No. 17 Illinois Travels to Lincoln for Nebraska Clash

NEWS

Preview

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — No. 17 Illinois returns from its second bye week and will travel to take on Nebraska in Lincoln on Saturday afternoon. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT as the Fighting Illini look to extend their five-game winning streak.

Illinois is now heading into his third straight week in the AP Top 25 poll and sits alone atop the Big Ten West standings with a 3-1 conference record and 6-1 overall.

The Illini have won back-to-back games against the Cornhuskers, most recently winning 30-22 in head coach Bret Bielema‘s first career contest at Illinois last year.

Through seven weeks, the Illini still boast the best scoring defense in the country (8.86 points allowed per game), while Chase Brown remains the nation’s leading rusher with 1,059.

Nebraska (3-4, 2-2) also is coming off a bye, falling to Purdue on the road in its last game, while Saturday’s host is 2-2 at home this season.

The conference clash will kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT from Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska, and the game will air on ABC, with Dave Pasch (play-by-play), Dusty Dvoracek (analyst) and Tom Luginbill (reporter) on the call.

Press Conference

Notes

Illinois Setting New Expectations

• Illinois has been ranked for three straight weeks, the Illini’s first time in the AP Top 25 since 2011.
• Illinois has won six of its first seven games for the first time since starting the 2011 season 6-0. The 6-1 start is tied for the best start by an Illinois team since starting 6-0-1 in 1953.
• Illinois is on its first five-game winning streak since the 6-0 start in 2011.
• Illinois reached six wins on Oct. 15, its second-quickest date to six wins in the last 100 years (Oct. 8, 2011). It is tied for the fourth-quickest to six wins by date for any Illini team.
• Illinois has won four straight games against Big Ten West opponents for the first time since the Big Ten switched to East/West divisions in 2014.
• Illinois is 3-1 in the Big Ten for the first time since 2007.
• Illinois is on a six-game home winning streak for the first time since 2001-02. The Illini have outscored opponents 175-43 (29.2-7.2) during the six-game home winning streak.
• Illinois has already passed its win total from last season (5).
• Bret Bielema is 11-8 in his Illinois career (7-6 Big Ten). It is the best start for an Illinois head coach since John Mackovic started 12-6-1 in the 1988-89 seasons.
• Illinois is 3-0 against teams it lost to in 2021. The Illini have avenged losses against Virginia, at Wisconsin, and against Iowa by a 67-19 margin after losing to the same three opponents by a combined 99-37 last year.
• Illinois beat Iowa for the first time since 2008, after winning in Madison for the first time since 2002.
• Illinois beat Iowa for the first time since 2008, snapping an eight-game losing streak.
• Illinois beat Iowa and Wisconsin in the same season for the first time since 1989. It is the first time Illinois has beaten Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota in the same year since 1983.
• The 24-point margin of victory over Wisconsin was the third-largest in an Illinois win in Madison and its 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.
• Bielema was the first Illinois head coach to win in his first trip to Madison since Lou Tepper in 1992.
• Bielema’s three Big Ten road wins in first two seasons are the most since Lou Tepper won five Big Ten road games in his first two seasons 1992-93.
• Illinois is 9-3 in the last calendar year, the third-fewest losses in the Big Ten during that span. Michigan has two losses in the last calendar year and Ohio State has one.

Illinois Defense Keeps Trending Up

• Illinois national ranks: 1st in scoring defense (8.9), t-1st in touchdowns allowed (5), 1st in total defense (221.1), 1st in passing efficiency defense (75.4), 2nd in red zone defense (63.6%), 2nd in rushing defense (77.9), 2nd in interceptions (12), 2nd in passing defense (143.3), 2nd in first downs allowed (86), 4th in TFL yards (257), 5th in fourth down defense (22.2%), 5th in takeaways (17), 7th in third down defense (26.5%), 8th in sack yards (168), 15th in sacks (23)
• Illinois’ defense is ranked 2nd in the nation by ESPN’s SP+ metric and 6th by PFF.
• Illinois was the last school in the nation to allow a touchdown at home this season (Minnesota).
• Illinois has allowed only five touchdowns on 89 opponent drives and only three in the last 63 drives. The Illini lead the nation in fewest touchdowns allowed. Indiana is the only opponent to score points on back-to-back drives against Illinois this season.
• Illinois has at least one interception in all seven games this season and has an interception in 10 straight games dating back to last season. Seven different Illini have an interception this season.
• No opponent has gained 100 yards rushing and passing in the same game against Illinois. Wyoming and Minnesota are the only two teams to run the ball for 100+ yards against Illinois, and they threw for 30 and 38 yards, respectively.
• During Illinois’ six wins, opponents have a third down conversion rate of 20.3% (16-79).
• 11 different Illini have a sack this season, tied for the sixth-most in the nation.
• Illinois has allowed only 17 second half points and only seven points in fourth quarters. The Illini are outscoring opponents 77-17 in the second half.
• 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.

