Illinois Welcomes #7 Penn State to Champaign

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois (1-1) returns to Memorial Stadium for its Big Ten opener against #7 Penn State (2-0) on Saturday morning. Kickoff is slated for 11 a.m. CT on FOX.

The Fighting Illini head into the contest after suffering a setback away from home against Kansas, while the Nittany Lions enter the game following a 63-7 home win over Delaware.

Illinois will square off with Penn State for the first time since 2021, when the Orange and Blue pulled off a 20-18 top-10 road victory in nine overtimes in the longest game in college football history. The game will be the first meeting in Champaign between the two sides since 2018.

FOX has the national telecast with Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt, and Jenny Taft on the call. The Busey Bank Illini Sports Network has the radio call with Brian Barnhart, Martin O'Donnell, and Michael Martin, while ESPN will provide a national radio broadcast with Mike Couzens, Max Starks, and Mike Peasley on the air.

Press Conference

Promotions

Hail To The Orange Out! – Wear Orange! Visit GameDay Spirit, the official Fighting Illini fan store, in Grange Grove to get your orange apparel!

Giveaway – 10,000 orange rally towels sponsored by Central Illinois Toyota Dealers

Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame Weekend – The 2023 class of the Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame will be honored this weekend with an on-field recognition during the game and induction into the Hall on Friday, Sept. 15, at 7 p.m. CT inside the State Farm Center. Admission is free and open to all fans. 

Illini Hour – Fans are now incentivized more than ever to enter Memorial Stadium during the first hour gates are open. From 90 minutes to 30 minutes before kickoff, all hot dogs, non-alcoholic beverages (excluding souvenir cups), domestic beers, and Trulys are just $3. Fans can visit any stand where items are sold to take advantage of the early bird deals. For the Penn State game, gates open at 9:30 a.m. CT and Illini Hour runs until 10:30 a.m. CT before the 11 a.m. CT kickoff. 

Season Ticket Holder Punch Card — $5 off orange visors and free Cheetos with the purchase of a drink.

Freaky Fast 77 Yard Dash presented by Jimmy John's – "The Galloping Ghost" is returning to Memorial Stadium after a convincing victory from Week 1 in The Freaky Fast 77 Yard Dash presented by Jimmy John's! This new promotion occurs between the third and fourth quarters of Fighting Illini football games all season long, and will feature a race between Red Grange and a University of Illinois student inside the hashes of Zuppke Field at Memorial Stadium. The student racing the modern-day version of Red will have a chance to win free Jimmy John's for a year. Fans can interact and take photos with Red Grange inside Grange Grove on game days from three hours prior to kickoff.

Need a tailgate spot? — Reserve a tailgate in Grange Grove for FREE or book a fully turnkey tailgate with add-ons such as televisions, tailgate games, BBQs, high-top tables, and speakers. Catering options include; Nelson's Catering, Hickory River BBQ & Friar Tuck Beverages. Make your FREE or turnkey reservation through our official University of Illinois tailgate service provider Tailgater Concierge.

Notes

Illinois-Penn State All-Time Series

• Illinois and Penn State meet for the first time since the Illini took down #7 Penn State at Beaver Stadium in nine overtimes — the longest game in college football history — on Oct. 23, 2021. In the ninth overtime period, QB Brandon Peters connected with WR Casey Washington in the end zone to lift the Fighting Illini to an upset win on the Nittany Lions' Homecoming weekend. The historic win also marked the 100th of head coach Bret Bielema's career. Illinois' run game fueled the offense through regulation as Chase Brown and Josh McCray rushed for 223 and 142 yards, respectively. Brown's 223 rushing yards were the most ever by an opponent at Beaver Stadium.
• Illinois visited Penn State in back-to-back seasons in 2020 and 2021. In the final game of the 2020 season, which was scheduled one week prior, Penn State defeated the Illini, 56-21. Then-QB Isaiah Williams threw for two touchdowns and rushed for 102 yards with Rod Smith serving as interim head coach in the first game following Lovie Smith's dismissal. Current Illinois head coach Bret Bielema was officially hired that morning and attended the game in State College after flying in from New Jersey, where he was living while coaching with the New York Giants.
• Illinois has won four of the last 12 meetings (2007, 2010, 2014, 2021). Prior to 2007, Penn State had won 11 of 13 meetings, including seven in a row from 1972-2000. 
• Illinois' last win over Penn State in Champaign was in 2014, when David Reisner's 36-yard field goal with eight seconds left secured a 16-14 victory. 
• Illinois is 2-12 all-time against Penn State teams ranked in the AP top 25, including a 1-6 record against Penn State teams ranked in the top 10. Other than 2021, the Illini's lone win against a ranked Penn State team was a 27-20 victory vs. No. 21 Penn State 9/29/2007.
• Most rushing yards vs. Penn State: Chase Brown, 223, 10/23/2021
• Most passing yards vs. Penn State: Kurt Kittner, 326, 10/21/2000 
• Most receiving yards vs. Penn State: Walter Young, 127, 10/21/2000
• Last 100-yard rusher vs. Penn State: Chase Brown, 223, 10/23/2021
• Last 300-yard passer vs. Penn State: Nathan Scheelhaase, 321, 11/2/2013
• Last 100-yard receiver vs. Penn State: Ryan Lankford, 104, 9/29/2012

