Spartans Head to Illinois to Face Fighting Illini on Saturday

Game 10: Michigan State (4-5, 2-4 Big Ten) at Illinois (6-3, 3-3 Big Ten)

Date: Saturday, Nov. 16
Kickoff: 2:35 p.m. ET/1:35 p.m. CT
Location: Champaign, Ill.
Stadium: Memorial Stadium (60,670)
Surface: FieldTurf

►GAME DAY INFORMATION
Game Day Information (Parking/Tailgating/Timeline): fightingillini.com

►BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV: FS1
Streaming/Mobile: FOX Sports app | Watch Live
Announcers: Alex Faust (play-by-play), Robert Smith (analyst)
Live Stats: msuspartans.com | Live Stats

Radio: Spartan Media Network | Affiliate Listings
Play-by-Play: George Blaha
Analyst: Jason Strayhorn
Sidelines: Jehuu Caulcrick
Broadcast Host: Dalton Shetler
Website/Mobile: msuspartans.com/watch, MSU Spartans app, Tune In radio
Flagship Stations: Lansing: WMMQ (94.9 FM)/WJIM (1240 AM); Detroit: WJR (760 AM); Grand Rapids: WBFX (101.3 FM)
Affiliates: 23 affiliates listed at msuspartans.com
Satellite: SiriusXM Ch. 387 | SiriusXM App
Pregame Show: Begins at 1 p.m.

►SERIES INFORMATION
All-Time Series: MSU leads, 27-19-2
Series in Champaign: MSU leads, 14-10-1
Last Meeting: MSU 23, No. 14 Illinois 15 (Nov. 5, 2022 in Champaign)
Current Series Streak: 1 by MSU

►HEAD COACHES
MSU Head Coach: Jonathan Smith
MSU Record: 4-5 (first year)
Overall Record: 38-40 (seventh year)
Record vs. Illinois: 0-0

Illinois Head Coach: Bret Bielema
Illinois Record: 24-22 (fourth year)
Overall Record: 121-80 (16th year)
Record vs. MSU: 3-5 (0-1 at Illinois)

►SPARTAN FOOTBALL NEWS AND NOTES
• Fresh off its second bye week of the season, Michigan State returns to action at Illinois on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 2:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. ET in Champaign. The game will be televised on FS1 with Alex Faust (play-by-play) and Robert Smith (analyst) on the call.

• MSU fell to 4-5 overall and 2-4 in the Big Ten following its 47-10 loss to No. 13/13 Indiana at home on Nov. 2. The Spartans opened the season 3-0 with wins over Florida Atlantic, Maryland and Prairie View A&M. In Week 4, Michigan State lost at Boston College, 23-19, on a late fourth-quarter touchdown before falling to No. 3/3 Ohio State on Sept. 28 and at No. 6/6 Oregon on Oct. 4. Michigan State bounced back after its first bye week with a 32-20 win over Iowa on Homecoming on Oct. 19, but has dropped its last two games. MSU's schedule currently ranks the 11th-toughest in the FBS, according to the NCAA (opponents with a .649 winning percentage).

• Illinois (6-3, 3-3 Big Ten) opened the season 4-0 and rose to No. 19 in the AP Poll before losing at No. 9 Penn State, 21-7, on Sept. 28. The Fighting Illini then won back-to-back home games over Purdue and Michigan before falling in their last two games at No. 1 Oregon and at home against Minnesota.

• Saturday's game marks the 49th meeting between Michigan State and Illinois. The Spartans lead the all-time series, 27-19-2, including a 14-10-1 record in Champaign. In the last meeting, MSU topped No. 14 Illinois, 23-15, on Nov. 5, 2022, in Memorial Stadium. Michigan State has won 16 of the last 20 meetings in the series.

• Michigan State will be playing in its first road afternoon game since a win at Maryland in the second week of the season. The Spartans played a stretch of five consecutive night games from Sept. 21-Oct. 26. MSU has played a total of six night games this season and will host Purdue at 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 22.

• True freshman wide receiver Nick Marsh ranks seventh in the Big Ten with 69.1 receiving yards per game; that mark also ranks third among FBS freshmen and tied for 57th overall in the FBS. The Detroit native leads the team in receiving yards (553) and ranks second in receptions (33). He also ranks sixth in the Big Ten with 16.8 yards per catch. Marsh's 553 receiving yards are the most ever by a Spartan true freshman (previous: Cody White with 490 in 2017).

