Chambana Sun

For the first time since 2016, Illinois will play in front of a sold-out Memorial Stadium crowd when No. 19 Kansas visits this weekend. Both teams are coming off 45-point wins over Big South - OVC programs in their respective season openers. Saturday's 6 p.m. nationally televised kickoff promises to be a significant event.

Illinois enters the contest following a dominant 45-0 victory over Eastern Illinois on Aug. 29, where quarterback Luke Altmyer threw for four touchdowns, running back Kaden Feagin recorded his first 100-yard rushing game, and the Illini defense forced four takeaways.

The visiting Jayhawks opened their season with a 48-3 win over Lindenwood, totaling seven touchdowns and over 500 yards of offense without punting once.

The Orange and Blue aim to avenge last season's loss to Kansas in Lawrence. This marks Kansas' first trip to Champaign since 1968, with the all-time series split at three wins each.

With Illinois hosting its annual Hail to the Orange Out and celebrating FamILLy Weekend, several storylines emerge ahead of Saturday's matchup.

Offensively, Illinois seeks more success in its rushing game against Kansas. Last season, Illinois managed only 139 rushing yards against Kansas despite averaging about five yards per carry. In their recent opener against EIU, they totaled 251 rushing yards with standout performances from Kaden Feagin and Aidan Laughery.

Kansas allowed just 75 yards on the ground in their opener against Lindenwood but ranked second in the Big 12 last season for fewest passing yards allowed (216.7). Offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. emphasized the need for improvement: "They are really good at what they do... We have to make a big jump this week to be able to win this game."

Defensively, Illinois aims to prevent an early surge from Kansas' offense. Last season, Kansas scored at least ten first-half points in all but two games—both losses—and posted a season-high of 28 points against Illinois by halftime.

Illinois' defense set an aggressive tone against EIU by forcing turnovers or three-and-outs on all seven first-half possessions. Defensive coordinator Aaron Henry reflected on last year's game as a learning experience: "I've probably watched the Kansas game 100+ times... We could not be more excited about it from not only a team standpoint but from a defensive standpoint."

Kansas brings "a very talented football team" featuring redshirt junior quarterback Jalon Daniels and running back Devin Neal into Memorial Stadium. Daniels was named to several preseason watch lists after accumulating impressive stats despite limited playtime last year due to injury.

Running back Devin Neal is another key player for Kansas; he rushed for over 100 yards six times last season and started strong this year with eight carries for 112 yards and two touchdowns against Lindenwood.

Kansas also returns its top-three leading receivers from last year: Lawrence Arnold, Quentin Skinner, and Luke Grimm—all contributing significantly to their offensive strength.

Defensively, while losing some top tacklers like Austin Booker (drafted by Chicago Bears), Kansas retains strong players such as Cobee Bryant and Mello Dotson who both recorded four interceptions last season.

Kickoff between Illinois and Kansas is scheduled for Saturday at 6 p.m., broadcasted on FS1.

"Kansas is obviously a very talented football team," said head coach Bret Bielema. "They have a top-20 ranking for a reason... We're excited about the opportunity to have a ranked team come into Memorial Stadium."