No. 14 Illinois, riding a 6-game winning streak, hopes to avoid a letdown against embattled Michigan State

CHAMPAIGN — Illinois has been the surprise of the season in the Big Ten after seizing control of the West Division and winning six straight games.

The No. 14 Illini (7-1, 4-1) start November against one of the conference’s biggest disappointments when Michigan State (3-5, 1-4) visits Saturday.

The programs are trending in opposite directions after the Spartans’ 11-win season in 2021. Michigan State might have hit rock bottom Saturday when violence erupted in the tunnel at Michigan Stadium after an embarrassing 29-7 loss to No. 4 Michigan.

Spartans coach Mel Tucker suspended eight players, including standout linebacker Jacoby Windmon, for their roles in the chaos. With four games left on the schedule, though, things still could get worse for Tucker’s group.

“Obviously the season hasn’t gone how we had hoped and how we had planned, but we’re all we got in the room,” quarterback Payton Thorne said. “No one’s coming in to help us, no one’s coming in to save us. It’s all of us moving forward together. If we decide to start separating, it will all unravel and nothing good will happen for anybody.”

Illinois, meanwhile, is firing on all cylinders on both sides of the ball. The Illini rank No. 1 in scoring defense (8.9 points per game), total defense (224.5 yards per game) and passing-efficiency defense (77.9).

Defensive lineman Keith Randolph credits coordinator Ryan Walters as a major reason the Illini have improved so considerably in coach Bret Bielema’s second year.

“Coach (Walters) has that swagger,” Randolph said. “When your (defensive) coordinator has that swagger, it just rubs off on the players.”

The Illini also enter with the No. 2 rushing defense in the country (75.63) and a nation-leading 15 interceptions.

Emerging star Chase Brown leads the nation with 1,208 rushing yards and leads an offense that has also been resurrected by the playmaking abilities of quarterback Tommy DeVito, a Syracuse transfer.

DeVito’s 72.5% completion rate is tied for third in the country. Even though the Illini lack an elite receiver, DeVito’s arm — and sound decisions — helped open Brown’s path to historic success on the ground.

Brown has eclipsed 100 rushing yards in every game this season. He is just 116 yards from overtaking Thomas Rooks (2,887 rushing yards) and Jim Grabowski (2,878 rushing yards) for third all time in career rushing yards at Illinois.

Spartans safety Xavier Henderson knows limiting Brown’s effectiveness is the best way to keep his team in the game.

“The one thing about this kid, he is real patient at the line,” Henderson said. “And then his jump-cut ability and his vision is why he has the numbers he does and why he has the accolades he has.”

Michigan State is paying Tucker $9.5 million per season through 2031, and his job description now includes leading the program through a tough time.

Tucker suspended eight players for their roles in roughing up two players in the Michigan Stadium tunnel Saturday night after losing to the in-state rival. The Spartans are tasked with bouncing back after a lot of distractions and without some key players.

“We’re laser-focused on Illinois, and that was a big part of our message,” Tucker said. “What’s most important is what we do next.

“There’s no other choice to be made.”

Bielema said he quickly realized the postgame fracas from Ann Arbor would reach the eyes and ears of his team.

“I think we do try as coaches to minimize what our outside voices are saying to our players, but the bottom line in today’s world, you can’t,” Bielema said.

The Illini earned their first-ever College Football Playoff ranking Tuesday, checking in at No. 16.

Keeping everybody focused on the task of beating the Spartans is the top priority. Bielema knows well that his team could be a week away from a matchup against Purdue that could decide who wins the Big Ten West.

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After that the Illini travel to Ann Arbor.

“As a teaching moment, we go to Michigan in two weeks,” Bielema said. “So there are things I’m filing away right now that I’ll bring up that week when that moment comes.”

By the time Tucker meets with the media on Mondays for his weekly news conference, he usually has at least started scouting the next opponent.

Not this week.

Instead of preparing for the Fighting Illini, Tucker was still working on sorting out details from the altercation.

“I have not watched one play of Illinois film,” he said Monday. “My staff has, but I have some catching up to do. It’s all about priorities.”

AP’s Larry Lage contributed.