• Fifth-year senior wide receiver Montorie Foster Jr. needs just two more receptions to total 100 for his career. He leads all active Spartans with 98 career catches for 1,291 yards and seven TDs in 51 games, including 25 starts. Foster is looking to become the 34th Spartan in school history with at least 100 career catches. He leads the team in 2024 with 36 receptions for 453 yards and two TDs and has caught at least one pass in 22 consecutive games.

►SOPHOMORE AIDAN CHILES IN HIS FIRST YEAR AS STARTING QUARTERBACK FOR MSU
• Sophomore quarterback Aidan Chiles is off to a 4-5 start as the starting quarterback for the Spartans. He has completed 62 percent of his passes (141-of-229) for 1,850 yards (205.6 ypg), eight touchdowns and 11 interceptions. The Long Beach, California, native is in his first season in East Lansing after playing in a back-up role as a true freshman at Oregon State in 2023. He ranks third in the Big Ten and 29th in the FBS in passing yards per completion (13.1). Chiles is also tied for the team lead with three rushing touchdowns; he has a net of 170 rushing yards on 73 carries (18.9 ypg).

• Chiles passed for a career-high completion percentage in back-to-back games for the Spartans against Iowa (Oct. 19) and Michigan (Oct. 26). Chiles was 22-for-30 passing for a career-high 73.3 completion percentage in the win over Iowa on Oct. 19 to earn Spartan Offensive Player of the Week honors. His 256 passing yards were the second most this season (career-high 363 at Maryland on Sept. 7). Chiles also compiled 307 yards of total offense with 11 carries for 51 rushing yards, including a career-long 26-yard rush in the third quarter.

• Chiles was 17-of-23 passing (.739) for 189 yards and one TD at Michigan on Oct. 26. He was 39-of-53 (.736) passing in back-to-back games against the Hawkeyes and Wolverines.

►SPARTANS FEATURE A PAIR OF 2,000-YARD CAREER RUSHERS IN THE BACKFIELD
• Michigan State features two running backs – sixth-year graduate transfer Kay'ron Lynch-Adams and redshirt junior Nathan Carter – who have both rushed for more than 2,000 career yards. Carter (2,199) and Lynch-Adams (2,357) are one of 10 duos on the same team in the FBS to have more than 2,000 career rushing yards (Missouri, Ohio State, UCF, Ole Miss, Penn State, Michigan State, Auburn, South Carolina, Texas State, Boston College).

• Lynch-Adams, who transferred from UMass over the summer, leads the Spartans in rushing after nine games, averaging 52.1 yards per game (98 carries for 469 yards; 4.8 avg., 2 TDs). He surpassed the 2,000-career rushing milestone with 46 yards on 10 carries at Maryland; he now has 2,357 career rushing yards – 36th among active players in the FBS – and 18 rushing TDs in 57 collegiate games.

• Lynch-Adams and Carter have combined for 63 percent of the team's overall rushing attempts (192 of 304) and 94 percent from the running back room (192 of 205).

• Michigan State rushed for a season-high 212 yards against Iowa on Oct. 19, averaging 5.3 yards per carry (40 carries). MSU followed up with 163 yards on 42 carries at Michigan on Oct. 26.

►SPARTANS RANK 30TH IN FBS IN TOTAL DEFENSE
• Michigan State ranks 30th in the FBS in total defense, allowing 323.6 yards per game. The Spartans have held five opponents under 300 yards of total offense this season (Florida Atlantic, 248; Prairie View A&M, 140; Boston College, 292; Iowa, 283; Michigan, 265).

►LINEBACKER CAL HALADAY EXTENDS STARTING STREAK TO 32 STRAIGHT GAMES
• Fifth-year graduate senior linebacker Cal Haladay has started 32 consecutive games, the longest active streak on the team. He is currently third on the Spartan defense with 43 tackles; his 350 career tackles rank tied for ninth most in MSU history and sixth among active players in the FBS.

