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Through 3 Quarters
The experts predicted a win for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, but it's no sure thing at this point. Either team is in a position to win, but they lead against the Illinois Fighting Illini 20-17. So far, this is quite different from their previous head-to-head, which was decided by 28 points.
WR Bo Melton has led the way so far for the Scarlet Knights, as he has caught four passes for two TDs and 140 yards. This receiving effort made it the first game that Melton has posted more than 100 yards receiving.
RU and Illinois both experienced trouble in their last games, but one is bound to make up for it today. RU is out front, but they can't get complacent.
Who's Playing
Illinois @ Rutgers
Current Records: Illinois 0-3; Rutgers 1-2
What to Know
The Illinois Fighting Illini are 3-1 against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights since October of 2016, and they'll have a chance to extend that success Saturday. The Fighting Illini and RU will face off in a Big Ten battle at 1 p.m. ET at SHI Stadium. Both of these teams will be looking for a pick-me-up after considerable defeats in their previous games.
A win for Illinois just wasn't in the stars last week as the team never even grasped a temporary lead. They ended up on the wrong side of a painful 41-14 walloping at the Minnesota Golden Gophers' hands. RB Mike Epstein put forth a good effort for the losing side as he rushed for one TD and 108 yards on 11 carries. Epstein's longest run was for 63 yards in the second quarter.
Meanwhile, RU was expected to have a tough go of it last week, and, well, they did. Things couldn't have gone much worse for them as they lost 49-27 to the Ohio State Buckeyes. RU was down 42-9 at the end of the third quarter, which was just too much to recover from. No one had a standout game offensively for RU, but they got scores from QB Johnny Langan, TE Jovani Haskins, and OL Raiqwon O'Neal.
The Fighting Illini are now 0-3 while the Scarlet Knights sit at 1-2. A couple numbers to keep in mind before kickoff: Illinois is stumbling into the matchup with the 19th most yards allowed per game in the nation, having given up 480 on average. RU has experienced some struggles of their own as they are 14th worst in the nation in yards per game, with only 298.7 on average. It's possible one of these Achilles' heels will wind up tripping the losing team up.
How To Watch
- When: Saturday at 1 p.m. ET
- Where: SHI Stadium -- Piscataway, New Jersey
- TV: Big Ten Network
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Follow: CBS Sports App
Odds
The Scarlet Knights are a solid 6-point favorite against the Fighting Illini, according to the latest college football odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Scarlet Knights as a 5.5-point favorite.
Over/Under: -105
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Series History
Illinois have won three out of their last four games against Rutgers.
- Nov 02, 2019 - Illinois 38 vs. Rutgers 10
- Oct 06, 2018 - Illinois 38 vs. Rutgers 17
- Oct 14, 2017 - Rutgers 35 vs. Illinois 24
- Oct 15, 2016 - Illinois 24 vs. Rutgers 7
