Game notes: Illinois at Northwestern
Saturday, November 28, kickoff time not yet set, Ryan Field.The game page.
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The matchup
- Illinois (3–3, 1–2 in conference) at Northwestern (5–1, 2–1 in conference), Saturday, November 28, kickoff time not yet set, Ryan Field.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’).
- For the Land of Lincoln Trophy, which Illinois holds.Wikipedia, resultsThe trophy from Wikipedia’s list of rivalry games; who holds it from our results since its first year.
The series
- It will be their 120th meeting; Illinois leads the series 59–55–5.results, WikipediaEvery meeting on file; official counts take out wins the NCAA vacated and count forfeits as the rivalry’s article does.
- Last meeting: Saturday, November 29, 2025: Illinois 20, Northwestern 13.resultsThe most recent meeting on file.
- They first met in 1892: Illinois 16, Northwestern 16.resultsThe earliest meeting on file.
- Northwestern is 30–29–3 at home against Illinois.resultsThe home team’s record against this opponent in its home games (neutral sites aside), every meeting on file.
- Last five meetings: 2025: Illinois 20–13 (at Illinois); 2024: Illinois 38–28 (neutral site); 2023: Northwestern 45–43 (at Illinois); 2022: Illinois 41–3 (at Northwestern); 2021: Illinois 47–14 (at Illinois).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 6–2 against Northwestern.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 2015, Illinois lost to No. 17 Northwestern 24–14.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.
Northwestern
- Northwestern is 5–1 (2–1 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 34–18 vs. South Dakota State; W 41–7 vs. Colorado; L 23–29 at No. 5 Indiana; W 34–13 vs. Penn State; W 45–14 vs. Ball State; W 24–21 at Michigan State.resultsThis season’s finished games.
- Northwestern has won three straight, since losing 29–23 to Indiana (Sept. 25, 2026).resultsThe team’s current run of results, every finished game on file across seasons.
- Northwestern is No. 30 of 138 FBS teams in our Elo ratings.our ratingsOur Elo rating, from every game on file, ranked among active FBS teams.
- David Braun is 24–20 in his fourth season at Northwestern.results, WikipediaHead-coaching seasons on file, ours rebuilt from game results and the season articles’ coaching splits.
- David Braun is 1–2 against Illinois.results, WikipediaGames between the two coaches’ teams in seasons each was the head coach, every game on file.
- Aidan Chiles (QB): 1,398 passing yards, 9 TD, the team leader in passing yards.resultsThis season’s team leaders and national ranks, from player season statistics.
- Caleb Komolafe (RB): 401 rushing yards, 4 TD, the team leader in rushing yards.resultsThis season’s team leaders and national ranks, from player season statistics.
- Braydon Brus (LB): 52 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 INT, the team leader in tackles.resultsThis season’s team leaders and national ranks, from player season statistics.
- Griffin Wilde needs 3 touchdown catches to pass Ross Lane (13, 2005–08) for 10th on Northwestern’s career touchdown catches list. He has 11 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 2020, Northwestern lost to Michigan State 29–20.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
- David Braun 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).
- 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).
- CollegeFootballDigest: Our own ratings (Elo) and research notes. CC BY 4.0.
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