FACTS & STATS: Site: Memorial Stadium (52,354) -- Bloomington, Indiana. Television: Big Ten Network. Home Record: Illinois 1-0, Indiana 2-0. Away Record: Illinois 1-0, Indiana 1-0. Neutral Record: Illinois 0-1, Indiana 0-0. Conference Record: Illinois 0-0, Indiana 0-0. Series Record: Illinois leads, 41-20-3.

GAME NOTES: Two of the nation's premier rushing attacks meet in Bloomington this Saturday, as the Illinois Fighting Illini are set to take on the unbeaten Indiana Hoosiers in the Big Ten Conference opener for both teams. On the other side of the ball, both teams rank among the best in the country at stopping the run. Illinois hasn't won its league lidlifter since 1993, a streak the Illini want desperately to stop. Two of Illinois' running backs, including leading rusher Rashard Mendenhall, are banged up. Indiana is off to a perfect 3-0 start after last weekend's 41-20 win over Akron. Thanks to their potent ground game, the Hoosiers, picked to finish last in the Big Ten by several preseason publications, have been lighting up the scoreboard through three games. Illinois holds a 41-20-3 advantage in the all-time series, though the Fighting Illini have lost the last two games played at Indiana.

Thanks to Mendenhall (107 rushing ypg, six TDs) and quarterback Juice Williams (39 ypg on the ground), Illinois ranks eighth in the nation in rushing offense with 258 ypg. Mendenhall, however, is nursing a sore ankle although he is listed as probable for this contest. Also listed as probable with an ankle injury is backup running back Daniel Dufrene, who has rushed for 115 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. Williams is a tremendous athlete who can make significant contributions on the ground. The big question entering this season was what type of passer Williams would develop into, considering the success of the team relies heavily on the sophomore's arm. So far, the results have been promising, with Williams completing 60 percent of his passes (he completed 39 percent last year) with only one interception. At 93 ypg passing, his opportunities have been limited, however.

Defensively, Illinois ranks 12th in the nation at stopping the run (71 ypg allowed). Teams have found more success through the air, but the Illini generally do a good job on first and second down, often putting opposing offenses in third-and-long situations. Senior All-Big Ten linebacker J Leman is without question the heart and soul of the UI defense. He ranks third in the nation with 39 tackles (including 4.5 TFLs). The defense needs to do a better job making plays against the pass, as the Illini have only one interception on the season. Last week, Illinois held a lackluster Syracuse club to 14 first downs and 286 yards of total offense. The Orange managed only 1.9 ypc on the ground.

With their average of 258 ypg on the ground, the Hoosiers rank seventh in the nation and first in the Big Ten in rushing offense. They are scoring an average of 44 ppg, 17th-best in the country and third-best in the conference. In last week's win over Akron, sophomore quarterback Kellen Lewis ran for a career-high 199 yards on 18 carries, and he threw for another 137. He accounted for all five of Indiana's touchdowns. Like Illinois, the Hoosiers' rushing totals are aided by the fact that their quarterback looks to take advantage of running lanes whenever he sees them. Lewis has done just that, rushing for 105 ypg while throwing for another 214 ypg.

The IU defense is allowing only 65 rushing yards per game, which ranks 10th in the nation. This unit does a tremendous job creating turnovers (plus-two) and penetrating the line of scrimmage. The Hoosiers rank sixth in the nation in tackles for loss and are tied with Penn State for first in sacks. Greg Middleton has terrorized opposing quarterbacks, having amassed five sacks through three games. Will Patterson, who has two fumble recoveries and is third on the team in tackles, also has a penchant for making big plays. Mitchell Evans has tallied two interceptions. Last week against Akron, the Hoosiers allowed 250 yards and a pair of touchdowns through the air, but they also generated four sacks.

Fans of slashing-type, running quarterbacks will enjoy this matchup. With both teams clamping down against the run, it will likely come down to a few big plays that determine the outcome. Give the edge to the Hoosiers playing at home, with Lewis carrying the better arm and running ability of the two quarterbacks.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Indiana 30, Illinois 24