#9 Illinois Hosts Western Michigan on Saturday

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – After a 2-0 start and a 45-19 win at Duke last week, #9 Illinois is back home to host Western Michigan in front of a sold out crowd for FamILLy Day at Memorial Stadium.

Illinois (2-0) jumped up two spots in this week's AP Top 25 to earn the program's first top-10 ranking since December 2001. The Fighting Illini bring a six-game winning streak into the matchup, tied for the longest active winning streak in the nation with Ohio State and Memphis. 

Western Michigan (0-2) dropped a 33-30 overtime game to North Texas last weekend. The Broncos opened the season with a road loss at Big Ten opponent Michigan State, 23-6.

Noah Reed (play-by-play) and Robert Smith (analyst) have the television broadcast on FS1. The Busey Bank Illini Sports Network has the radio call with Brian Barnhart, Carey Davis, and Michael Martin.

Tickets are sold out. Visit SeatGeek, the official ticket marketplace of Illinois Athletics.

Press Conference

Notes

Illinois Returns Home to Face Western Michigan
• Illinois is on a six-game winning streak, tied for the longest active winning streak in the nation with reigning national champion Ohio State and Memphis.
• Illinois' six-game winning streak is tied for its longest since a seven-game winning streak from 2010-11 (2010 Texas Bowl + first six games of 2011). The Illini also went on a six-game winning streak under Bielema from Sept. 22-Oct. 29, 2022.

Illinois in the Rankings
• Illinois moved up two spots to #9 in this week's AP Top 25, the program's first top-10 ranking since December 2001.
• Illinois also moved up to #9 in this week's US LBM Coaches Poll, a jump of three-spots from one week prior.
• Illinois' #9 ranking is the program's highest September ranking since 1964, Dick Butkus' senior season.
• Illinois had its highest preseason ranking (#12) since 1990, when the Illini started #11 in the Preseason AP Top 25.
• Illinois' #12 preseason ranking is the ninth-highest in program history since the AP Preseason Poll began in 1950.
• Illinois was ranked in the Preseason AP Top 25 and the Preseason Coaches Poll for the first time since 2008.

Tough, Smart, Dependable
• Illinois is tied for second in the nation in turnover margin per game (+3.0), behind only Arizona (+3.5).
• Illinois has started the season with zero turnovers in its first two games for the first time since 2001.
• Illinois has thrown only six interceptions over the last two seasons (2024-25), tied with Army and James Madison for the fourth-fewest in the nation over that span. Only Marshall (5), Vanderbilt (5), and Missouri (5) have thrown fewer interceptions than Illinois over the last two seasons.
• Illinois is 9-0 when it has committed zero or one turnover over the last two seasons (2024-25). 
• Illinois is 10-1 when it has forced one or more turnovers over the last two seasons (2024-25).

The Illinois Offense 
• QB Luke Altmyer is 10th in the nation and fourth in the Big Ten in passing efficiency (195.9). 
• Altmyer and Oregon's Dante Moore are the only Big Ten QBs with back-to-back games of 3+ passing touchdowns. 
• Altmyer is 10th in the nation and leads the Big Ten in passing touchdowns (6).
• WR Hank Beatty is eighth in the nation and second in the Big Ten in receiving yards (236).
• Beatty leads the nation in all-purpose yards (394).
• WR Justin Bowick is second in the nation and tied for the Big Ten lead in receiving touchdowns (3).
• Illinois has scored 45+ points in the first two games of the season for the second time in program history and the first time since 1942. The 1942 Illini started the season with wins over South Dakota (46-0) and Butler (67-0).
• Illinois has scored 38 or more points in five of its last six games dating back to last season.

The Illinois Defense
• Illinois has forced six turnovers this season, tied for fourth in the nation behind only Arizona, Tulane, and UNLV (7 each).
• Illinois leads the nation with five fumble recoveries. 
• Illinois is second in the nation in forced fumbles (4), behind only Ball State (5). The Illini led the Big Ten and ranked t-10th in the nation in forced fumbles (15) in 2024.
• Illinois forced five turnovers at Duke, four fumble recoveries (3 forced) and one interception.
• OLB Gabe Jacas is the only player in the nation with a sack and a forced fumble in back-to-back games this season.

The Bielema Era
• Bret Bielema is 30-22 during his Illinois career. Since Robert Zuppke went undefeated in two of his first three seasons at Illinois from 1913-15, Bielema's 30-22 start is the second-best through 52 games by an Illini head coach, behind only Mike White (31-20-1, 1980 through 1984 Week 6).
• Among head coaches that have led Illinois to 30+ wins, Bielema's .577 winning percentage is the third-best of all-time, behind only Robert C. Zuppke (.618) and John Mackovic (.663).
• Bielema is the fourth-fastest to 30 wins in Illinois history, behind only Robert Zuppke (44 games, 1914-19), John Mackovic (45 games, 1988-91), and Mike White (50 games, 1980-84).

The Illinois-Western Michigan Series and Connections
• Illinois holds a 4-2 lead in the all-time series vs. Western Michigan.
• The Illini are 4-1 against Western Michigan at Memorial Stadium. 
• Illinois beat Western Michigan, 60-14, at Memorial Stadium in the first matchup in the series in 1947. 
• The programs played five times from 2004-16 with Illinois winning home games in 2004 (30-27), 2011 (23-20), and 2012 (24-7). 
• Western Michigan won the 2008 contest (23-17) at Ford Field in Detroit and defeated the Illini, 34-10, at Memorial Stadium in the most recent matchup in 2016. 
• Illinois is 21-6 all-time against current MAC programs, including a 2-0 mark under head coach Bret Bielema who led the Illini to home wins over Toledo, 30-28 in the 2023 season opener, and Central Michigan, 30-9 in Week 3 of the 2024 campaign. 
• Illinois assistant head coach/running backs coach Thad Ward spent the 2012 season as the wide receivers coach at Western Michigan. Ward developed the Broncos' Jaime Wilson, who had 67 receptions for 792 yards and six touchdowns, into the MAC Freshman of the Year. 
• Dike Eddleman's 92-yard punt return against Western Michigan on Nov. 8, 1947 still stands as the longest in Illinois history.
• Former Illinois running back and 2022 Doak Walker Award finalist Chase Brown began his collegiate career at Western Michigan before reuniting with twin brother, Illini safety Sydney Brown, at Illinois following his freshman season. The 2022 All-American and three-time All-Big Ten performer played in 13 games and recorded 71 carries for 352 yards as a true freshman for the Broncos in 2018. In four seasons at Illinois, he amassed 605 carries for 3,206 yards and 18 rushing touchdowns and was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.