After getting out of non-conference play unscathed, the Penn State Nittany Lions (3-0) get ready for its Big Ten slate as the also undefeated Illinois Fighting Illini (4-0) come to Beaver Stadium for a showdown under the light.
Happy Valley Insider takes a first look at the Fighting Illini ahead of the matchup on Saturday night.
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Game/Broadcast Details:
Where: State College, Pennsylvania
Stadium: Beaver Stadium (Official capacity of 106,572)
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Television: NBC/Peacock - Noah Eagle (PxP), Todd Blackledge (Color), Kathryn Tappen (Sidelines)
Odds: Penn State opened as a 17.5-point favorite, over/under is 47.5 points.
Illini trending upward:
Head coach Bret Bielema has the Fighting Illini poised to compete in the Big Ten this season after starting the year 4-0, marking its best start to a season since they were 6-0 to open the 2011 campaign. The fast start has also included a pair of wins over ranked opponents in Kansas and most recently Nebraska.
Illinois went through a tough stretch as a program prior to Bielema's arrival in Champaign, going just 34-72 between the 2012 and 2020 seasons. It took just two years for the Illini to notch their best season since 2007 under Bielema in 2022, with a record of 8-5 that season.
While the start is encouraging, the competition gets tougher for the Illini moving forward. Illinois has matchups with Penn State, Michigan and Oregon over the next month, with Purdue also sprinkled in. If Illinois is to turn the page after last year's 5-7 campaign, picking up a win or two against the top teams in the conference could pave the way for a special season in Champaign.
Luke Altmyer takes step forward in his development:
Behind the Illini's surge in 2024 has been the improved play of quarterback Luke Altmyer, who has taken a step forward in his development this year. The Ole Miss transfer was a mixed bag a year ago, leading the conference in turnovers and even losing his starting role to John Paddock late in the season.
It has been an entirely different Altmyer to start the year, with the junior signal caller throwing for 862 yards with 10 touchdowns and no interceptions while completing 71% of his passes.
Some of that success can be attributed to his pass catching duo of Pat Bryant and Zakhari Franklin being one of the best in the Big Ten so far. Franklin is the FBS' active receiving leader with 287 receptions for 3,629 yards and 38 touchdowns across his six year career. Bryant is having a breakout year as well, with 309 yards and six scores through just four games.
Altmyer was a big reason why the Illini took down Nebraska last week and Penn State's pass defense will be tested on Saturday night.
Illini find recent success against the Nittany Lions:
Despite a fairly one-sided all-time series between the two programs, Illinois has found some recent success against the Nittany Lions. Back in 2021, Penn State was on the wrong end of a 9OT upset, falling 20-18 as the No. 7 team in the country in Happy Valley. The Illini also beat James Franklin and company in the Penn State head coach's first year back in 2014.
It has been a fruitful series for Penn State aside from those two upsets, however, holding a 21-6 record against Illinois all-time. The most recent matchup between the two was a 30-13 win last September, which saw the Nittany Lions produce five takeaways and lean on the run game to move to 3-0.
