Southern Illinois offers immediate rebound test for Illinois

Illinois hosts Southern Illinois on Sept. 19 at 1 p.m. ET on Peacock, needing cleaner tackling, run fits, third-down defense and communication after the Duke loss. DJ Williams and the Salukis' explosive-play potential are the key matchup concerns before Illinois visits Ohio State; the game also tests whether Illinois can respond to Duke's late-game execution problems without becoming complacent.