How to Watch: Illinois Football vs. Michigan State (Week 12)

Coming off a bye and facing a scuffling Spartans squad in Champaign, the Illini must seize their advantages

Nov 2, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini offensive lineman Josh Kreutz (64) before the start of a game with the Minnesota Golden gophers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images / Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

How to Watch

Illinois (6-3, 4-2 Big Ten) vs. Michigan State (4-5, 2-4 Big Ten)

Day and time: Saturday (Nov. 16) at 1:30 p.m. CT
Venue: Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Illinois
TV: FS1
Stream: None
Listen: WDWS-AM 1400 (Champaign)
WLS-AM 890 (Chicago)
Illini Sports Network affiliates (other local markets)

Odds and Ends

Favorite: Illinois (-2.5 points)*
Over/under: 47.5 points*
Illinois vs. Michigan State all time: Michigan State leads the series 27-19-2
Streak: Michigan State has won one in a row against Illinois
Last meeting: Michigan State 23, Illinois 15 (Nov. 5, 2022 in East Lansing, Michigan)

(*Figures as of Friday morning)

Countless hours practicing, watching film, studying and dedicating themselves to football. Thank you, seniors, for choosing us. #Illini // #HTTO // #famILLy pic.twitter.com/Moi5qw8R7f

— Illinois Football (@IlliniFootball) November 15, 2024

Smart-Fan Stuff

Key stat: 3

If you thought Illinois needed this win against Michigan State – for bowl positioning, to keep hopes for a 10-win season alive, to stop the bleeding, whatever – you don't know the half of it, buddy. Hard as it may be to believe, but the Illini have just three wins against the Spartans in the past 30 years. It has been mostly blue skies lately – two wins in the teams' last three meetings – but that might as well be ancient history. Given the context, Saturday's game means more to Illinois than Minnesota, Oregon or even Michigan. If the Illini want to be taken seriously as a future CFP contender – and start luring the kind of recruits and staff that make these sort of transformations possible – the buck stops with Sparty.

Quick tips:

• The Spartans will be missing cornerback Chance Rucker and defensive back Dillon Tatum, and both cornerback Charles Brantley and safety Malik Spencer left the Hoosiers game because of injuries. The Illini have been more tentative in their passing game in recent weeks, but they'd be foolish not to test MSU's secondary deep when they get their chances.
• Only Northwestern has fewer passing touchdowns among Big Ten teams than Michigan State's eight. With the health status of sophomore quarterback Aidan Chiles uncertain entering Saturday, maybe Illini defensive coordinator Aaron Henry will finally feel comfortable breaking out a few more blitz packages this week.
• In four-plus seasons under coach Bret Bielema, Illinois is 5-1 coming off a bye, including a big win at Nebraska in 2022 and the nine-overtime thriller at Penn State in 2021.

Illinois on SI Prediction

Illinois may never get a better chance to knock off Michigan State than right now. The Spartans are in their first year under coach Jonathan Smith, and they're teetering on the brink, having lost five of their last six. They're also banged up – including Chiles, who was only just keeping his head above water before being knocked out of the Spartans' Nov. 2 blowout loss to Indiana due to an apparent injury of his throwing hand. If the Illini – coming off a bye and with time to sort out their recent issues – can't take advantage of those circumstances, 10 wins was never meant to be anyhow.

Illinois 27, Michigan State 16

More From Illinois on Sports Illustrated:

3 Key Questions Ahead of Illinois Football's Matchup vs. Michigan State

Big Ten Football Week 12 Power Rankings: Illinois Holding Steady

Best- and Worst-Case Scenarios for Illinois Football's 2024 Finish