Western Illinois takes on No. 12 Illinois this Friday night on Peacock. Live coverage begins at 7 PM ET.
College Football returns to Peacock this Friday night as Western Illinois takes on No. 12 Illinois at Memorial Stadium. Live coverage begins at 7:00 PM ET with B1G College Countdown. Kick off is at 7:30 PM ET. See below to find out how to watch and live stream Friday's match up as well as additional information on how to watch college football on Peacock.
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Nicole AuerbachWestern Illinois:
The Leathernecks are entering their second season under head coach Joe Davis, who led the team to a 4-8 record last season — their best finish since 2018 when they went 5-6. Before Davis took over, Western Illinois went 0-22 the previous two years combined and won just 4 games across the last five seasons (2019-2024).
Now, the team looks to build on the momentum from last season.
"The expectation is to be number one in the conference. That's our mission. That's our goal," said Davis earlier this month at a media day event. "Every single member of this organization is tasked with improvement. If you're a defensive end, you've got to get better. If you're the linebacker coach, make that unit better. If you're the recruiting coordinator, make us better."
Eric FrotonIllinois:
For the first time since 2008, the Fighting Illini are ranked in the preseason. Coming in at No. 12 in the AP Poll, this is the program's highest preseason ranking since 1990, when they were ranked 11th.
Illinois is coming off a historic 2024 season in which it tied a program record with 10 wins and defeated South Carolina in the Citrus Bowl — the program's first bowl victory since 2011.
The Fighting Illini return 16 starters, the most of any Big Ten team, including senior quarterback Luke Altmyer.Altmyer started all 13 games last season and threw a career high 22 touchdown passes.
The Starkville, Mississippi, native enters the season with high expectations.
“I’m so confident and convicted that I’ll be such a better player from last year to this year,
even more than from 2023 to 2024," Altmyer said. "I think I’ll have a bigger jump in 2025… I’m exhausting all my gifts — physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally — to be my best.”
RELATED:No. 12 Illinois and star QB Luke Altmyer are ready to enter uncharted territory
How to watch Western Illinois vs No. 12 Illinois:
- When: Friday, August 29
- Where: Memorial Stadium in Champaign, IL
- Time: 7:30 PM ET
- Live Stream: Peacock
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Category: General Sports
