Is an extra week of preparation enough for Wes Lunt and the Illinois Fighting Illini (1-2) to rebound from their slow start? We’ll find out on Saturday, as the program is set to open Big Ten play with a trip to visit the No. 15 Nebraska Cornhuskers (4-0).
Here’s all the information you’ll need to catch the game. For a more in-depth look at Illinois’ opponent, make sure to check out our Week 5 preview.
How to Watch Illinois vs. Nebraska
Game Time: 2:30pm CT (2:35pm CT kickoff)
TV Channel: ESPN2
Online Streaming: WatchESPN
Radio: All Illinois football games air live on radio in the Champaign (WDWS 1400) and Chicago markets (WSCR 670). The game is also broadcasted on other stations throughout the state; check the Fighting Illini Radio Network for more information.
Other audio options for fans that don’t live close enough include SiriusXM and the Fighting Illini TuneIn stream(embedded below).
Latest Odds: At the time of this draft, Nebraska has been designated as a 20-point favorite for today’s game. The over/under has also been set at 54.0 points. Both numbers will likely change before kickoff.
Illinois Fighting Illini Advanced Stats Profile
Head Coach: Lovie Smith (1-2)
Leading Passer: Wes Lunt (665 YDS, 6 TD, 1 INT)
Leading Rusher: KeShawn Vaughn (187 YDS, 2 TD)
Leading Receiver: Malik Turner (223 YDS, 3 TD)
| Record: 1-2 | Second-order wins (diff.): 1.1 (0.1) | S&P+ Rk: 71 | |||||||||
| Date | Opponent | Opp. S&P+ Rk | Score | W-L | Win Expectancy |
Adj. Scoring Margin |
Percentile Performance |
Off. Percentile |
Def. Percentile |
| 3-Sep | Murray State | N/A | 52-3 | W | 100% | 52.2 | 72% | 78% | 78% |
| 10-Sep | North Carolina | 30 | 23-48 | L | 1% | -20.3 | 24% | 7% | 49% |
| 17-Sep | Western Michigan | 59 | 10-34 | L | 9% | -11.6 | 44% | 7% | 65% |
| Date | Opponent | Opp. S&P+ Rk | Win Probability |
Proj. W-L |
Proj. Margin |
Proj. Score |
Cumulative Proj. Wins |
| 1-Oct | at Nebraska | 23 | 18% | L | -15.8 | 22.6 - 38.4 | 1.18 |
| 8-Oct | Purdue | 89 | 65% | W | 6.6 | 31.9 - 25.3 | 1.83 |
| 15-Oct | at Rutgers | 95 | 60% | W | 4.4 | 30.1 - 25.8 | 2.43 |
| 22-Oct | at Michigan | 2 | 4% | L | -29.4 | 12.7 - 42.2 | 2.47 |
| 29-Oct | Minnesota | 35 | 34% | L | -7.2 | 25.5 - 32.7 | 2.81 |
| 5-Nov | Michigan State | 47 | 39% | L | -4.7 | 25.5 - 30.2 | 3.21 |
| 12-Nov | at Wisconsin | 16 | 15% | L | -17.7 | 16.5 - 34.3 | 3.36 |
| 19-Nov | Iowa | 28 | 32% | L | -7.9 | 26.1 - 34.0 | 3.68 |
| 26-Nov | at Northwestern | 73 | 45% | L | -2.3 | 23.9 - 26.2 | 4.13 |
| Category | Offense | Rk | Defense | Rk |
| S&P+ | 27.3 | 81 | 28.8 | 60 |
| Points Per Game | 28.3 | 75 | 28.3 | 79 |
Nebraska Cornhuskers Advanced Stats Profile
Head Coach: Mike Riley (10-7)
Leading Passer: Tommy Armstrong Jr. (931 YDS, 8 TD, 1 INT)
Leading Rusher: Devine Ozigbo (283 YDS, 4 TD)
Leading Receiver: Alonzo Moore (310 YDS, 2 TD)
| Record: 4-0 | Second-order wins (diff.): 3.1 (-0.9) | S&P+ Rk: 23 | |||||||||
| Date | Opponent | Opp. S&P+ Rk | Score | W-L | Win Expectancy |
Adj. Scoring Margin |
Percentile Performance |
Off. Percentile |
Def. Percentile |
| 3-Sep | Fresno State | 103 | 43-10 | W | 100% | 29.4 | 75% | 68% | 83% |
| 10-Sep | Wyoming | 108 | 52-17 | W | 100% | 23.3 | 78% | 84% | 76% |
| 17-Sep | Oregon | 20 | 35-32 | W | 18% | -8.0 | 63% | 60% | 69% |
| 24-Sep | at Northwestern | 73 | 24-13 | W | 92% | 12.4 | 81% | 90% | 50% |
| Date | Opponent | Opp. S&P+ Rk | Win Probability |
Proj. W-L |
Proj. Margin |
Proj. Score |
Cumulative Proj. Wins |
| 1-Oct | Illinois | 71 | 82% | W | 15.8 | 38.4 - 22.6 | 4.82 |
| 15-Oct | at Indiana | 45 | 58% | W | 3.5 | 34.7 - 31.2 | 5.40 |
| 22-Oct | Purdue | 89 | 88% | W | 19.9 | 42.2 - 22.3 | 6.28 |
| 29-Oct | at Wisconsin | 16 | 40% | L | -4.4 | 26.8 - 31.2 | 6.68 |
| 5-Nov | at Ohio State | 1 | 15% | L | -18.0 | 24.2 - 42.2 | 6.82 |
| 12-Nov | Minnesota | 35 | 64% | W | 6.2 | 35.8 - 29.6 | 7.46 |
| 19-Nov | Maryland | 56 | 74% | W | 11.2 | 38.9 - 27.7 | 8.21 |
| 25-Nov | at Iowa | 28 | 51% | W | 0.5 | 33.9 - 33.4 | 8.72 |
| Category | Offense | Rk | Defense | Rk |
| S&P+ | 37.8 | 21 | 25.4 | 42 |
| Points Per Game | 38.5 | 37 | 18.0 | 25 |