Chambana Sun

After concluding their home games with a 6-1 record, the No. 24 Fighting Illini will travel to Piscataway, New Jersey, to face Rutgers at SHI Stadium on Saturday at 11 a.m. CT. The game will be available for viewing on Peacock.

This marks Illinois' fourth away game of the season, with a current road record of 1-2. Their previous road victories include an overtime win against No. 22 Nebraska and losses to No. 1 Oregon and No. 9 Penn State.

In their last game, Illinois secured a significant 38-16 victory over Michigan State, thanks in part to Josh McCray's career-high three rushing touchdowns and Pat Bryant's career-best 135 receiving yards. The defense also played a crucial role by holding Michigan State to just two successful third-down conversions out of fifteen attempts and achieving five sacks along with eight tackles for loss.

Rutgers enters the weekend with a record of 6-4 overall and is on a two-game winning streak after defeating Maryland 31-17 on the road. At home this season, they have achieved four wins out of six games.

Rutgers ranks second in the Big Ten for time of possession, averaging over thirty-one minutes per game across ten games this season. "We've faced some really good running backs, but Kyle Monangai is a different cat," said Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry about Rutgers' senior running back who ranks third in the Big Ten with over one thousand rushing yards.

Rutgers' offense features Athan Kaliakmanis as starting quarterback, who transferred from Minnesota and has recorded more than two thousand passing yards this year. Wide receiver Dymere Miller has made significant contributions since joining from FCS Monmouth, leading his team in receptions and receiving yards.

On defense, linebacker Dariel Djabome leads Rutgers with eighty-eight total tackles while defensive linemen Kyonte Hamilton and Jordan Thompson have been key players in making tackles for loss. "It's obviously a tall task," Henry noted regarding facing Rutgers' offensive strategies.

Barry Lunney Jr., Illinois offensive coordinator, acknowledged the challenge posed by Rutgers' defense: "They're really big in their front seven... It's a big, strong, fast confident group."

No. 24 Illinois will meet Rutgers at SHI Stadium on Saturday morning.