More on the Illinois Defense

• Illinois’ pass coverage is ranked third in the nation and its run defense is ranked ninth by PFF.
• Illinois did not allow a touchdown in nonconference play for the first time since 1921 (52-0 vs. South Dakota, 21-0 vs. DePauw), helping Illinois complete its first undefeated nonconference schedule since 2011. It was the first time Illinois played 3+ nonconference games without allowing a TD since 1917 (22-0 vs. Kansas, 44-0 vs. Oklahoma, 28-0 vs. Camp Funston).
• Illinois has allowed 50 passing yards or fewer in three games (30 vs. Wyoming, 49 vs. Chattanooga, 38 vs. Minnesota). It is the first time since at least 2000 Illinois has held three opponents under 50 passing yards.
• Kendall Smith is tied for sixth in the nation in interceptions (4) and second in the Big Ten. Illinois free safeties have nine interceptions in the last 17 games, with Kerby Joseph – a third round pick of the Detroit Lions – having five interceptions in the final 10 games of last season and Smith having four interceptions in the first seven games this season.
• Devon Witherspoon ranks second in the nation in passes defended per game (1.8) and Jartavius Martin ranks 10th (1.4).
• Johnny Newton (35) and Seth Coleman (27) have 62 combined pressures, the second-most of any teammates in the nation, according to PFF.
• Johnny Newton is the third-highest graded defender in the nation by PFF and No. 1 in Power-5. Newton leads the nation in QB hits (15) and ranks fifth in the nation in QB pressures (35).
• Devon Witherspoon is the highest graded cornerback in the nation by PFF. He has the best coverage grade in the nation, ranks tied for first in forced incompletions (13), and ranks third in the nation in percentage of targets caught (31.0%).
• Quan Martin is third in the nation in forced incompletions (11). Illinois is the only team in nation with two players in double digits.

Chase Brown: Chasing History // FightingIllini.com/ChaseBrown

• Chase Brown is the nation’s leading rusher with 1,059 yards.
• Brown was the first running back in the nation to 1,000 yards and tied the Illinois record for the fastest to 1,000 when he eclipsed the mark in just seven games (tied J.C. Caroline, 1953).
• Illinois launched a campaign website for Brown on Oct. 19 to promote Brown’s candidacy for national awards. The site launched at FightingIllini.com/ChaseBrown.
• Brown is only the third Power-5 running back to rush for 100+ yards in his first seven games while leading his team to a 6-1 record. The others are Ezekiel Elliott (Ohio State, 2015) and Adrian Peterson (Oklahoma, 2004).
• Brown is second in the nation in rushes of 10+ yards (35), one behind Texas’ Bijan Robinson who has played one more game.
• Brown ranks third in the nation in all-purpose yards (1,166) and does not have return duties.
• Brown is fourth in the nation in yards after contact (621), according to PFF. He ranks second in the nation in forced missed tackles (54).
• Brown’s 49 first down runs are seventh in the nation, according to PFF.
• Brown leads the nation in rushing attempts per game (27.4).
• Brown has rushed for 100+ yards in an Illinois record eight straight games.
• Brown is the only player in the nation to rush for 100+ in his last eight team games.
• Brown’s streak of eight straight 100-yard games is the second longest active streak in the nation, behind only Minnesota’s Mohamed Ibrahim (14), who missed most of the 2021 season.
• Brown is the first Illini in history to rush for 100+ yards in the first seven games of a season.
• Brown had his 13th career 100-yard game against Minnesota. Only Robert Holcombe (16 from 1994-97) has more in Illinois history.
• Brown was the first player in program history to rush for 140+ yards in the first three games of a season. He went for 146 yards on 20 carries against Virginia, had 199 yards on 36 careers at Indiana, and 151 yards on 19 carries against Wyoming in Week 0.
• Brown became the 14th 1,000-yard rusher in program history when he broke the 1,000-yard mark in the season finale against Northwestern last year. He finished the season with 1,005 rushing yards on 170 carries (5.9 per carry) and five touchdowns.
• Brown joined an elite group to reach 1,000 yards in two seasons for Illinois. Only legends Jim Grabowski and Robert Holcombe reached 1,000 yards rushing in two seasons before Brown.
• Brown was the 13th and 14th 1,000-yard rusher coached by Bielema in his 13-year head coaching career.

