Jayhawks returned both 2023 All-Big 12 First Team selection Cobee Bryant and 2023 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honoree Mello Dotson, who both recorded four interceptions last season.
Kickoff between the Illini and Jayhawks is set for Saturday at 6 p.m. on FS1.
"Kansas is obviously a very talented football team. They have a top-20 ranking for a reason. People are talking about them being a playoff team, and you can definitely see that before they even played a snap this year. They're very well-coached and have very dynamic players on offense and defense," said head coach Bret Bielema. "We're excited about the opportunity to have a ranked team come in here to Memorial Stadium."Â
