PLAYERS TO WATCH
–QB AJ Bush had a tough game against Iowa, completing only 12 of 28 passes for 82 yards, with two interceptions and no touchdowns. He managed only 18 yards on the ground after getting 187 vs. Nebraska. This will be the final college game for the well-traveled Bush, who spent two seasons at Nebraska (including a redshirt year), one at Iowa Western, one at Virginia Tech and one at Illinois.
–DL Bobby Roundtree, a sophomore, is a building block for the future. He had two sacks against Iowa, his second consecutive two-sack game (he also did it against Nebraska). He leads the team with 13 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks.
–RB Ra’Von Bonner ran for a career-high 96 yards against Iowa, taking advantage of the absence of RB Mike Epstein and the limited availability of 1,000-yard rusher Reggie Corbin, who had only one carry a week after leaving the Nebraska game with a lower-body injury. Bonner, a sophomore, has 177 rushing yards in the past two weeks.
–PK Chase McLaughlin, a senior, will be missed. He has made 17-of-22 field goal attempts this season, including going 4-of-6 from 50-plus yards. He has a long of 54 yards.
SERIES HISTORY: Illinois leads Northwestern 55-51-5. The Wildcats won 42-7 last season.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “Talking about where we are right now, we’re coming off a disappointing loss. You look at the season, we have four wins this year, so that’s reality right now. We have an opportunity to finish with a good taste in our mouth. The state of the program is disappointing right now but we see brighter days ahead.” — Coach Lovie Smith