►SPARTANS EXCEL IN KICKING GAME
• Michigan State features one of the best kicking duos in all of college football with sixth-year graduate placekicker Jonathan Kim and redshirt sophomore punter Ryan Eckley. Kim is 17-of-19 (.895) on field goals for the season to rank first in the Big Ten and tied for seventh in the FBS in made field goals. Eckley, who is on the Ray Guy Award Watch List, ranks first in the Big Ten with his 49.2-yard punting average; 17 of his 29 punts this season (59 percent) have been for 50-plus yards.

• Kim earned Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week honors and was named one of the Lou Groza Award three stars of the week after setting a school record with six field goals in the win over Iowa on Oct. 19. A native of Fredericksburg, Virginia, Kim connected on six of his seven field-goal attempts, including a season-long 55-yarder in the fourth quarter. He also was good from 42, 43, 36, 29 and 46 yards out. It also tied a modern-day Big Ten record, matching Jake Moody of Michigan with six field goals vs. Indiana (11/17/18); E.C. Robertson of Purdue owns the overall record with seven field goals on Oct. 27, 1900, vs. Rose Poly. With 20 points overall against Iowa, including two PATs, Kim also set a top scoring mark in modern-day Big Ten history by a kicker, bettering the 19 points by Moody in 2018 vs. Indiana.

►STAT LEADERS
Michigan State:
Rushing – Gr.-6 Kay'ron Lynch-Adams (98 carries for 469 yards, 4.8 avg., 2 TDs, 52.1 ypg)
Passing – So. Aidan Chiles (141-of-229, .616, 1,850 yards, 8 TDs, 11 INTs, 205.6 ypg)
Receiving – Sr.-5 Montorie Foster Jr. (36 receptions for 453 yards, 12.6 avg., 2 TDs, 50.3 ypg)
Tackles – Sr.-5 LB Jordan Turner (51 tackles, 7.5 TFLs, 3.0 sacks, 1 INT)

Illinois:
Rushing – R-Jr. Josh McCray (71 carries for 330 yards, 4.6 avg., 4 TDs, 36.7 ypg)
Passing – R-Jr. Luke Altmyer (157-of-250, .628, 1,893 yards, 16 TDs, 3 INTs, 210.3 ypg)
Receiving – Sr.-6 Zakhari Franklin (41 receptions for 515 yards, 12.6 avg., 2 TDs, 57.2 ypg)
Tackles – R-Jr. LB Dylan Rosiek (63 tackles, 3.0 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, 1 PBU, 2 FF)

►QUICK GLANCE AT ILLINOIS (6-3, 3-3 BIG TEN)
• The Illini come into their home finale and Senior Day with a 6-3 overall and 3-3 Big Ten record, becoming bowl eligible for the second time in the last three years. Illinois opened the season 4-0 and was 6-1 after beating then-No. 24 Michigan, 21-7 on Oct. 19. The Illini have lost two in a row since, starting with losing at No. 1 Oregon, 38-9, on Oct. 26.

• Like MSU, Illinois is also coming off a bye week. Last time out, then-No. 24 Illinois was beaten by Minnesota, 25-17, on Nov. 2, as the Golden Gophers scored the last nine points in the final 5:14 of the game. The Illini took a 17-16 lead with 9:03 to go, before Minnesota scored a TD with 5:14 left, but missed the two-point conversion, leaving the score 22-17. The Gophers tacked on a 46-yard field goal with 1:52 remaining for a 25-17 score, yet Illinois drove to the MINN 16-yard line before junior quarterback Luke Altmyer was sacked and fumbled, and the Gophers recovered with 29 seconds left.

• Illinois is ninth in the Big Ten in scoring offense (25.9 ppg), while ranking 10th in the conference in total offense (356.0 ypg), behind the 11th-ranked rushing offense (142.4 ypg) and 12th-ranked passing offense (213.6 ypg) in the league. Illinois leads the B1G and ranks fourth in the FBS in fewest interceptions thrown with just three.

• Defensively, the Illini are also ninth in the B1G, while also ranking 31st in the FBS in scoring defense (21.1 ppg). The Illinois defense is also 14th in the conference in total defense (365.4 ypg), while ranking 11th in passing yards allowed (211.4 ypg) and 15th in rushing defense (154.0 ypg). The Illini are also fourth in the league and 36th in the nation in interceptions (9).

