Can Wes Lunt and the Illinois Fighting Illini (1-1) rebound from their first loss of the season? We’ll find out on Saturday, as the program is set to welcome the Western Michigan Broncos (2-0) to Champaign for their final non-conference game of the season.
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 3 preview.
How to Watch Illinois vs. Western Michigan
Game Time: 3:00pm CT (3:01pm CT kickoff)
TV Channel: ESPNews
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, Western Michigan has been designated as a slim 1.5-point favorite for today’s game. The over/under has also been set at 59.5 points. Both numbers will likely change before kickoff.
Illinois Fighting Illini Advanced Stats Profile
Head Coach: Lovie Smith (1-1)
Leading Passer: Wes Lunt (353 YDS, 5 TD)
Leading Rusher: KeShawn Vaughn (165 YDS, 2 TD)
Leading Receiver: Malik Turner (116 YDS, 3 TD)
| Record: 1-1 | Second-order wins (diff.): 1.0 (0.0) | S&P+ Rk: 64 | |||||||||
| 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% | 49.6 | 80% | 73% | 76% |
| 10-Sep | North Carolina | 28 | 23-48 | L | 3% | -20.3 | 24% | 24% | 24% |
| Date | Opponent | Opp. S&P+ Rk | Win Probability |
Proj. W-L |
Proj. Margin |
Proj. Score |
Cumulative Proj. Wins |
| 17-Sep | Western Michigan | 62 | 56% | W | 2.5 | 33.4 - 31.0 | 1.56 |
| 1-Oct | at Nebraska | 26 | 24% | L | -12.3 | 24.8 - 37.1 | 1.79 |
| 8-Oct | Purdue | 90 | 71% | W | 9.7 | 33.2 - 23.5 | 2.51 |
| 15-Oct | at Rutgers | 85 | 59% | W | 4.0 | 30.4 - 26.4 | 3.10 |
| 22-Oct | at Michigan | 4 | 10% | L | -22.5 | 16.0 - 38.4 | 3.20 |
| 29-Oct | Minnesota | 34 | 40% | L | -4.6 | 27.1 - 31.6 | 3.59 |
| 5-Nov | Michigan State | 25 | 33% | L | -7.8 | 24.5 - 32.3 | 3.92 |
| 12-Nov | at Wisconsin | 29 | 27% | L | -10.5 | 20.4 - 30.9 | 4.19 |
| 19-Nov | Iowa | 35 | 40% | L | -4.5 | 28.4 - 32.9 | 4.59 |
| 26-Nov | at Northwestern | 59 | 42% | L | -3.3 | 23.4 - 26.7 | 5.01 |
| Category | Offense | Rk | Defense | Rk |
| S&P+ | 27.8 | 71 | 26.8 | 47 |
| Points Per Game | 37.5 | 45 | 25.5 | 69 |
Western Michigan Broncos Advanced Stats Profile
Head Coach: P.J. Fleck (19-21)
Leading Passer: Zach Terrell (473 YDS, 5 TD)
Leading Rusher: Jamauri Bogan (234 YDS, 2 TD)
Leading Receiver: Corey Davis (220 YDS, 3 TD)
| Record: 2-0 | Second-order wins (diff.): 1.3 (-0.7) | S&P+ Rk: 62 | |||||||||
| Date | Opponent | Opp. S&P+ Rk | Score | W-L | Win Expectancy |
Adj. Scoring Margin |
Percentile Performance |
Off. Percentile |
Def. Percentile |
| 4-Sep | at Northwestern | 59 | 22-21 | W | 31% | -5.0 | 24% | 76% | 24% |
| 10-Sep | NC Central | N/A | 70-21 | W | 99% | 23.2 | 39% | 86% | 6% |
| Date | Opponent | Opp. S&P+ Rk | Win Probability |
Proj. W-L |
Proj. Margin |
Proj. Score |
Cumulative Proj. Wins |
| 17-Sep | at Illinois | 64 | 44% | L | -2.5 | 31.0 - 33.4 | 2.44 |
| 24-Sep | Georgia Southern | 45 | 49% | L | -0.6 | 32.2 - 32.8 | 2.93 |
| 1-Oct | at Central Michigan | 78 | 51% | W | 0.5 | 32.3 - 31.8 | 3.44 |
| 8-Oct | Northern Illinois | 83 | 67% | W | 7.8 | 37.9 - 30.1 | 4.12 |
| 15-Oct | at Akron | 94 | 64% | W | 6.1 | 35.3 - 29.2 | 4.75 |
| 22-Oct | Eastern Michigan | 122 | 88% | W | 20.6 | 43.4 - 22.7 | 5.64 |
| 1-Nov | at Ball State | 103 | 70% | W | 9.0 | 35.9 - 26.9 | 6.34 |
| 8-Nov | at Kent State | 106 | 73% | W | 10.7 | 31.5 - 20.8 | 7.07 |
| 19-Nov | Buffalo | 105 | 81% | W | 15.4 | 36.2 - 20.7 | 7.88 |
| 25-Nov | Toledo | 49 | 50% | L | -0.1 | 32.4 - 32.4 | 8.38 |
| Category | Offense | Rk | Defense | Rk |
| S&P+ | 38.1 | 29 | 36.2 | 122 |
| Points Per Game | 46.0 | 19 | 21.0 | 52 |