GAMEDAY | What to watch: Illinois faces No. 19 Kansas on Saturday at sold-out Memorial Stadium

For the first time since 2016, Illinois will play in front of a sold-out Memorial Stadium when No. 19 Kansas comes to town this weekend. With both teams coming off 45-point wins against Big South – OVC programs in their respective season openers, Saturday's nationally televised 6 p.m. kickoff will be nothing short of loud and electric.

Illinois enters the competition after a dominant 45-0 victory over Eastern Illinois on August 29, a game in which quarterback Luke Altmyer threw four touchdowns, running back Kaden Feagin recorded the first 100-yard rushing game of his career and the Illini defense forced four total turnovers.

The Jayhawks opened their 2024 season with a 48-3 win over Lindenwood. Kansas totaled seven touchdowns, over 500 yards of offense and 331 yards on the ground without ever being forced to punt.

The Orange-Blues come into the contest looking to avenge last season's loss to the Jayhawks in Lawrence. Kansas is traveling to Champaign for the first time since 1968, and the overall series stands at three wins per team.

As the Illini host their annual “Hail to the Orange Out” and celebrate the first annual “FamILLy Weekend,” here are a few storylines to keep an eye on before Saturday’s game.

Offense: Illinois wants to be more successful in the running game against Kansas

In the last game of the season, Illinois reached 139 rushing yards and averaged about five yards per carry. Apart from a 72-yard touchdown run by Luke Altmyerbut? The Illini only managed 67 yards on the ground, an average of 2.5 yards per carry.

The Illini were successful on the ground in the team's season opener against EIU. The offense totaled 251 rushing yards, with Kaden Feagin (16 runs, 108 yards) and Aidan Laughery (10 carries, 79 yards), setting new career highs in yardage against the Panthers.

In the Jayhawks' first game of the season against Lindenwood, Kansas allowed 75 yards on 27 carries, an average of 2.8 yards per carry. However, in 2023, they gave up 75 yards or less on four different occasions.

Kansas finished second in the Big 12 in fewest passing yards allowed (216.7) last season, so the Illini will need to be more successful with their running attack when the teams meet again on Saturday.

“They are really, really good at what they do,” said Offensive Coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. on Kansas' defense. “We saw more of that when we saw how they started 2024 and how they improved from last year. I have a lot of respect for the way they play football defensively. They play with great fundamentals, they play very fast and they know their scheme very well.

“We have to play a lot better this week to win, but I was pleased because it was a Week 1 performance. I thought our guys played with a lot of energy and took care of the ball, but we have to make a big jump this week to be able to win this game.”

Defense: Illinois wants to prevent a good start for the Jayhawk offense on Saturday

In Kansas' 13 games last season, the Jayhawks scored at least 10 points in the first half in all but two games, both of which ended in losses. When Illinois traveled to Lawrence last season, Kansas scored a season-high 28 points. Although the Illini outscored the Jayhawks 16-6 in the second half, it wasn't enough to overcome their halftime deficit.

Kansas continued that trend in its season opener, securing a 34-0 halftime lead thanks to 27 points in the second quarter and over 300 yards of offense in the first two periods.

The orange and blue defense set the tone for EIU's first drive last week. Of the Panthers' seven drives in the first half, every drive ended in either a three-and-out or a turnover.

Illinois will need to continue that trend against a dynamic Jayhawks offense that includes several returnees from last season, including two All-Big 12 honorees.

“Last year was an incredibly educational moment for me as a coach,” said defensive coordinator Aaron Henry. “From that standpoint, I've probably watched the Kansas game over 100 times just to see what we did, what I liked about the game and what we didn't do so well.

“They're really well coached. They're in a good position coming into our home stadium and we couldn't be more excited to go out there and play, not just from a team perspective but from a defense perspective. We're really looking forward to it.”

Opponent: Kansas brings “a very talented football team” to Champaign

The clash with the Jayhawks will be the first of six “revenge games” for the Illini this season, with Kansas coming to Memorial Stadium with a ranked team on Saturday night.

The Jayhawks offense has dynamic weapons at every position, starting with redshirt junior quarterback Jalon Daniels, who was on several preseason watch lists heading into his fifth college season. A true dual-threat QB, Daniels played in just three games last year, posting 705 passing yards, 74 rushing yards, a 74.7% completion rate and five touchdowns. Against the Illini in 2023, Daniels completed 21 of 29 passes for 301 yards of offense, two touchdowns and an interception. When he only played the first half against Lindenwood, he threw for 148 yards and a touchdown and completed 60% of his passes.

Running back Devin Neal, who was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team in 2023, is another threat to Kansas' offense. Neal ran for 100 yards six times last season, including a 10-run, 120-yard rush against the Illini. He also scored 16 rushing touchdowns as a junior in 2023, which ranked second in the Big 12. He got off to a good start in the season opener, managing eight runs for 112 yards and two touchdowns.

The Jayhawks also brought back their top three receivers from last season: Lawrence Arnold, Quentin Skinner and Luke Grimm. Arnold was named All-Conference in 2023 after leading the team in receptions (44) and receiving yards (782). Arnold and Grimm tied for a team-best six touchdown catches.

On defense, Kansas lost three of its top four tackle leaders, including Austin Booker, who was named the 2023 Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year and drafted by the Chicago Bears. The Jayhawks returned both 2023 All-Big 12 First Team selection Cobee Bryant and 2023 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection Mello Dotson, both of whom recorded four interceptions last season.

Kickoff between the Illini and Jayhawks is scheduled for Saturday at 6 p.m. on FS1.

“Kansas is obviously a very talented football team. They're ranked in the top 20 for a reason. People talk about them being a playoff team, and you can definitely see that before they've even played a snap this year. They're very well coached and have very dynamic players on offense and defense,” said head coach Bret Bielema. “We are excited about the opportunity to have a top-ranked team here at Memorial Stadium.”