Welcome to Big Ten play, everyone.

No. 9 Penn State football welcomes No. 19 Illinois for a Saturday night prime-time matchup at Beaver Stadium to open its Big Ten schedule this Saturday. It’s Penn State’s first time opening its conference schedule at home since 2015.

We’ve seen what the Nittany Lions have done to non-conference opponents in previous weeks. Now, it’s time for their first true test of the year against a ranked foe. Let’s learn more about the Fighting Illini ahead of the game.

The Team

Illinois is off to a 4-0 start, which includes wins over formerly ranked Kansas at home and last week at Nebraska.

Bret Bielema is 22-19 in four seasons as head coach. He’s also had lengthy stints at Wisconsin and Arkansas. He has also been an assistant coach for the New England Patriots and New York Giants.

Barry Lunney Jr. is the offensive coordinator, Aaron Henry is the defensive coordinator, and Terrance Jamison is the co-defensive coordinator. Robby Discher is the special teams coordinator.

The Fighting Illini lost defensive lineman Jer’Zhan “Johnny” Newton, who was a consensus All-American last season, to the NFL Draft. Other notable losses include tight end Tip Reiman and wideout Casey Washington.

Offense

Illinois is averaging 32.25 points per game and 379.3 yards.

Junior Luke Altmyer is the starting quarterback. After throwing 1,883 yards with 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions last season, he’s had a resurgence with 862 passing yards, 10 touchdowns, and no interceptions with a 71.4% completion rate this season. The Starkville, Mississippi, native has also had 24 carries for 58 yards this season. Altmeyer’s below-average 2023 season included a four-interception game against Penn State.

The Fighting Illini’s leading rusher is Kaden Feagin, who has 54 carries for 242 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Meanwhile, backup running backs Aidan Laughery, Ca’Lil Valentine, and Josh McCray have all rushed for over 100 yards.

Senior Pat Bryant is the only returning starter on Illinois’ receiving corps, and he leads the team with 309 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Zakhari Franklin is second with 243 yards, but he’s yet to find the end zone. Franklin is a veteran, having spent four years at UTSA before spending last season at Ole Miss, where he only appeared in four games. Altmyer tends to spread the ball around, so there isn’t an established No. 3 wideout yet. Two names to keep an eye on are Collin Dixon, with 68 receiving yards, and Malik Elzy, with 66 and a touchdown. Tight end Tanner Arkin only has 49 yards, but he’s scored two touchdowns.

Illinois returns a few starters on the offensive line. Josh Kreutz returns at center, while Josh Gesky and Zy Crisler remain at left and right guard, respectively. Melvin Priestly is the new right tackle, while J.C. Davis flanks the left side.

Defense

The Fighting Illini have a tough defense that’s only allowed 12.5 points per game.

Illinois’ secondary is particularly loaded, with several players ranking high in the team’s defensive statistics. For starters, strong safety Matthew Bailey is tied for first with 23 total tackles. Meanwhile, nickelback Xavier Scott leads the team with three interceptions.

Lining up next to Bailey is Miles Scott. Scott has emerged as a valuable defensive player with a third-most 19 tackles and two interceptions.

Meanwhile, Torrie Cox Jr. and Kaleb Patterson are at left and right cornerback, respectively. Patterson has nine total tackles, with two for loss. Cox is more of a ballhawk, with two interceptions and one pass breakup.

Dylan Rosiek, arguably the defense’s best player, is the starting mike linebacker. He’s tied for a team-most 23 total tackles, along with one sack and two forced fumbles. Alongside him is James Kreutz, who has 14 total tackles and a pass breakup. Seth Coleman, who has 16 total tackles, three for loss, and two pass breakups, also sees significant action.

Illinois’ defensive line is full of talent. Dennis Briggs Jr. leads the group with 17 total tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks, and one quarterback hurry. TeRah Edwards and Alex Bray line up next to him. Edwards has seven total tackles and three hurries, while Bray has six tackles. Gabe Jacas lines up on the outside, and he has 17 total tackles, four tackles for loss, and two sacks.

Special Teams

Illinois’ special teams averages 19.75 yards per kickoff return, while opponents average 19.67. Hank Beatty is averaging 15.57 yards per return for 109 total returns.

Kenari Wilcher is averaging 19.75 yards per punt return for 79 total yards. That’s above Illinois’ 13.82 yards per game, although opponents are averaging 7.33.

Hugh Robertson is Illinois’ punter. The Melbourne, Australia, native is averaging 42.77 yards per punt with 52 yards being his longest thus far in 2024.

David Olano is the primary field goal kicker. He’s 7-of-8 this year, with 50 yards being his longest successful attempt. Ethan Moczulski handles kickoffs, and he’s averaging 61.3 yards per attempt with 17 touchbacks.