Individual Notes
- Redshirt-freshman QB Jeff George, Jr. started for the third straight game.
- George, Jr. threw a career-high two touchdowns.
- Junior RB Kendrick Foster ran for a career-long 64-yard touchdown.
- The run was the second-longest of the season for the Illini behind Vaughn's 65-yard run against North Carolina.
- Foster ran for a career-high 146 rushing yards good for the first 100-yard rusher against Michigan State since Juice Williams had 103 rushing yards on Sept. 30, 2006.
- Foster is the first Illini since Chayce Crouch on Oct. 8, 2016 to have over 125 rushing yards.
- Foster tied his career-high was two rushing touchdowns.
- Sophomore DB Tre Watson had a career-high 16 tackles. Watson's previous career-high was 13 tackles against Purdue on Oct. 8.
- The 16 total tackles is tied for the most by an Illini this season.
- Watson had his first-career PBU.
- Freshman LB Dele Harding had a career-high seven tackles.
- Senior WR Zach Grant caught a career-long 22-yard pass from Jeff George, Jr.
- Sophomore WR Sam Mays had is second career receiving touchdown.
- Junior DB Jaylen Dunlap grabbed his first career fumble recovery.
- Dunlap had a career-high four PBUs. The four PBUs in a game is the most by an Illini since Alan Ball on Oct. 14, 2002 against Indiana.
- The four PBUs ranks tied for fifth in the Illini record book.
- Freshman DB Stanley Green had a career-high two forced fumbles.
- Green is the first Illini with two forced fumbles in a Big Ten game since Whitney Mercilus at Indiana, 10/8/2011
- Illinois started five freshmen on defense: DT Kenyon Jackson, DT Jamal Milan, CB Frank Sumpter, FS Stanley Green, SS Patrick Nelson.
- The Illini freshmen combined for 34 tackles.
- With 2.5 TFLs, senior DL Dawuane Smoot moved into No. 8 in the Illini record book with 35.0 career TFLs.
- Redshirt-freshman DB Cameron Watkins had a career-high five tackles.
- Redshirt-freshman DB Frank Sumpter had a career-high six tackles.
- Consecutive starts extended dating back to 2015: Christian DiLauro 28, Dawuane Smoot 21