Illinois Gets Week 0 Game Before Playing Indiana in Hoosier Football Season Opener

At Big Ten Football Media Days, the Fighting Illini spoke about the pros and cons of having a Week 0 game before facing Indiana in the Hoosiers' season opener at Memorial Stadium on Friday, Sep. 2.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Indiana will meet Big Ten opponent Illinois in the Hoosiers' season and home opener at Memorial Stadium on Friday, Sep. 2. The Fighting Illini will enter the game with Week 0 versus Wyoming on their resume.

"I just really felt with as many players as we have starting for the first time, if we could get a Week 0 game, that would be awesome," Illinois head coach Bret Bielema said at Big Ten Football Media Days inside Lucas Oil Stadium.

Week 0 will surely benefit the returning players too, who have zero experience playing Indiana. The last time the Fighting Illini faced the Hoosiers was in 2017 at University of Illinois Memorial Stadium.

The last time Illinois met the Hoosiers at their Memorial Stadium was in the 2013 season. In both matchups, Indiana was victorious.

The same issue of diving into the unknown goes for Indiana whose players can only rely on film, perhaps from Week 0 and last season to get themselves a preview.

"It's going to work in our favor," said Illinois junior running back Chase Brown. "We're going to get experience in the field and be able to gel as a team."

Senior defensive back Jartavius Martin agreed that being a part of the handful of schools that play a week earlier than everyone else has its perks.

"It gives us another bye week to prepare for farther in the season and take better care of our bodies," he said.

Bielema hasn't coached his Fighting Illini team against Indiana yet either as this is only his second year at the position. However, he has plenty of coaching experience plus the 2021 Week 0 game to know that this is a good thing.

"After 14 years of being a head coach, the biggest jump in gain a lot of times for your inexperienced players is from game one to game two," Bielema said.

To get even more practice in, Bielema said he's suiting his players up the Friday before Illinois' home opener versus Wyoming. The mock game will prepare incoming freshmen for what's to come versus the Cowboys.

"Indiana is one year removed from a great season, but having (Wyoming) at home is good to play in front of your fans before you get into Big Ten play," sophomore wide receiver Isaiah Williams said.

The downside is Illinois won't have fresh film on a new Indiana team led by new coordinators Walt Bell and Chad Wilt with the big question mark surrounding who will start at quarterback.

"It's pretty difficult," Williams said. "We're just going to have to dive into film."

Last year's film that is.

"I've watched Indiana on film a couple of times, and I'm looking forward to playing," Brown said. 

"I remember vividly watching film on them playing Michigan State last year, and they were able to lock up some of their better players the way they schemed them up defensively."

That game was one of Indiana's lighter losses falling to the No. 10-ranked Spartans 20-15.

Brown's twin brother and teammate Sydney Brown wouldn't reveal who the team was watching.

"We've done our part, but we're kind of keeping that within the room right now," he said.

Williams said who he's been watching though.

"I know about Tiawan Mullen," he said. "I watched some of his film. He's a great player. Wasn't he an All-American?"

Both midwest teams are looking for better records this season as Indiana is coming off of an 0-9 conference record while Illinois gave a 4-5 Big Ten performance last season.

"I know last year, the record wasn't indicative of maybe the year before what (Indiana) did and the players they put out," Bielema said. "We recruit against them all the time. I know we've got a tremendous challenge."

There are pros and cons to Week 0 games, but each team is looking for the pros. One thing is for sure — Illinois won't have a great idea what Indiana's new lineup will look like come Sep. 2.

"There's a great unknown around them," Bielema said.

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