Chambana Sun

Following a week off, the #23 ranked Illinois Fighting Illini football team will travel to Seattle to play the Washington Huskies on Saturday, October 25. The game is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Central Time at Husky Stadium and will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.

Illinois enters the matchup with a 5-2 record overall and a 2-2 record in Big Ten play. The team returned to the national rankings this week, coming in at #23 in both the AP Top 25 and the USA TODAY US LBM Coaches Poll. Quarterback Luke Altmyer leads the Illini, ranking sixth nationally in completion percentage (72.4%), ninth in passing efficiency (173.4), and 21st in passing yards (1,821).

Washington, also with a 5-2 overall and 2-2 Big Ten record, is coming off a 24-7 loss to Michigan. The Huskies’ quarterback, Demond Williams Jr., is close to Altmyer statistically, ranking eighth in completion percentage (72.1%), twelfth in passing efficiency (166.5), and eighteenth in passing yards (1,837).

This will be the twelfth meeting between Illinois and Washington, but the first as Big Ten opponents since Washington joined the conference before the 2024 season. Washington has won the last four games in the series, including Illinois’ most recent trip to Seattle in 2014.

Television coverage will be provided by Jeff Levering (play-by-play), Jake Butt (analyst), and Brooke Fletcher (reporter) on Big Ten Network. Radio coverage is available through the Busey Bank Illini Sports Network with Brian Barnhart, Carey Davis, and Michael Martin.

Illinois has been ranked in 25 AP polls under head coach Bret Bielema, which is the third-most weeks ranked by a head coach in program history. The team had its highest preseason ranking (#12) since 1990 and currently holds the #6 strength of schedule and #13 strength of record nationally, according to ESPN.

Over the past two seasons, Illinois has achieved a 15-5 record, including wins against teams from every other Power-4 conference: SEC (South Carolina), ACC (Duke), and Big XII (Kansas). The Illini are also 10-1 against unranked teams in this period and are seeking to become postseason eligible in consecutive years for the first time since 2010-11.

Historically, Illinois is 1-4 in previous trips to Seattle, with their last road win against Washington dating back to 1951. The teams’ most notable matchup was in the 1964 Rose Bowl, where Illinois secured a 17-7 victory led by linebacker Dick Butkus and fullback Jim Grabowski.

Illinois’ return to the rankings this week follows a brief absence after a streak of 12 consecutive appearances in the AP poll, which was the fourth-longest in program history.

The game can also be followed with live stats at illinois.statbroadcast.com, and tickets are available at GoHuskies.com.