Illinois lost to No. 1 Oregon and Minnesota in its last two games, knocking the Illini out of the AP Top 25 after seven straight weeks.
The Illini face three teams with a combined 13-14 record (Michigan State, Rutgers and Northwestern) to end the regular season, starting Saturday against the Spartans in Champaign. Impressive wins in all three could improve Illinois’ bowl destination.
Michigan State also has lost two in a row, to rival Michigan and Indiana, to fall under .500. The Spartans have Purdue and Rutgers to close out the season with a chance to land a bowl bid to cap Jonathan Smith’s first year as coach.
Michigan State (4-5, 2-4 Big Ten) at Illinois (6-3, 3-3)
- Time/TV: 1:30 p.m. Saturday, FS1.
- Line: Illinois by 3.
- Series: Michigan State leads 27-19-2.
Key matchup
Illinois offense vs. Michigan State defense.
The Illini offense struggled in the back-to-back losses, scoring just 26 points. The Illini are averaging 25.9 points per game. They will face a Spartans defense that allows 323.6 yards per game, No. 30 in the nation, and has held five opponents under 300 yards.
Players to watch
Illinois: QB Luke Altmyer has thrown just three interceptions, the fewest of any Big Ten starter. But turnovers were an issue for him against Minnesota. He lost two fumbles while being sacked, including one deep in Gophers territory with 29 seconds left that ended the Illini’s final scoring opportunity in the 25-17 loss. Coach Bret Bielema said after the game that Altmyer’s ball security would be a point of emphasis in practice.
Michigan State: Freshman WR Nick Marsh ranks sixth in the Big Ten with 16.8 yards per catch and is seventh in the conference with 69.1 receiving yards per game. He leads the Spartans in receiving yards (553) and is second in receptions (33). His receiving yards are the most by a freshman in Michigan State history (Cody White, 490, 2017).
Facts & figures
LB Dylan Rosiek, Illinois’ leading tackler, suffered a broken leg against Minnesota and is out for the season. … Michigan State’s schedule is the 11th-toughest in the nation, according to the NCAA. Opponents have a .649 winning percentage. … The Spartans have won 16 of the last 20 meetings. … Michigan State has two running backs — Kay’ron Lynch-Adams and Nathan Carter — with more than 2,000 career rushing yards, one of only 10 such RB duos in the country. … The Spartans have a strong kicking game. Jonathan Kim is 17 of 19 on field goals and ranks seventh in the nation in field goals made. Ryan Eckley is the top punter in the Big Ten, averaging 49.2 yards. … Illinois also has an outstanding kicker in David Alano, who is perfect on 24 PATs and 14 of 17 on field goals.
