Chambana Sun

After opening the season with two wins, including a 45-19 victory at Duke, the University of Illinois Fighting Illini football team is set to host Western Michigan on Saturday, September 13 at Memorial Stadium in Champaign. The game is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on FS1.

Illinois enters the matchup ranked ninth in both the AP Top 25 and US LBM Coaches Polls, marking its first top-10 ranking since December 2001 and its highest September ranking since 1964. The team's six-game winning streak ties for the longest active streak in the nation alongside Ohio State and Memphis.

Tickets for the game are sold out. Fans seeking tickets are directed to SeatGeek, which serves as the official ticket marketplace for Illinois Athletics.

Head coach Bret Bielema will hold his weekly press conference on Monday at 1 p.m. CT, available for live viewing at FightingIllini.com/live.

Illinois has demonstrated strong performance so far this season, leading to several notable statistics:

- The team is tied for second nationally in turnover margin per game (+3.0) and has not committed a turnover in its first two games.

- Quarterback Luke Altmyer ranks tenth nationally and fourth in the Big Ten in passing efficiency (195.9), while wide receiver Hank Beatty leads all players nationwide in all-purpose yards (394).

- On defense, Illinois leads the country with five fumble recoveries and has forced six turnovers this season.

- Outside linebacker Gabe Jacas is currently the only player nationwide with both a sack and a forced fumble in back-to-back games this year.

Bret Bielema's record as head coach stands at 30-22, making him one of the most successful coaches through his first 52 games at Illinois since Mike White. Among coaches who have reached at least 30 wins with Illinois, Bielema’s .577 winning percentage ranks third all-time.

The Illini hold a historical advantage over Western Michigan with a 4-2 lead in their series history and are 4-1 against them at Memorial Stadium. Their last meeting was in 2016 when Western Michigan won 34-10.

Several connections exist between Illinois and Western Michigan: Assistant head coach Thad Ward previously coached receivers at Western Michigan; former running back Chase Brown began his collegiate career there before transferring to Illinois; Dike Eddleman's punt return against Western Michigan remains an Illini record from their first matchup in 1947.

Radio coverage will be provided by Busey Bank Illini Sports Network with Brian Barnhart, Carey Davis, and Michael Martin calling the action.