Illinois Starts 2023 Season 1-1
• Illinois is off to a 1-1 start after a 30-28 win over reigning MAC champion Toledo, followed by a 34-23 loss at Kansas last Friday night. 
• Against Toledo, new Illinois QB Luke Altmyer led Illinois on a 12-play, 64-yard drive in the final minutes to get the Illini within field goal range for the 29-yard game-winner from K Caleb Griffin. It was Illinois' first game-winning drive in the final two minutes of a season opener in program history. 
• Altmyer went 18-26 with 211 passing yards, 69 rushing yards, and two passing touchdowns - both to Pat Bryant - in his debut vs. Toledo. Altmyer's QBR of 79.2 in Week 1 was 25th in the nation and fourth among Big Ten QBs, behind only J.J. McCarthy (MICH), Taulia Tagovailoa (MD), and Drew Allar (PSU).
• DB Miles Scott was named the Big Ten co-Defensive Player of the Week following the win over Toledo. Making his debut on defense, Scott took his first career interception to the house for a 48-yard pick six in the third quarter to change the game. Scott was the #1 graded defensive back in the nation by PFF and the #3 overall defender in the nation (#1 in the Big Ten) during Week 1.
• DB Miles Scott's 48-yard pick-6 is the longest in the Big Ten so far this season and was the fifth-longest in college football during Week 1. 
• Illinois trailed by as many as 12 points against Toledo (19-7 in the third quarter), marking its largest comeback win since the school-record 25-point comeback win at Michigan State on Nov. 9, 2019.
• Luke Altmyer was the first QB to throw for 200+ yards in an Illini debut since Wes Lunt had 285 yards passing against Youngstown State, 8/30/14.
• Illinois dropped a 34-23 matchup at Kansas last week, after falling behind 28-7 in the first half. The Illini clawed back by outscoring Kansas 16-6 in the second half, but could not get the game within two possessions.

Altmyer Takes Over at Quarterback
• Illinois turned to new starting quarterback Luke Altmyer after 2022's starting QB Tommy DeVito ran out of eligibility and is now on the New York Giants' practice squad. Altmyer transferred to Illinois in January from Ole Miss.
• Altmyer has made an instant impact on the Illinois offense, as he leads the Big Ten in points responsible for (32) through the first two weeks of the season. Altmyer ranks fourth in the Big Ten in completion percentage (68.5%), fourth in yards per carry (6.8), fifth in total offense (273.5), and seventh in yards per pass attempt (7.56). 
• Altmyer broke a 72-yard touchdown run at Kansas. It was the second-longest run in Illinois history by a quarterback and the longest in 91 years. The longest run by an Illini quarterback was a 75-yard touchdown run by Gil Berry at Chicago, 10/29/1932.
• Altmyer already has a team-best 139 rushing yards. He is only 164 rushing yards away from cracking Illinois' all-time top-10 list for rushing yards by a quarterback.
• Altmyer's favorite target has been WR Isaiah Williams, who ranks third in the Big Ten in receptions per game (5.5) and sixth in receiving yards (150). Williams has at least one catch in all 27 games since he switched from QB prior to the start of the 2021 season, which is the second-longest active streak in the Big Ten behind Penn State's Dante Cephas (29) and the 12th-longest active streak in the nation.
• Altmyer has found Williams for eight first-down receptions, tied for the third-most in the Big Ten and only one back of the most in the league. 

The Law Firm of Newton and Randolph
• Defensive tackles Jer'Zhan "Johnny" Newton and Keith Randolph Jr., who go by the nickname "The Law Firm," were one of the top defensive tackle duos in the nation in 2022 and both were named Preseason All-Americans by multiple outlets entering 2023.
• Newton sacked Kansas dual-threat QB Jalon Daniels twice last Friday. Newton is one of only four Big Ten players with 2.0 sacks in a game this season.
• Newton ranks second in the Big Ten in sacks (2.0), behind only Nebraska LB Luke Reimer (2.5).
• Johnny Newton was the No. 9 graded defender in the nation by PFF (91.5) in 2022.