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    IU football game day: Indiana at Illinois primer and prediction

    Mike SchumannBy IU Football 1 Comment
    Photo credit - Illinois Athletics

    Indiana is back on the road, clinging to bowl eligibility with three weeks remaining.

    There’s a path to a postseason, but waiting for the Hoosiers is a team with the same aspirations.

    Here’s everything you need to know about IU’s Saturday matchup with the Fighting Illini.

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    INDIANA (3-6, 1-5) at ILLINOIS (4-5, 2-4)

    • Kickoff:  Noon Eastern, Saturday
    • Location:  Champaign, Ill., Memorial Stadium (60,670; field turf)
    • Television: BTN — Connor Onion (pbp), Matt Millen (analyst), Elise Menaker (sideline)
    • Stream:  Fox Sports
    • Radio:  IU Football radio network
    • Odds:  Illinois is a 6.5-point favorite
    • Weather at kickoff:  46 degrees, mostly sunny, wind 6 mph, 0% chance of precipitation.
    • Series:  Illinois leads 45-26-2 (last meeting, Indiana 23 Illinois 20)
    • The Coaches:
      • Tom Allen is in his seventh year as the head coach at IU.  He holds a 33-46 record.
      • Bret Bielema is in his third year at Illinois.  He’s 17-17 there, and 114-75 overall.

    IU Football Week 11 Coverage:

    TALE OF THE TAPE

    THE COMPLETE BIG TEN WEEK 11 SLATE

    Saturday, November 11, 2023 Football
    Away Home Time Location Links
    Northwestern
    Wisconsin
    TBA
    		 Madison, WI  TV: FS1 Stats Radio: Badger Sports Network Video
    Maryland
    Nebraska
    12:00 P.M.
    		 Lincoln, NE  Stats Radio: Maryland Sports Radio Network Audio Video
    Indiana
    Illinois
    12:00 P.M.
    		 Champaign, Ill.  TV: Big Ten Network Stats Radio: Indiana Sports Radio Network
    Michigan
    Penn State
    12:00 P.M.
    		 State College, Pa.  TV: FOX Stats Radio: Penn State Sports Network Video
    Minnesota
    Purdue
    3:30 P.M.
    		 West Lafayette, Ind.  TV: NBC Stats Radio: WAZY (96.5 FM) Video
    Rutgers
    Iowa
    3:30 P.M.
    		 Iowa City, Iowa  TV: Big Ten Network Stats Radio: WFAN 660-AM/101.9-FM, FOX Sports New Jersey 93.5-FM/1450-AM, SiriusXM 385, SXM app, Audacy app, Scarlet Knights app Video
    Michigan State
    Ohio State
    7:30 P.M.
    		 Columbus, Ohio  TV: NBC Stats Radio: Spartan Media Network Video

    ILLINOIS RESULTS

    9/2/2023 Toledo Champaign, Ill. W 30-28
    9/8/2023 at Kansas Lawrence, Kan. L 23-34
    9/16/2023 Penn State Champaign, Ill. L 13-30
    9/23/2023 Florida Atlantic Champaign, Ill. W 23-17
    9/30/2023 at Purdue West Lafayette, Ind. L 19-44
    10/6/2023 Nebraska Champaign, Ill. L 7-20
    10/14/2023 at Maryland College Park, Md. W 27-24
    10/21/2023 Wisconsin Champaign, Ill. L 21-25
    11/4/2023 at Minnesota Minneapolis, Minn. W 27-26

    ILLINOIS LEADERS

    Passing:  Luke Altmyer: 175-of-270, 1,883 yds, 13 TD/10 INT; John Paddock: 15-of-26, 222 yds, 2 TD
    Rushing: Kaden Feagin: 89 for 418 yds, 2 TD; Luke Altmyer: 94 for 282 yds, 3 TD
    Receiving: Isaiah Williams: 59 for 693 yds, 3 TD; Pat Bryant: 31 for 384 yds, 5 TD
    Tackles: Dylan Rosiek: 54 tkls, 4.0 TFL, 3 FF, 2 PBU; Miles Scott: 51 tkls, 1 INT, 3 PBU, 1 FR
    Sacks:  Jer’Zhan Newton: 5.5; Seth Coleman: 5.0
    Interceptions: Xavier Scott: 2

    ILLINOIS NOTES

    • Three of Illinois’ four wins this season have come in the final minute. Caleb Griffin has game- winning field goals to beat Toledo (0:05) and Maryland (0:00) and Isaiah Williams caught a 46-yard touchdown receptions with 50 seconds left to beat Minnesota.
    • Illinois is coming off a thrilling 27-26 win at Minnesota. After starting quarterback Luke Altmyer was injured, back-up John Paddock entered the game for the first time with 1:25 remaining facing a 4th-and-11 from the Illinois 15-yard line with Illinois trailing by five. He needed just 35 seconds to drive the Illini 85 yards on three straight completions, including a 46-yard game-winning touchdown throw to Isaiah Williams, who also caught the 22-yard pickup on fourth down to keep Illinois alive. Paddock finished 3-for 3 passing for 85 yards, one touchdown, and a 448.0 passer rating in one of the all-time great performances by an Illini back-up quarterback.
    • It is not clear whether Altmyer will be available to play on Saturday.
    • Bret Bielema secured his seventh Big Ten road win in his first three seasons as Illinois’ head coach with the victory at Minnesota. His seven Big Ten road wins are tied for the third-most by a head coach in Illinois history through their first three seasons. Only John Mackovic (9, 1988-90) and Lou Tepper (8, 1992-94) won more Big Ten road games in their first three seasons at Illinois than Bielema.
    • Bielema’s 11 Big Ten wins through his first three seasons at Illinois are the most since Lou Tepper won 13 in his first three seasons (1992-94). Bielema already has the fifth-most Big Ten wins through three seasons among the Illini’s 13 head coaches in modern history (post-1940).
    • Illinois has lost four straight games against Indiana dating back to 2012. It is tied for the longest losing streak ever for Illinois against Indiana. The Hoosiers also won four straight from 1967-70.
    • Defensive tackle Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton was named to this year’s AP Midseason All-American First Team.  Newton is the national leader in QB pressures among interior defenders with 33, according to PFF.
    • Isaiah Williams leads the Big Ten in receptions with 59, and ranks second in the Big Ten in receiving yards with 693.
    • Running back Kaden Feagin’s 418 rushing yards are third in the nation among true freshman. He is sixth in the nation in rushing yards among all freshmen (including redshirt).  Feagin ranks in the top ten in the Big Ten in yards/carry (7th, 4.7).

    PREDICTIONS

    Indiana has played well for two weeks in a row, taking better teams than Illinois down to the wire, and coming away with a win last weekend vs. Wisconsin.

    So there’s no question a win in Champaign is well within the realm of what’s possible.

    This one could go either way, and will probably come down to a late turnover.

    TDH PREDICTION:  ILLINOIS 24 INDIANA 23

    ESPN SP+ (Computer) Illinois 28  Indiana 18

    ESPN FPI (Computer):  Illinois has a 64.3 percent chance to win

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