• Individually, Luke Altmyer tops the B1G in fewest INTs (3), while ranking sixth in the conference and 36th in the country in passing efficiency (145.1), on 157-of-250 for 1,893 yards, ranking 11th in passing yards/game (210.3), in addition to ranking fifth in the league and 34th in the nation in passing TDs (16). He is also seventh in passing yards/completion (12.1) and eighth in total offense (226.8 ypg).

• Senior wide receiver Pat Bryant is fifth in the B1G in receiving TDs (7), while ranking 10th in the conference in receiving yards/game (64.7), 12th in yards/reception (14.92) and 16th in receptions/game (4.3). For the season, Bryant has 39 catches for 582 yards.

• Fellow senior wide receiver Zakhari Franklin has a team-leading 41 receptions for 515 yards with three TDs, ranking just ahead of Bryant at 13th in receptions/game (4.6), while just behind him at 15th in receiving yards/game (57.2).

• Junior running back Josh McCray leads the Illini with 71 carries for 330 yards (4.6 ypc/36.7 ypg), ranking 21st in the B1G in rushing TDs (4).

• Junior linebacker Dylan Rosiek spearheads the Illini defense with 63 total tackles, ranking 10th in the B1G in tackles/game (7.0), adding 3.0 tackles for loss with 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and one pass break-up.

• Junior defensive back Xavier Scott is one of 15 semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award, and is tied for fourth in the B1G in interceptions, adding four pass break-ups, to rank tied for 14th in the league with seven passes defended. Scott has 33 total tackles with 2.0 TFL and 1.0 sack, adding one forced fumble.

• Junior outside linebacker Gabe Jacas is tied for fourth in the B1G and tied for 19th in the FBS in with 6.5 sacks, and is also tied for eighth in the conference with 8.5 tackles for loss, posting 52 total tackles and also leads the league and ranks tied for seventh in the nation with three fumbles forced.

• Sophomore placekicker David Olano is 24-of-24 on PATs and is 14-of-17 on field goals, with a long of 50 yards.

• Junior punter Hugh Robertson is tied for third in the B1G and tied for 22nd in the FBS with 17 punts inside the 20, with 29 total punts for a 41.8 ypp average with a long of 53 yards.

• Illinois head coach Bret Bielema has a 24-22 record in his fourth season leading the Illini and has a 121-80 overall record in his 16th season as head coach.

►SERIES NOTES
• Saturday's game marks the 49th meeting between Michigan State and Illinois. The Spartans lead the all-time series, 27-19-2, including a 14-10-1 record in Champaign.

• In their last meeting, MSU topped No. 14 Illinois, 23-15, on Nov. 5, 2022, in Memorial Stadium. Cal Haladay had a career-high 3.5 TFLs for 10 yards in the game for the Spartans to earn Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors.

• Michigan State has won 16 of the last 20 meetings in the series.

►SPARTANS FROM THE LAND OF LINCOLN
• Michigan State's 2024 roster has three players from the state of Illinois: freshman defensive lineman Mikeshun Beeler (Chicago/Simeon), fifth-year senior wide receiver Alante Brown (Chicago/Simeon) and freshman quarterback Alessio Milivojevic (Naperville/St. Francis).

Nick Marsh vs Indiana — **Nick Marsh had an 18-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter against Indiana.**

LAST TIME OUT: NO. 13 INDIANA 47, MSU 10

►GAME RECAP
• Michigan State had an early lead in the first quarter but No. 13 Indiana took a 21-10 lead at halftime en route to a 47-10 win over the Spartans on Saturday, Nov. 2 in Spartan Stadium.

• Freshman wide receiver Nick Marsh caught five passes for 78 yards and a touchdown to lead MSU while redshirt senior Montorie Foster Jr. had five catches for 35 yards. Sophomore quarterback Aidan Chiles completed 16-of-24 passes for 193 yards and one touchdown.

• Freshman defensive back Jaylen Thompson led the defense with six tackles, while junior defensive back Nikai Martinez had five, fifth-year senior Angelo Grose had four tackles, including one for loss, and freshman linebacker Brady Pretzlaff finished with four stops.

►SCORING SUMMARY
• Michigan State forced a three-and-out on Indiana's first possession, and then went 52 yards on eight plays the first time it had the ball, sparked by a 33-yard sideline grab by Marsh on a third-and-7 play that led to a 47-yard field goal by Jonathan Kim.

