By Chris Morris for DieHardDevil.com

ASU all-time vs. Illinois: 2-0 overall, 1-0 in Champaign

First stop Champaign. After going 2-4 away from Tempe in 2010, the Sun Devils enter Memorial Stadium for their first shot at redemption. Built in 1923, Memorial Stadium was so-named in honor of the fallen Illinois soldiers from World War I whose names are inscribed on the stadium’s columns. Last season the Illini drew an average of 54,188 fans per home game. Capacity has been slightly reduced for 2011 to hold 60,670. The largest crowd was 78,297, drawn against Missouri in the Rose Bowl season of 1984. Before home games Illinois players touch Grange Rock in the Stadium’s north end. The Rock was dedicated in 1994 in honor of Illini legend Red Grange. Want to get a better feel for Memorial Stadium? Check out these behind the scenes videos.

For the third straight week ASU meets a program it hasn’t played in more than two decades. The Sun Devils have not made the trip to Champaign since 1987 when they opened John Cooper’s final season with a 21-7 road victory. The only other meeting with Illinois came the following season when the Larry Marmie era kicked-off with a 21-16 victory in Tempe. In six seasons as head coach of the Illini, Ron Zook has not beaten a Pac-12 opponent– losing to Cal in 2005 and USC in the 2008 Rose Bowl. The Sun Devils are 14-6 all-time against the Big Ten, the last victory coming in 2005 when they completed a home/home sweep over Northwestern.

Strength vs. Strength: Arizona State’s top-ranked rush defense could face an early test. Illinois is tops in the Big Ten in rushing since Ron Zook took over the program. 2010 saw the Illini lead the conference in rushing for the third time during Zook’s tenure and finish top-20 in the nation for the 4th time in five seasons. They ran for more than 300 yards four times and eclipsed 200 yards four others. Mikel Leshoure, who led the Illini ground attack last season, became a 2nd round draft pick of the Lions in April, but Illinois’ top three returning rushers still combined for 12 scores and nearly 1500 yards last year. The Sun Devils will be up to the challenge however. ASU surrendered a Pac-10 low 120.2 yards-per-game on the ground and held Oregon, the nation’s 4th best rushing team, to just 145 yards, nearly half its season average.

Illinois is looking to continue their surprise resurgence of 2010.  The 2007 Illini stunned the college football world with victories over 5th ranked Wisconsin and No. 1 Ohio State earning their 1st Rose Bowl berth since 1984. Facing huge expectations Illinois struggled through two disappointing seasons, notching only eight wins in 2008 and 2009 combined. Last season the Illini were picked to finish near the bottom of the Big Ten, but Zook’s squad bounced back. They earned the program’s first ever road victory over Penn State and beat Baylor 38-14 in the Texas Bowl as part of a seven win year. With six starters on defense and eight coming back on offense including sophomore quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase, Illinois has the makings of another Big Ten surprise.

Like the Pac-12, the Big Ten is undergoing expansion and division in 2011. With Nebraska beginning conference play this year, the Big Ten now features 12 teams which it has broken into two, six-team divisions. Illinois begins play in the Leaders Division this season where it must overcome Indiana, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin to reach the Big Ten Championship Game against the winner of the Legends Division which includes Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska and Northwestern.

Game #3 at Illinois – September 17, 2011, 4:00 p.m. PT
Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL