CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The 1-0 Illinois Fighting Illini return to Memorial Stadium on Saturday to take on UTSA during Week 1. The Illini are fresh off a Big Ten Conference win over Nebraska last week to kickoff the college football season.

Illinois reeled off 28 points in a span of just 13:50, scoring four TDs that turned a 9-2 deficit with less than three minutes left in the first half into a 30-9 lead with just over four minutes remaining in the third quarter. QB Artur Sitkowski excelled in his Illini debut, entering the game late in the first quarter after QB Brandon Peters was forced to exit with an arm injury. Sitkowski - a Rutgers transfer - completed 12 of 15 passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns.

Sitkowski was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week, Calvin Hart Jr. was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, Blake Hayes was named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week, and Deuce Spann was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week following the victory.

Saturday's game will kick off at 6:40 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network. Tickets can be purchased at FightingIllini.com/tickets.

BRET BIELEMA GAME WEEK PRESS CONFERENCE

ILLINOIS STATS AND NOTES

THE 2021 FIGHTING ILLINI

• Illinois returned 82% of its total starts on offense (72/88). Only OL Kendrick Green (8 starts), WR Josh Imatorbhebhe (7), and TE Daniel Imatorbhebhe (1) have departed among offensive players that started a game in 2020.
• Illinois returned 86% of its total starts on defense (76/88). Only LB Milo Eifler (5), DB Nate Hobbs (5), and DB/LB Delano Ware (2) have departed among defensive players that started a game in 2020.
• Illinois returned its entire specialists unit, led by P Blake Hayes, K James McCourt, and LS Ethan Tabel.
• Illinois returned 131 career FBS starts on its offensive line, tied for the ninth-most in the nation: Vederian Lowe (40), Alex Palczewski (40), Doug Kramer (37), Verdis Brown (8), Julian Pearl (4), Alex Pihlstrom (2)
• One of Bielema's first tasks as head coach was to get the know the Fighting Illini roster and invite student-athletes back to Champaign. All 2020 football student-athletes were granted an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  » Illinois returned 21 of the 26 student-athletes listed as seniors on the 2020 roster.
  » Illinois returned 18 scholarship seniors from last year's roster, the most of any Power-5 team in the nation.
• Illinois returned 83% of its production according to Bill Connelly, ESPN's SP+ writer. The 83% is ranked sixth in the Big Ten and 42nd in the nation.

(SUPER) SENIORS

• Illinois has 41 seniors, including 21 super seniors who received an extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19.
• Illinois' 21 super seniors are the most in Power-5.
• Illinois' 20 other seniors still have one year of eligibility remaining following this season - if they choose to use it - and are listed as juniors on the roster.
• The Fighting Illini roster features 28 student-athletes that already earned bachelor's degrees, the most of any team in the nation.
• Illinois returns 10 four-time letterwinners, tied for the second-most in the nation (Toledo, USC) behind only Ball State (11).

2021 CAPTAINS

• IIllinois' six captains - Tony Adams, Owen Carney Jr., Jake Hansen, Blake Hayes, Doug Kramer, and Vederian Lowe - are all super seniors. Hansen, Hayes, and Kramer are the first three-time captains in Illinois program history.

ALL-BIG TEN RETURNERS

• Illinois Illinois returns 11 student-athletes who have earned All-Big Ten recognition (top award listed).
  » RB Chase Brown » 2020 All-Big Ten third team
  » DB Sydney Brown » 2019 All-Big Ten third team
  » OLB Owen Carney » 2020 All-Big Ten second team
  » RB Mike Epstein » 2020 All-Big Ten honorable mention
  » LB Jake Hansen » 2020 All-Big Ten second team
  » P Blake Hayes » 2019 Big Ten Punter of the Year
  » C Doug Kramer » 2020 All-Big Ten honorable mention
  » OT Vederian Lowe » 2020 All-Big Ten honorable mention
  » K James McCourt » 2020 All-Big Ten honorable mention
  » DT Roderick Perry II » 2020 All-Big Ten honorable mention
  » OT Alex Palczewski » 2019 All-Big Ten third team

UTSA STATS AND NOTES

• UTSA will kick off its 11th season of football and second campaign under head coach Jeff Traylor on Saturday. 
• The Roadrunners are 8-2 all-time in season openers, including 5-2 on the road. 
• This will mark UTSA's first meeting with a team from the Big Ten Conference. 
• The Roadrunners welcome back 70 lettermen, including 21 starters and both kickers, from last year's squad that went 7-5 and made the program's second bowl appearance. 

ALL-TIME SERIES

ILLINOIS vs. UTSA

• First ever meeting