• Marsh had another outstanding catch on MSU's second series, hauling in an 18-yard touchdown grab in the corner of the end zone to put the Spartans quickly on top, 10-0, with 2:39 left in the first quarter.

• The Hoosiers responded with three touchdowns in the second quarter to take a 21-10 halftime lead. Tight end Zach Horton had a 17-yard TD catch for the first IU score at the 14:13 mark, which was followed by a 1-yard TD by Ty Son Lawton with 6:22 left and a 4-yard touchdown catch by Elijah Sarratt at the 2:10 mark.

• Michigan State got the ball first to start the second half, but after going three-and-out, the Hoosiers blocked the Spartan punt in the end zone, and ended up getting a safety after punter Ryan Eckley batted the ball out of play. The Hoosiers then scored a touchdown on their first possession to go up, 30-10, at the 11:39 mark in the third quarter.

• IU added a 29-yard field goal with 2:43 remaining in the third, and the Hoosiers scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to make the final 47-10.

►OFFENSIVE NOTES
• MSU scored on its opening possession for the second straight home game and the fifth time this season, with senior placekicker Jonathan Kim's 47-yard field goal in the first quarter, after making a field goal on the opening drive vs. Iowa (10/19/24).

• MSU's first quarter points were the first points scored on Indiana's defense in the first quarter this season and the Spartans' 3-0 lead marked the first time this season that the Hoosiers trailed in a game.

• Freshman wide receiver Nick Marsh had five catches for 78 yards, sharing the team lead for receptions and topping the team in yards. Marsh now has 558 yards to break MSU's receiving yards by a true freshman, topping Cody White with 490 yards in 2017 . . . Marsh now has 33 catches this season, closing within seven of the true freshman record of 40 by Sedrick Irvin in 1996, and just one behind White at No. 2 with 35 catches.

• Marsh had a TD catch in the second straight game after one scoring catch vs. Michigan (10/26/24) and his third TD of the season . . . it was Marsh's third game in a row with four or more receptions and fourth of the season, and the five catches was his second-most of the year, behind his season-high of eight receptions reached twice, first vs. Maryland (9/7/24) and again vs. Iowa (10/19/24).

• With 78 yards, Marsh registered his fourth game of the season with 50-plus receiving yards, including three in the last four games.

• With a reception in the first quarter, senior wide receiver Montorie Foster Jr. extended his team-leading streak of at least one reception to 22 consecutive games, dating back to 2022 . . . Foster now has at least one catch in 32 of his last 44 career games played . . . he finished with a team-high tying five receptions for 35 yards.

• Sophomore quarterback Aidan Chiles was 16-of-24 for 193 yards and one TD, posting his third game in a row with at least one TD, doing so in four of the last five games as part of six games this season overall.

►DEFENSIVE NOTES
• Freshman defensive back Jaylen Thompson tallied a team and season-high six stops, adding one pass break-up.

• Junior defensive back Nikai Martinez registered five tackles, as he has posted five or more stops in four of the last five games as part of five total times this season.

• Redshirt junior defensive back Charles Brantley logged a season-high two pass break-ups, giving him seven on the season and 18 for his career.

►SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
• Graduate placekicker Jonathan Kim split the uprights from 47 yards out for MSU's opening score on its first possession of the game . . . Kim is now 8-of-10 on field goals in his last three games as part of 17-of-19 on the season, leading the Big Ten . . . the 47-yarder was Kim's 10 field goal of 40+ yards and he is now 10-of-11 on the season from 40 or more yards out.

• Kim has made at least one field goal in seven of the nine games this season and in 16 of his 21 games as a Spartan.

• Kim was also 1-of-1 on PATs and is now 16-of-17 in extra points this season . . . he added four kickoffs with two touchbacks . . . Kim now has 24 touchbacks this season, giving him 20+ touchbacks in six years as a collegiate kicker and now has 52 touchbacks for his MSU career and 241 touchbacks for his collegiate career.

• For his career, Kim is also now 37-of-38 on PATs and 30-of-38 on FGs.

►UP NEXT
Following its road trip to Illinois, Michigan State returns to East Lansing to face Purdue on Friday, Nov. 22 at 8 p.m. in Spartan Stadium. The game will be televised nationally on FOX.