The Illinois Fighting Illini will play an FCS opponent, Eastern Illinois, in their 2024 season opener on August 29. For the full Illinois schedule, see below.

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2024 Illinois Game and TV Schedule

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Illinois 2024 Strength of Schedule

• Using their opponents’ combined win total last year, the Fighting Illini will be facing the 36th-ranked schedule in terms of difficulty.
• Illinois is playing the 28th-ranked schedule this season (based on its opponents’ projected win total this year).
• The Fighting Illini are facing the 22nd-hardest conference schedule this season (based on their Big Ten opponents’ combined win total last year).
• Illinois has a schedule that features six games in 2024 against teams with winning records in 2023 (three of those teams won nine or more games and zero of them accumulated three or fewer wins).
• The Fighting Illini have seven games scheduled against teams that made a bowl game last year.

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Illinois Stat Insights (2023)

• The Fighting Illini totaled 391 yards per game on offense last year (63rd in FBS), and they gave up 377.3 yards per game (64th) on defense.
• Despite sporting a bottom-25 scoring defense that ranked 38th-worst in FBS last season (29.4 points allowed per game), Illinois had more success offensively, ranking 83rd in FBS by averaging 24.5 points per game.
• The Fighting Illini ranked 36th in pass offense (264.6 passing yards per game) and 71st in pass defense (228.1 passing yards allowed per game) last year.
• Illinois put up 126.4 rushing yards per game offensively last season (98th in FBS), and it allowed 149.2 rushing yards per game (63rd) on defense.
• The Fighting Illini sported the 97th-ranked third-down offense last year (36% third-down conversion rate), but they were worse on defense, ranking 23rd-worst with a 44% third-down percentage allowed.
• Illinois had the 12th-worst turnover margin in college football last season at -8, forcing 14 turnovers (105th in FBS) while turning it over 22 times (112th in FBS).

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