Game notes: Illinois at Maryland
Saturday, October 31, kickoff time not yet set, SECU Stadium.The game page.
30 notes · built Oct 19, 7:24 AM ET
The matchup
- Illinois (3–3, 1–2 in conference) at Maryland (2–5, 0–4 in conference), Saturday, October 31, kickoff time not yet set, SECU Stadium.resultsWins and losses in this season’s finished games before kickoff, from the game results on file. Ranks as of the game, as listed with the schedule (AP poll, else the coaches’).
The series
- It will be their fifth meeting; the series is even at 2–2.resultsEvery meeting on file; official counts take out wins the NCAA vacated and count forfeits as the rivalry’s article does.
- Last meeting: Saturday, November 15, 2025: Illinois 24, Maryland 6.resultsThe most recent meeting on file.
- They first met in 2018: Maryland 63, Illinois 33.resultsThe earliest meeting on file.
- Last four meetings: 2025: Illinois 24–6 (at Illinois); 2023: Illinois 27–24 (at Maryland); 2021: Maryland 20–17 (at Illinois); 2018: Maryland 63–33 (at Maryland).resultsThe last five meetings on file.
Illinois
- Illinois is 3–3 (1–2 in conference games), 0–1 against ranked teams.resultsWins and losses in this season’s finished games before kickoff, from the game results on file.
- This season: W 42–23 vs. UAB; L 27–31 vs. Duke; W 48–10 vs. Southern Illinois; L 19–42 at No. 7 Ohio State; L 17–24 vs. Purdue; W 38–37 at Michigan State.resultsThis season’s finished games.
- Illinois is No. 68 of 138 FBS teams in our Elo ratings.our ratingsOur Elo rating, from every game on file, ranked among active FBS teams.
- Bret Bielema is 40–29 in his sixth season at Illinois and 137–87 as an FBS head coach.results, WikipediaHead-coaching seasons on file, ours rebuilt from game results and the season articles’ coaching splits.
- Bret Bielema is 2–1 against Maryland.results, WikipediaGames between the two coaches’ teams in seasons each was the head coach, every game on file.
- Collin Dixon (WR): 47 catches, 608 yards, 9 TD, No. 3 in FBS in receiving touchdowns.resultsThis season’s team leaders and national ranks, from player season statistics.
- Katin Houser (QB): 1,440 passing yards, 12 TD, the team leader in passing yards.resultsThis season’s team leaders and national ranks, from player season statistics.
- Matthew Bailey (DB): 41 tackles, 1 INT, the team leader in tackles.resultsThis season’s team leaders and national ranks, from player season statistics.
- Collin Dixon needs 1 touchdown catch to tie Pat Bryant (10 in 2024) for Illinois’s single-season record in touchdown catches, 2 to break it. He has 9 this season.Wikipedia, resultsThe school’s record lists (its Wikipedia statistical leaders article, from the school’s media guide) against our totals from his season lines at the school, this season through the last game in our records.
- Collin Dixon is tied with Isaiah Williams (14, 2019–23) for eighth on Illinois’s career touchdown catches list, at 14 so far; one more touchdown catch breaks the tie.Wikipedia, resultsThe school’s record lists (its Wikipedia statistical leaders article, from the school’s media guide) against our totals from his season lines at the school, this season through the last game in our records.
- On this date in 1998, Illinois lost to No. 10 Penn State 27–0.resultsThe team’s most notable finished game on this calendar date in an earlier season: a ranked opponent first, then a bowl, then the newest.
Maryland
- Maryland is 2–5 (0–4 in conference games), 0–1 against ranked teams.resultsWins and losses in this season’s finished games before kickoff, from the game results on file.
- This season: W 62–0 vs. Hampton; W 38–14 at UConn; L 26–35 vs. Virginia Tech; L 3–54 vs. UCLA; L 23–48 at Nebraska; L 16–45 at No. 5 Ohio State; L 30–37 vs. Rutgers.resultsThis season’s finished games.
- Maryland has lost five straight, since beating UConn 38–14 (Sept. 12, 2026).resultsThe team’s current run of results, every finished game on file across seasons.
- Maryland is No. 122 of 138 FBS teams in our Elo ratings.our ratingsOur Elo rating, from every game on file, ranked among active FBS teams.
- Mike Locksley is 39–54 in his 12th season at Maryland and 41–80 as an FBS head coach.results, WikipediaHead-coaching seasons on file, ours rebuilt from game results and the season articles’ coaching splits.
- Mike Locksley is 1–2 against Illinois.results, WikipediaGames between the two coaches’ teams in seasons each was the head coach, every game on file.
- Malik Washington (QB): 1,615 passing yards, 9 TD, the team leader in passing yards.resultsThis season’s team leaders and national ranks, from player season statistics.
- Chris Durr Jr. (WR): 52 catches, 580 yards, 4 TD, the team leader in receiving yards.resultsThis season’s team leaders and national ranks, from player season statistics.
- Daniel Wingate (LB): 45 tackles, 1 INT, the team leader in tackles.resultsThis season’s team leaders and national ranks, from player season statistics.
- Malik Washington needs 54 yards to pass Neil O’Donnell (5,060, 1987–89) for eighth on Maryland’s career total offense list. He has 5,007 so far.Wikipedia, resultsThe school’s record lists (its Wikipedia statistical leaders article, from the school’s media guide) against our totals from his season lines at the school, this season through the last game in our records.
- Malik Washington is tied with Neil O’Donnell (26, 1987–89) for 10th on Maryland’s career touchdown passes list, at 26 so far; one more touchdown pass breaks the tie.Wikipedia, resultsThe school’s record lists (its Wikipedia statistical leaders article, from the school’s media guide) against our totals from his season lines at the school, this season through the last game in our records.
- Sean O’Haire needs 3 field goals to pass Joseph Petrino (31, 2018–21) for 10th on Maryland’s career field goals list. He has 29 so far.Wikipedia, resultsThe school’s record lists (its Wikipedia statistical leaders article, from the school’s media guide) against our totals from his season lines at the school, this season through the last game in our records.
- On this date in 2015, Maryland lost to No. 10 Iowa 31–15.resultsThe team’s most notable finished game on this calendar date in an earlier season: a ranked opponent first, then a bowl, then the newest.
The coaches
- Mike Locksley is 1–2 against Bret Bielema’s teams as a head coach.results, WikipediaGames between the two coaches’ teams in seasons each was the head coach, every game on file.
Sources
Every sentence here is ours, written from counts we make over the games on file. Where the facts come from:
- CollegeFootballData.com: Game results, rankings and player statistics; the sentence and every count in it are ours. Derived output (CollegeFootballData.com terms, section 4).
- CollegeFootballDigest: Our own ratings (Elo) and research notes. CC BY 4.0.
- Wikipedia: Facts from Wikipedia’s lists and articles (schools’ record books, trophies, College GameDay sites, coaching records), restated. CC BY-SA 4.0 (facts restated; credit Wikipedia).
No picks and no odds. Found something wrong? Tell us with how you know.