GAME DAY | What to watch: #22 Illinois looks to take the hat back against Northwestern at Wrigley Field

No. 22 Illinois looks to carry its momentum from its last win over Rutgers last weekend into the Friendly Confines on Saturday when the Fighting Illini take on Northwestern at Wrigley Field in Chicago. In the team’s first home game at the Chicago Cubs since 2010, the Orange and Blue will battle for the Land of Lincoln Trophy in the 2024 regular season finale.

The Illini head north to the Windy City after a dramatic 38-31 win on the road against the Scarlet Knights in Week 13. Trailing by as many as nine points in the fourth quarter, Illinois faced a deficit with 1:08 left, but a last-minute 40 -yard touchdown to Pat Bryant with four seconds left in the game, it proved to be the game-winning score.

Bryant totaled 140 yards in the fourth quarter alone en route to a career-high 197-yard performance that earned him Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors.

Northwestern makes the trip from Evanston to Chicago after a 50-6 loss to Michigan on Nov. 23, moving the Wildcats’ losing skid to two games. NU totaled 127 yards of offense and 10 rushing yards in the loss, which dropped Northwestern to 4-7 overall and 2-6 in conference play this season.

With Illinois looking to secure nine regular-season wins for the first time since 2007 and Northwestern aiming to keep its hat in the trophy case for the second straight season, here are a few things to watch ahead of the 118th iteration of in-state rivalry game.

Land of Lincoln Trophy

The Illini look to claim the Land of Lincoln Trophy, known as “The Hat,” for the first time since 2022. Illinois won back-to-back meetings with Northwestern in 2021 (47-14 at Memorial Stadium) and 2022 (41 – 3 in Evanston), but the Orange and Blue aim to claim The Hat for the third time under the fourth-year head coach Brett Bielema.

“Obviously, this is a trophy game,” Bielema said. “It’s something we’ve made a big point of here since we came in. To be an 8-3 football team, there’s still a lot out there and a lot of things that need to be determined, not only by us, but by the people around us.”

Since the introduction of the Land of Lincoln Trophy, the Illini are 5-10 when playing for The Hat, which was first unveiled in 2009. With a narrow 57-55-5 lead in the all-time series, Illinois will look to to close the regular season with a win for the first time since 2022.

Plays in a unique venue: Wrigley Field

The Illini will make their third appearance at Wrigley Field in program history on Saturday, while the Orange and Blue are 2-0 in the Friendly Confines against the Wildcats.

Illinois’ last trip to Wrigley Field came back in 2010 in a one-way game that featured a 48-27 victory. The previous outing came all the way in 1923 when Red Grange and the Illini claimed a 29-0 shutout at Cubs Park.

Because of the unconventional setting for Saturday’s contest, Illinois will visit the site Friday night, something the team only does if “it’s something unusual or somewhere we’ve never been.” Another quirk is that the break lasts 23 minutes instead of the typical 20 minute clock due to the trip to the locker rooms.

Given the unique circumstances of playing inside a baseball stadium, Bielema saw it as essential for his guys to get a piece of land once they arrive in Chicago on Friday.

“I think the walls sneak up on you a little bit quicker. It’s a baseball stadium, so we looked at it hard,” Bielema said. “I’m super excited to play at Wrigley. I grew up a Cubs fan. I’ve sung there a few times, so I’m excited to play there against a team I have a lot of respect for.”

Opponent Scout: Northwestern Offense

Offensively, the Wildcats are led by quarterback Jack Lausch, who has taken over the starting role under center for Northwestern. Lausch has thrown for 1,427 yards, completed 54% of his pass attempts and recorded seven total touchdowns (five passing, two rushing). He also provides a threat with his legs as he has recorded 82 carries across his nine appearances.

The NU offense has had its fair share of struggles this season, ranking 16th in the Big Ten in passing yards per game. game (172.9), 17th in rushing yards per game (97.2), last in total offense (270.1 yards per game) and last in scoring offense (16.9 points per game).

Northwestern’s field game features a dynamic running back in graduate student Cam Porter, who leads the team with 114 carries, 448 rushing yards and six rushing scores. RB Joseph Himon II is second with 236 yards and two touchdowns.

The Wildcats boast a dangerous duo of wide receivers in AJ Henning and Bryce Kirtz. Although Northwestern has only recorded five passes this season, three of those scores have gone to Henning, who also has 49 receptions. Kirtz has amassed a team-best 573 yards and is averaging about 15.5 yards per carry. catch, which is 10th in the conference among qualified receivers.

“Coach Braun has instilled a certain mentality of physicality on offense, defense and special teams. I think that really showed throughout the year,” Bielema said. “Offensively, they can definitely run the football. Their quarterback is a very accurate and very mobile guy.”

Opponent Scout: Northwestern Defense

Northwestern ranks 15th in the Big Ten with 25.3 points allowed per game. game, while the Wildcats concede an average of 359.9 total yards of offense (13th), 237.4 passing yards (14th) and 122.5 rushing yards (11th).

Linebacker Mac Uihlein is the team’s leading tackler (73.0), while defensive linemen Aidan Hubbard and Jaylen Pate lead the Wildcats in tackles for loss with 6.0 and 5.0, respectively.

Defensive back Theran Johnson has made a team-high two interceptions, although seven Northwestern defenders have been credited with a pick this season. Johnson also ranks first on the team with 10 pass breakups, a mark that is also tied for the best in the Big Ten.

LB Greyson Metz has forced a team-best two fumbles, while six Wildcats have recovered a fumble across NU’s 11 games.

“Coach Braun, everything he did last year to be the Big Ten Coach of the Year and everything he’s embodied since he got there speaks volumes,” Bielema said. “They have a lot of really good players. There’s a lot of crossover. A lot of our players went to high school together or competed against each other. We have a lot of Chicago-area players on our team, a lot of family, and a lot of fans, so I’m excited to see where we are from an audience standpoint.

“It’s another great opportunity for us to play and see where we go from there.”

No. 22 Illinois and Northwestern will play for the Hat at Wrigley Field on Saturday at 11 CT on the Big Ten Network.