Time: 11:30 a.m. Saturday, WBBM-Ch. 2. Place: Champaign. Series record: Illinois leads, 47-36-5. Fact: The last time Northwestern had a winning season, 1971, the Wildcats lost to Illinois 24-7 in Champaign.
Key to success: Turnovers could be key to Saturday’s matchup between Northwestern and Illinois. The Wildcats lead the country with a 23-7 turnover margin, which Illini coach Lou Tepper called “staggering.”
The Illini have 20 takeaways themselves, but 19 giveaways.
“We must be able to play even with them in that area,” Tepper said.
In addition to ranking No. 1 in the nation in takeaways to turnovers, Northwestern ranks among the top 10 in three other categoties: No. 2 in scoring defense at 12.6 points per game, No. 8 in punt return average, and No. 10 in pass effeciency rating.
Homecoming: Saturday’s game is homecoming in Champaign, the third time in four years that Illinois will host Northwestern for those festivities. Illinois has a record of 38-44-2 in homecoming contests, and has lost two of its last three.
Scary cats: Before Northwestern destroyed Wisconsin 35-0 Saturday, the Wildcats had last registered a shutout against Illinois. The teams played to a 0-0 tie in 1978.
Defensive honors: The Big Ten named the entire Northwestern defensive unit its conference “defensive player of the week.” for blanking Wisconsin.
Interest rising: Northwestern’s start apparently has pumped up ticket sales for Saturday’s Illinois game. A crowd of 55,000 was expected, but brisk sales in Evanston and Champaign have lifted the expectations to 60,000 or more.
Northwestern’s ticket office reported Tuesday that a limited number of tickets remain for the Cats’ two remaining home games, Penn State on Nov. 4 and Iowa on Nov. 11.
America’s guest: ABC has selected Northwestern’s game against Penn State at Dyche Stadium for a regional telecast, starting at 2:30 p.m. on WLS-Ch. 7.
The telecast marks the Wildcats’ record-breaking fifth live TV appearance of the season. The previous high of three occurred in 1983 and 1985.
The Nov. 4 telecast also is the Wildcats’ first network appearance at home since 1983, when they lost to Wisconsin 49-0.
NU’s last home conference win on network TV? A 23-14 victory over Indiana 23 years ago.
