Looking to continue their strong start to the 2024 season, the Fighting Illini will face Central Michigan of the Mid-American Conference on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. The 11 a.m. kickoff will be the final event of the week-long Homecoming festivities throughout the Champaign-Urbana community.
Illinois, which will wear Arched Illini-style helmets against the Chippewas, recorded its first home win since 2019 in front of a sold-out crowd after the Orange and Blue defeated No. 19 Kansas last week. The stands at Memorial Stadium were filled with orange for the program’s Hail to the Orange Out contest, and the Illini forced four turnovers and outscored the Jayhawks 10-0 in the fourth quarter en route to the win.
“There are many positive aspects,” said head coach Bret Bielema after the game. “To go out there and play like we did, to make it a four-quarter game and to have that atmosphere and that cheer at the end is unforgettable. Moments just can’t be replaced. We have to build on that now.”
The Illini will look to continue their positive momentum against Central Michigan, which travels to Champaign after a 52-16 road loss to Florida International last week. CMU had more points than the Panthers (369-309), recorded more first downs (22-15) and had more time of possession (34-18-25-42), but the Chippewas couldn’t overcome a -6 turnover differential in their 36-point loss.
Central Michigan will be desperate to get back on track on Saturday, and Bielema knows his Illini squad will have to be prepared for a hungry CMU team this weekend.
“I have a lot of respect for their head coach, Jim McElwain, who I know pretty well,” Bielema said. “It’s just a really impressive team. I think they’re doing a good job overall. I know they’re going to come here full force and full energy.”
“Being on the field here in Illinois with a 2-0 lead as a football team is a great feeling. The chance to play a homecoming game against Central Michigan and hopefully put the crowd in a similar state should be exciting. Kickoff will be at 11 a.m., which is our first of the year, so it’s a challenge for our guys. There are a lot of things to look forward to.”
Here are three things you should know before the Fighting Illini and the Chippewas face off for the first time in series history.
Winning the battle for sales
Through the first two weeks of the 2024 college football season, the Illini have recorded just one turnover, their fewest in the first two games since 2018. Illinois has been successful by keeping the ball under control, posting the best turnover rate so far this season (+7, tied with Cal and Oklahoma).
“I was proud of the guys and the way we handled our preparations all week,” said the defensive coordinator Aaron Henry as he reflects on his unit’s performance against No. 19 Kansas. “I thought they prepared the right way with their attitude this week. When you look at all of this, you see the preparation behind the scenes and see it come to life. That’s because we have a group of guys in this building that have really bought in.”
The Chippewas have struggled with turnovers, having the sixth-worst turnover rate (-4) in the FBS through the first two weeks of the season. CMU’s six turnovers against FIU last week are the most in a game among FBS programs this year.
During the Chippewas’ 2022 and 2023 seasons, Central Michigan was among the four worst teams in the country in the number of forced turnovers. In the first two games of the 2024 season, CMU has suffered a forced turnover, one of 36 teams with one or fewer forced turnovers this season.
Central Michigan has won its last four games in which it won the turnover battle, a trend that stretches back to the 2021 season.
History of the homecoming
Saturday’s game will be Illinois’ first homecoming game in program history and the first time since 2007 that the Illini will face a non-conference opponent on homecoming weekend.
The Orange and Blue hold an all-time record of 47-62-2 in homecoming games, with the first game dating back to 1910. The Illini’s last homecoming win was in 2022, when 24th-seeded Illinois defeated Minnesota 26-14 in front of 45,683 spectators.
Illinois boasts of being one of the first universities to celebrate Homecoming, a tradition that exists on nearly every college campus. The idea came in 1909 from students CF Williams and W. Elmer Ekblaw, members of the Shield and Trident Senior Society. They, along with another society, Phoenix, organized the three-day event.
Opponent Scout
Central Michigan is 1-1 this season after opening the season with a 66-10 home win over Central Connecticut State in Week 1. The Chippewas lost 52-16 on the road at FIU in Week 2. CMU hopes to win a non-conference road game for the second consecutive year after defeating South Alabama on the road on Sept. 23, 2023.
The Chippewas’ last win against a Big Ten opponent came in 2014, when CMU defeated Purdue on the road, 38-17. Since then, CMU has lost in six consecutive meetings against B1G teams.
On offense, quarterback Joe Labas – a transfer from Iowa – has totaled 493 passing yards, five touchdowns and five interceptions while completing 60% of his passes. The Chippewas have had four different rushers reach double figures so far, with running back Myles Bailey leading the team in runs (17), rushing yards (122) and rushing touchdowns (2). Two receivers – Solomon Davis and Chris Parker – have surpassed the 100 mark in receiving yards in two games, while four different pass catchers have scored a touchdown through the air.
Defensive back Elijah Rikard leads the team in tackles (14.0), while defensive lineman and Illinois native Jonah Pace has the most on the team with 3.5 tackles for loss.
The Chippewas have scored two special teams touchdowns this season: Stephon Bracey Jr. recorded an 87-yard kickoff return and Donte Kent recorded a 68-yard punt return in CMU’s win over CCSU in Week 1.
Kickoff on Saturday at 11am will be available on Peacock.
