Coming off its first Big Ten win of the season, Illinois returns to Memorial Stadium to take on Wisconsin on Saturday afternoon in its 113th Homecoming game.
The Fighting Illini (3-4, 1-3 B1G) enter the contest following a 27-24 road win over Maryland, a game in which Caleb Griffin nailed a 43-yard field goal as time expired to secure the victory. Seth Coleman and Kaden Feagin both earned conference honors for their respective performances: Coleman was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after tallying 3.0 sacks, six tackles, and 3.0 tackles for loss, while Feagin was tabbed Big Ten Freshman of the Week after making his first start and recording 19 carries for 84 yards and one touchdown, the first score of his career.
The Badgers travel to Champaign coming off a 15-6 home loss against Iowa, though Wisconsin still sits 4-2 overall with a 2-1 record in Big Ten play under first-year head coach Luke Fickell.
Illinois won the last meeting between the two sides, a 34-10 victory in Madison, Wisconsin, on Oct. 1, 2022.
Eric Collins (play-by-play) and Devin Gardner (analyst) will call the nationally televised broadcast on FS1 with kickoff scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT. The Busey Bank Illini Sports Network has the radio call with Brian Barnhart, Martin O'Donnell, and Michael Martin.
Illinois Coming Off Big Ten Road Win at Maryland
• QB Luke Altmyer led his second game-winning drive of the season, and K Caleb Griffin drilled his second last-second game-winning field goal to give Illinois a 27-24 upset victory at Maryland.
• Griffin's 43-yard game-winner made him the first kicker to have two game-winning field goals (final minute) in a single season in Illinois history.
• Bret Bielema's six Big Ten road wins in his first three seasons are tied for the third-most by a head coach in Illinois history. Only John Mackovic (9, 1988-90) and Lou Tepper (8, 1992-94) won more Big Ten road games in their first three seasons at Illinois than Bielema. Mike White (1980-82) and Ray Eliot (1942-44) also won six Big Ten road games in their first three seasons.
The Illinois-Wisconsin Series
• Saturday will be the 91st meeting between the Fighting Illini and the Badgers.
• Wisconsin holds a 44-39-7 edge in the all-time series, but Illinois leads 22-19-3 in Champaign.
• Last year, Illinois won in Madison for the first time in 20 years by outscoring the Badgers 17-0 in the third quarter and cruising to a 34-10 win. Illinois held Wisconsin to just two yards rushing, the fewest yards the Badgers have rushed for at home since being held to 12 yards on Nov. 3, 2007, vs. Ohio State. The 24-point margin of victory was the third-largest in an Illinois win in Madison and the Illini's biggest since 1988. It was the largest margin of victory for the Illini in a Big Ten road game since defeating Purdue by 34 points on Nov. 7, 2015. In the deciding third quarter, the Illini held the Badgers to just 10 total yards and Wisconsin did not complete a pass or gain a first down.
• Illinois is 22-19-3 against the Badgers in Champaign. The two teams have split the last two meetings in Champaign, with Illinois pulling off one of the biggest upsets in Big Ten history in 2019 against the Badgers. James McCourt's 39-yard field goal as time expired beat the #6 Badgers, 24-23, on Illinois' Homecoming, as the Illini won as 30.5-point underdogs according to ESPN. Illinois had the most points (24), takeaways (3), rushing yards (141), passing touchdowns (2, tied), rushing touchdowns (1, tied), yards per carry (4.0), and the longest rush (43, Corbin) against Wisconsin to that point in the season.
• The 1995 game between the Illini and Wisconsin holds historical significance as the last college football game to end in a tie (final score was 3-3). Overtime rules were instituted the following season.
• Illinois' most receiving yards vs. Wisconsin: 167 D. Williams 10/6/1984, 154 T. Brewster 10/23/1982, 142 O. Williams 10/24/1981
• Illinois' most rush yards vs. Wisconsin: 239 Grabowski 11/14/1964, 196 Grabowski 11/13/1965, 160 Mendenhall 10/6/2007
• Illinois' most passing yards vs. Wisconsin: 479 Eason 10/23/1982, 401 Kittner 10/20/2001, 357 Eason 10/24/1981
• Illinois' longest rush vs. Wisconsin: 80 Corbin 10/20/2018, 73 J. Wilson 11/13/1971, 69 B. Brown 11/14/1959,
• Illinois' longest pass vs. Wisconsin: 86 Eason to O. Williams 10/24/1981
• Last 100-yard receiving game vs. Wisconsin: Steve Hull, 105, 10/19/2013
• Last 100-yard rushing game vs. Wisconsin: Chase Brown, 129, 10/1/2022
• Last 300-yard passing game vs. Wisconsin: Jon Beutjer, 319, 11/9/2002
• Illinois head coach Bret Bielema was formerly the defensive coordinator (2004-05) and the head coach (2006-12) at Wisconsin. He led the Badgers to three Big Ten championships (2010-12), six consecutive bowl games and a 68-24 record (.739) in seven seasons as head coach.
• Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry played under Bielema at Wisconsin, where he was an All-Big Ten first-team defensive back. Henry earned 32 starts from 2007-11 and helped lead the Badgers to consecutive Big Ten titles and Rose Bowl appearances as a junior and senior.
• Illinois defensive backs coach Antonio Fenelus was a two-time All-Big Ten performer at Wisconsin. He recorded 155 tackles, 22 passes defended, nine interceptions, and three forced fumbles in 52 career games.
• Illinois defensive line coach Terrance Jamison played on the defensive line for the Badgers from 2005-07 under Bielema before knee injuries forced him to the sidelines. Jamison combined to serve four seasons as a student assistant (2008-09), quality control assistant (2011), and a graduate assistant (2012).
• Illinois linebackers coach Andy Buh served in the same position at Wisconsin in 2012 under Bielema.
• Illinois senior football analyst Jim Leonhard has a long history at Wisconsin, including serving as interim head coach for the Badgers for seven games in 2022. Leonhard spent seven seasons on staff in Madison, including six seasons as Wisconsin's defensive coordinator from 2017-22. He started his coaching career at Wisconsin in 2016 after a 10-year NFL career and an All-American playing career at Wisconsin.
• Illinois Football Chief of Staff Mark Taurisani spent seven seasons at Wisconsin, including the final four as Director of Football Operations (2010-13). He served as football operations coordinator (2008-09), following two seasons as an operations assistant (2006-07).
