A 2-0 start to the season is well within reach for the Orange and Blue with the Illini’s in-state neighbors to the west heading to Champaign for a Saturday night tilt at Memorial Stadium. But the Illini should avoid sleeping on a Leathernecks bunch coming off an 8-4 campaign that resulted in a playoff spot for the men from Macomb in 2017.
Western will, no doubt, be stinging from a 26-23 week one loss at Montana State, in which they didn’t trail until the final minutes of the game and out-gained the host Bobcats 317 to 252. Close road losses are becoming an unfortunate trend for the Leathernecks who dropped their first round FCS playoff match-up 21-19 to Weber State in Ogden, Utah, to wrap up s largely successful 2017 season.