Two hours until kickoff
Good afternoon college football fans.
Matt Daniels here with you from the Memorial Stadium press box on an absolute picturesque day from Champaign.
Temperatures are in the high 70s with a slight breeze and blue skies dot the landscape here in east central Illinois. Can't ask for better weather in the final nonconference game for the Illini.
An Illini team that faces an almost must-win game today against Middle Tennessee. Both teams come into today with 2-1 records, with lopsided wins for both (Kent State and Western Illinois for the Illini and Jackson State and Charlotte for the Blue Raiders) and lopsided losses at Power 5 opponents (North Carolina for the Illini and Alabama for the Blue Raiders).