CHAMPAIGN, IL – After a week off, the rested Michigan State Spartans prepare for a tough road test Saturday afternoon as they take on the Illinois Fighting Illini.

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Michigan State Spartans (4-5, 2-4 B1G) vs. Illinois Fighting Illini (6-3, 3-3 B1G)

• When: Saturday November 16th
• Time: 2:30 PM ET
• Where: Memorial Stadium (Champaign, Ill.)
• Channel: FOX Sports 1
• Current: FuboTV (free trial), Sling, DirecTV stream

The Spartans posted tough results heading into their second bye of the season. After a big win over Iowa in Week 8 that put them back above .500, MSU dropped a close battle to the rival Michigan Wolverines before being eliminated by Indiana two weeks ago. Although Michigan State tried to keep things close to the red-hot Hoosiers, more mistakes with the football led to the 47-10 drubbing.

There’s still time for MSU to rally and clinch a spot in a bowl game with three games remaining, especially with the final two coming home. However, a game on the road will test their mettle.

Illinois looked like a team that could be a sleeper and sneak into the Big Ten Championship Game picture. However, things have gone a bit sideways for the Illini. After wins over Purdue and Michigan, Illinois was handed lunch by Oregon before experiencing more offensive struggles at home against Minnesota last week. The Fighting Illini have scored 20 or more runs just twice in the last five games, though they have at least started bowling this winter.

The Spartans are 27-19-2 against Illinois, including winning the last meeting in 2022.

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