More on Chase Brown

• Brown has 2,622 rushing yards for his career at Illinois, No. 6 on Illinois’ all-time career rushing list. Against Minnesota, he moved past six Illinois all-time greats to jump from No. 12 to No. 6 on the chart: Howard Griffith, Rashard Mendenhall, Pierre Thomas, Juice Williams, Mikel Leshoure, and Josh Ferguson.
• Brown also tallied 352 yards as a freshman at Western Michigan for 2,974 for his career, good for No. 8 on the NCAA’s active career leaders list.
• Brown’s 223-yard rushing game at Penn State last season marked his second game of 2021 with 200+ yards (257 vs. Charlotte). He joined Howard Griffith (1990) and Rashard Mendenhall (2007) as the only players in Illinois history with multiple 200-yard rushing games in a single season. Brown nearly became the first Illini running back to rush for 200 yards on three occasions, falling one yard short at Indiana this year.
• Brown’s 223 rushing yards at Penn State last year were the most ever by an opponent at Beaver Stadium and the fourth-most ever against Penn State.
• Brown was the first Illini in history to run for 220+ yards twice in a career. He did it in the span of three games during the 2021 season (vs. Charlotte, at Penn State).

Offense Making Strides

• Illinois and Ohio State are the only two teams in the nation with wins over two teams that rank in the top 15 of total defense.
• Illinois has won three straight games over top defenses. Minnesota (No. 12), Iowa (No. 6), and Wisconsin (No. 33) all rank in the nation’s top 35 for total defense.
• Illinois is averaging 26.0 points per game, a 5.8 points per game improvement over last year.
• Illinois has improved 85.9 yards/game from 2021, the biggest improvement in the Big Ten.
• Illinois is 26th in the nation in rushing (199.0), an improvement of 25 spots in the national rankings year-over-year.
• Illinois is 59th in the nation in total offense (415.9), an improvement of 53 spots in the national rankings year-over-year.
• Illinois is 59th in the nation in passing efficiency (139.9), an improvement of 62 spots in the national rankings year-over-year.

Time of Possession

• Illinois is third in the nation and leads the Big Ten in time of possession (34:57).
• Illinois doubled up Minnesota in time of possession, 40:04 to 19:56, after Minnesota came to Memorial Stadium as the national leader in time of possesion, averaging 37:58 per game.
• Illinois has held the ball for 10+ minutes of the fourth quarter in six of its seven games. During the Iowa game, Illinois held the ball for 8:19 in the fourth quarter.

#1 from QB to WR

• Former quarterback Isaiah Williams has been Illinois’ leading receiver over the last two seasons, his first two seasons playing wide receiver in his life.
• Williams set career highs in receptions (9) and receiving yards (112) at Indiana, then he had nine more receptions and 103 yards against Chattanooga.
• Williams had a 90.3 grade by PFF against Indiana, the second-best offensive grade in the Big Ten in Week 1 behind only Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud.
• Williams has at least one catch in all 19 games of the last two seasons.
• Williams ranks 15th in the nation and second in the Big Ten in receptions per game (6.7).
• Last season, Williams was third in the nation among Power-5 freshmen in receptions (47), behind only Texas’ Xavier Worthy (62) and Georgia’s Brock Bowers (56).

The Law Firm

• Defensive linemen Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton and Keith Randolph Jr., who go by the nickname “The Law Firm,” have been one of the top defensive tackle duos in the nation to date.
• Newton is the No. 3 graded interior d-lineman in the nation by PFF and Randolph is No. 57.
• Newton leads the nation in QB hits with 15 and is third in the nation in QB pressures with 35, both according to PFF.
• Newton and Randolph’s combined 50 pressures are the most in the country among any interior defensive line tandem.
• Newton and Randolph both have 8.0 TFLs, tied for 45th in the nation.

Sixth-Year Palczewski

• Illinois senior captain Alex Palczewski is the most veteran player in all of college football.
• Palczewski is the NCAA’s active leader in career starts with 59 and is six away from tying the NCAA record set by App State WR Thomas Hennigan from 2017-21.
• Palczewski is the active leader in snaps, according to PFF.
• Palczewski has started every game for the Illini in 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022. The only games he has not started were one as a true freshman in 2017 and four after a knee injury in 2020.
• Palczewski is the first six-year starter in college athletics history (minimum 50% starts of team games).
• Palczewski is the No. 12 graded tackle in the nation and No. 4 in the Big Ten according to PFF (min. 300 snaps) this season.
• Palczewski has gone exactly 500 consecutive pass blocking snaps without allowing a sack. He has not allowed a sack this season.
• Palczewski will be only the second Illini in history to captain two bowl teams, as he was also a captain for Illinois’ 2019 Redbox Bowl appearance. Moe Gardner, who was selected for College Football Hall of Fame induction this year, captained Illinois bowl teams in 1989 and 1990.