No. 19 Kansas travels to Illinois for Week 2 game

LAWRENCE, KS – The No. 19 Kansas Jayhawks will make their first road trip of the 2024 season when the Jayhawks face the Illinois Fighting Illini under the lights of Memorial Stadium on Saturday night. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT on FS1, with Alex Faust (live commentary) and Robert Smith (analyst) on commentary.

The Jayhawks and the Illini face each other for the second consecutive year, as Kansas and Illinois met in the second week of the 2023 season. Kansas totaled 539 yards of offense and defeated the Illini 34-23 on September 8, 2023 at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. The combination of Jalon Daniels And Devin Neal led the Jayhawks offensively in this game, with Daniels throwing for 277 yards and two touchdowns on 21 of 29 passes, while Neal rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries.

Saturday’s meeting between Kansas and Illinois will be the seventh all-time, with the series tied 3-3. It is Kansas’ first trip to Champaign, Illinois, since 1968, in a game Kansas won 47-7.


This year’s matchup features two 1-0 teams, both coming off convincing wins in Week 1. Kansas defeated Lindenwood 48-3 on Thursday, August 29, while Illinois defeated Eastern Illinois 45-0.


The 19th-ranked Kansas Jayhawks totaled 530 yards of offense, including 331 rushing yards, in their season-opening win over Lindenwood. Kansas’ defense held firm, holding the Lions to just 202 yards of offense and three points, the fewest allowed by a Kansas team since Sept. 5, 2009, against Northern Colorado.


Senior from Kansas Mello Dotson recorded his eighth career interception against Lindenwood, returning it 33 yards for a touchdown, marking his third career pick-six and breaking the KU school record for most interceptions returned for a touchdown. Offensively, Kansas was led by two rushing touchdowns from Neal on eight carries for 112 yards and 111 yards receiving, and a touchdown from senior wide receiver Luke Grimm.


Illinois comes into Saturday night’s game coming off a 45-0 win over Eastern Illinois. The Illini totaled 486 yards of offense, including six touchdowns. Illinois’ defense forced four turnovers and allowed just 49 rushing yards.


The Illini are led by Bret Bielema, who has served as head coach for four years and has a 19-19 record during his time at Illinois and a career record of 116-77 during his 16-year coaching career.


After Saturday’s game at Illinois, the Jayhawks will close out non-conference play with a rematch of the 2023 Guaranteed Rate Bowl when Kansas hosts UNLV at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City on Friday, Sept. 13. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN and will begin at 6 p.m. CT.