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Wk 2 · 2026

Duke Blue Devils at Illinois Fighting Illini — Sat, Sep 12

Sat, Sep 12 · Gies Memorial Stadium, Champaign, IL · FS1

Weather at kickoff

70°F light drizzle
29% chance of precipitation · wind 15 mph
Forecast from Open-Meteo
ACC · no games yet
at
3:30pET
no line posted yet
Ratings differential ILL by 4.4
Big Ten · no games yet

What is at stake

A non-conference game. It moves both overall records but neither conference race.

What the ratings imply

The differential above is arithmetic on two published numbers: The CFB King’s 2026 final efficiency ratings, plus 2.4 points of home field. It is not a projection, a value, an edge or a lean, and nothing on this site compares it with the betting line to tell you one is better. Until 2026 games are played it is last season’s measurement of two teams that have changed.

Efficiency · 2026 ratings

Duke: +3.7#42
Efficiency margin
Illinois: +5.7#32
Duke: 32.9
Offense (pts/100)
Illinois: 29.4
Duke: 29.3
Defense (pts/100)
Illinois: 23.6
Duke: 65.5
Pace (plays/g)
Illinois: 65.5
Duke: no data
Yards / play
Illinois: no data
Duke: no data
Yards / play allowed
Illinois: no data
Opponent-adjusted ratings from The College King's 2026 final numbers. Bars share a scale within each row, so the two lengths are comparable; the brighter side is the better of the two, and a longer bar is the better number — including the rows where a lower figure is the good one. Pace is the exception: it is how fast a team plays, not how well, so neither side is lit and a longer bar there means only more plays.

Team stats · 2026 per game

Duke: no data
Points / game
Illinois: no data
Duke: no data
Points allowed
Illinois: no data
Duke: no data
Yards / game
Illinois: no data
Duke: no data
Yards allowed
Illinois: no data
Duke: no data
Pass yds allowed
Illinois: no data
Duke: no data
Rush yds allowed
Illinois: no data
Duke: no data
Turnovers / game
Illinois: no data
From completed 2026 box scores; defensive yardage covers the regular season and conference championships.

Duke form

No completed games on record.

Illinois form

No completed games on record.

Duke this season

No graded games yet this season. Lines are captured before kickoff and graded when a game goes final, so these records start at Week 1.

Illinois this season

No graded games yet this season. Lines are captured before kickoff and graded when a game goes final, so these records start at Week 1.
Lines are captured from ESPN's board before kickoff and locked at kickoff, so an in-play price cannot overwrite the number a game is graded against.

Common opponents · 0

These teams share no opponents on the 2026 schedule.
Open these two in the comparison tool for every shared and unshared opponent.

Series history · 2006–2026

Since 2006, Illinois leads 1–0 · Illinois won the last one
1 meeting in 2006–2026 · average margin 26.0 points toward Illinois
Yr DateResultSiteWon
20252025-09-06Illinois 4519 Dukeat DUKEIllinois

Duke leaders 2025 regular season

PassingDarian Mensah QB #10305/449, 3646 YDS, 30 TD, 5 INT
Henry Belin IV QB #22/5, 22 YDS
RushingNate Sheppard RB #20178 CAR, 962 YDS, 10 TD
Anderson Castle RB #4110 CAR, 470 YDS, 11 TD
Jaquez Moore RB #939 CAR, 192 YDS, 1 TD
ReceivingCooper Barkate WR #1868 REC, 1069 YDS, 6 TD
Que'Sean Brown WR #354 REC, 668 YDS, 3 TD
Sahmir Hagans WR #237 REC, 463 YDS, 6 TD
Jeremiah Hasley TE #8534 REC, 404 YDS, 5 TD
Defense
TacklesCaleb Weaver S #382
Luke Mergott LB #3480
DaShawn Stone S #877
SacksVincent Anthony Jr. DE #77.5
Josiah Green DT #43.5
Aaron Hall DT #992.5
InterceptionsChandler Rivers CB #02
Moussa Kane CB #222
Tre Freeman LB #122

Illinois leaders 2025 regular season

PassingLuke Altmyer QB #9226/332, 2811 YDS, 21 TD, 5 INT
Hank Beatty WR #802/2, 31 YDS, 1 TD
RushingCa'Lil Valentine RB #5123 CAR, 549 YDS, 4 TD
Kaden Feagin TE #83119 CAR, 499 YDS, 7 TD
Aidan Laughery RB #2162 CAR, 305 YDS, 3 TD
ReceivingHank Beatty WR #8064 REC, 826 YDS, 3 TD
Collin Dixon WR #1733 REC, 538 YDS, 5 TD
Hudson Clement WR #1333 REC, 406 YDS, 3 TD
Justin Bowick WR #019 REC, 234 YDS, 4 TD
Defense
TacklesMatthew Bailey DB #776
Miles Scott S #1059
Dylan Rosiek LB #2849
SacksGabe Jacas EDGE #1711
Leon Lowery Jr. LB #92
Tomiwa Durojaiye DL #132
InterceptionsMiles Scott S #103
Dylan Rosiek LB #281
Torrie Cox Jr. DB #51
These are regular-season totals for the season named on each card — the players who led that team that year, taken from ESPN's team leaders. That list is keyed to the season, not to today's roster, so a leader who has since transferred or run out of eligibility still appears against the year he earned it; the roster pages and the depth chart on each team page are where the current squad is. A team switches to this season's numbers once it has played a game. The roster pages count bowl games too, so a player's two lines can differ by a game.