Land of Lincoln Trophy
Illinois vs Northwestern.
Illinois leads the series 59-55-5 in meetings on record since 1892.
All-time series
Series leader: Illinois.
See the full all-time Illinois vs Northwestern head-to-head record and every meeting on record.
By decade
Series notes
Side by side, 2026 season
Illinois Northwestern
- 30.6 11th
- Points per game
- 33.0 7th
- 26.0 15th
- Points allowed
- 16.8 8th
- 404.8 10th
- Total yards per game
- 437.8 7th
- 6.7 7th
- Yards per play
- 6.9 5th
- 155.6 9th
- Rush yards per game
- 212.8 4th
- 249.2 8th
- Pass yards per game
- 225.0 14th
- 22.4 9th
- First downs per game
- 21.5 10th
- 45.5% 8th
- Third-down rate
- 41.3% 10th
- -1 12th
- Turnover margin
- +5 4th
- 2 17th
- Takeaways
- 7 7th
- 3 18th
- Sacks
- 6 15th
- 6 5th
- Sacks allowed
- 8 12th
- 43.4 4th
- Penalty yards per game
- 64.0 12th
- 27:26 18th
- Time of possession
- 31:01 10th
Season totals from CollegeFootballData. Small figure: rank within the Big Ten; the better side is highlighted.
Recent meetings
Results are read from official box scores and republished after every meeting.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the Land of Lincoln Trophy?
The Land of Lincoln Trophy is the name of the Illinois vs Northwestern series. Illinois leads the series 59-55-5 in meetings on record since 1892.
What is the record in Illinois vs Northwestern?
Illinois leads the series 59-55-5 in meetings on record since 1892. That is Illinois 59, Northwestern 55 across 119 meetings on record.
When do Illinois and Northwestern play next?
The next Illinois vs Northwestern meeting is around Week 13 of the 2026 season at Ryan Field.