After winning their first Big Ten game of the season a week ago at Purdue, Rutgers football was thrashed 35-13 today against Illinois. The game started with the Scarlet Knights going three and out thanks to three straight incompletions.

After picking up their first win of the season against Purdue, the Scarlet Knights' defense fell apart once again, unable to contain Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer.

Both Illinois (5-3) and Rutgers (4-4) are hoping to turn the dial back in their favor after Saturday’s showdown in Champaign.

The Illini defense had a bounce-back game after giving up 76 points the last two games in losses to No. 1 Ohio State and Washington.

An Illini defense that can't afford any more bad news, just got some with the release of the pregame injury report

The Illinois Fighting Illini (5-3) and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (4-4) square off on Saturday, November 1, 2025 at Memorial Stadium (Champaign, IL) in a battle of Big Ten opponents. Keep reading to see our projection for this matchup.

Kaliakmanis threw three passes of 30-plus yards, including a 45-yard bomb to Strong. Strong made up for a drop that led to an interception on the first drive by becoming the first Rutgers receiver with three touchdowns since program great Leonte Carroo did so against Indiana during the 2015 season.

Just after a week of clutching a win against Purdue, Rutgers needed another win to continue the positive momentum. Instead, the Knights’ got their progress halt