(WAND) -- #12 Illinois football opens up their 2025 football season home against Western Illinois.

Illinois returns 16 starters from last season, tied for the most in the nation, and 18 starters from last year's Cheez-It Citrus Bowl team that finished #16 in the final AP Poll. Last year's team tied the program record for wins with 10 and tied the program record for ranked wins with four. The Fighting Illini capped one of the best seasons in program history by beating #14 South Carolina in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, 21-17, in one of the top bowl game victories in Illinois history.

The Illini and Leathernecks will square off for the fourth time on Friday in their first matchup since 2018. Illinois leads the all-time series, 3-0, with all three games occurring at Memorial Stadium.

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