CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Following its first off week of the season, #23 Illinois is back on the road for a trip to Seattle to face Washington. The Fighting Illini and Huskies are scheduled to kick at 2:30 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network.
Illinois (5-2, 2-2 Big Ten) is back in the rankings this week, coming in at #23 in both the AP Top 25 and USA TODAY US LBM Coaches Poll. The Illini are led by quarterback Luke Altmyer, who ranks in the top 25 in the nation in completion percentage (6th, 72.4), passing efficiency (9th, 173.4), and passing yards (21st, 1,821).
Washington (5-2, 2-2 Big Ten) is coming off a 24-7 loss at Michigan last week. The Huskies are also led by strong quarterback play with Demond Williams Jr., who ranks right beside Altmyer in completion percentage (8th, 72.1), passing efficiency (12th, 166.5), and passing yards (18th, 1,837).
The Illini and Huskies will meet for the 12th time and the first time as Big Ten opponents. Washington has won four straight in the series, including Illinois' last trip to Seattle in 2014.
Jeff Levering (play-by-play), Jake Butt (analyst), and Brooke Fletcher (reporter) have the television broadcast on Big Ten Network. The Busey Bank Illini Sports Network has the radio call with Brian Barnhart (play-by-play), Carey Davis (analyst), and Michael Martin (sideline).
Press Conference
Illinois head coach Bret Bielema will host his weekly press conference Monday at 1 p.m. CT. Fans can watch for free at FightingIllini.com/live.
Notes
Illinois in the Rankings
• Illinois is back in this week's AP Top 25 at #23, after falling out of the poll last week.
• Illinois was unranked in last week's AP Top 25, snapping a streak of 12 straight appearances in the AP poll. The Illini's 12 straight rankings was the fourth-longest streak in program history, behind 1989-1990 (33), 1950-1952 (21), and 1946-1947 (13).
• Illinois is ranked #23 in this week's US LBM Coaches Poll, up two spots from last week.
• Illinois has the #6 strength of schedule and the #13 strength of record in the nation, according to ESPN.
• Illinois had its highest preseason ranking (#12) since 1990, when the Illini started #11 in the Preseason AP Top 25.
• Bret Bielema has had the Illini ranked in 25 AP polls, the third-most weeks ranked by a head coach in Illinois history.
Winning Ways
• Illinois is 15-5 over the last two seasons, including 11 Power-4 wins, eight Big Ten wins, and wins over teams from every other Power-4 conference: the SEC (vs. South Carolina), ACC (at Duke), and Big XII (Kansas).
• Illinois is 9-2 over its last 11 games with the only losses coming this season to now-#2 Indiana and #1 Ohio State.
• Illinois has 15 wins over the last two seasons. A 16th win would give Illinois its most wins over a two-year stretch since 1989-90, when the Illini went 10-2 then 8-4 under John Mackovic.
• Illinois is 10-1 against unranked teams over the last two seasons.
• Illinois is 11-5 when playing as a ranked team over the last two seasons.
• Illinois is looking to become postseason eligible in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2010-11.
The Illinois-Washington Series
• Saturday marks the 12th meeting between Illinois and Washington in the series that began back to 1950.
• The matchup is the first between the Fighting Illini and Huskies as Big Ten opponents since Washington joined the league prior to the 2024 season.
• Ten of the previous 11 contests in the series were regular-season, nonconference matchups.
• The meeting on Jan. 1, 1964, a 17-7 Fighting Illini victory in the Rose Bowl, capped the 1963 campaign that saw the Orange and Blue post an 8-1-1 record, win the Big Ten Championship, and finish #3 in the final AP Top 25 Poll.
• Illinois is 1-4 in its previous five trips to Seattle. The Huskies have won four straight at home against Illinois since the Illini captured a 27-20 road victory en route to the 1951 national championship. Since that first matchup in Seattle in 1951, the Illini have lost road games at Washington in 1956 (28-13), 1962 (28-7), 1972 (31-11), and 2014 (44-19).
• Illinois is 3-1 when ranked inside the top 25 when facing Washington. The #8 Illini defeated the #20 Huskies, 27-20 in Seattle in 1951. The following year, the 13th-ranked Illini won 48-14 in Champaign, and the third-ranked Illini captured the 1964 Rose Bowl title, 17-7, vs. Washington. In 1956, unranked UW upset #13 Illinois, 28-13, in Seattle.
• The 1964 win over Washington marked the Illini's last victory in the Rose Bowl. Illinois made its first appearance in Pasadena in 12 years, led by linebacker Dick Butkus and fullback Jim Grabowski. Illinois trailed 7-0 before Jim Plankenhorn's 32-yard field goal with one second remaining in the first half put the Illini on the scoreboard. Illinois came out strong in the second half, grinding out touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters to wear down the Huskies, 17-7. Grabowski earned MVP honors, gaining 125 yards and scoring one touchdown.
• Tom O'Connell set Illinois' single-game record for passing efficiency (308.9), and touchdown passes in a half (5), vs. Washington 10/11/1952.
• Willie Osley's 98-yard interception return for touchdown vs. Washington (10/2/1971) is the longest interception return and tied for the longest interception return for a touchdown in program history.
