Overview

• Kickoff is set for noon ET at Memorial Stadium in Champaign in the teams’ first meeting since 2007, with USC leading the series 11-2.
• The consensus total sits at 60.5 points and SportsLine’s simulation projects 68 combined points, indicating a lean to the Over.
• USC enters 4-0 (2-0 Big Ten) and Illinois 3-1 (0-1), with the Trojans 2-4 on the road since last season and the Illini 8-1 at home in that span.
• USC quarterback Jayden Maiava has 1,223 passing yards with nine touchdowns and no interceptions, while Illinois’ Luke Altmyer has 855 yards with nine touchdowns and no interceptions.
• Illinois seeks a response after being routed by Indiana, as Indiana coach Curt Cignetti quipped that facing Iowa would be “a more difficult challenge than the last one,” and local analysts question how much a USC win would resonate.