CHAMPAIGN - If an on-the-rise Illini football program wants the nation to see what it can do, there will be no better time than Saturday night.

Illinois' game with Michigan will be televised nationally on ABC, and every TV owner from Portland, Maine, to the shores of the Pacific will have a chance to see for themselves.

No split audience. No regionalization. No cable or satellite fragmentation. It's 100 percent market saturation.

The upside for Illinois (5-2, 3-1 Big Ten) is a chance to play like it did while winning five straight games earlier this season. That would showcase an exciting young team to everyone, including a host of potential recruits and would be a chance to beat Michigan in Memorial Stadium for the first time since 1983.

The downside is to sputter like it did Saturday when that five-game ride ended with a 10-6 loss at Iowa. No one wants to fail on national television.

On Sunday, Illini coach Ron Zook said he expects Illinois to be re-energized after running into a wall at Iowa City.

"I think our guys are excited about it," Zook said of the showdown against Michgan. "It's a great opportunity against a great football team.

"Traditionally Illinois has played (Michigan) tough. Our guys will have the bounce back in their step."

Zook said he got home from Iowa City Saturday night, watched Kentucky edge top-ranked LSU in triple overtime and got just a little sleep before bouncing out of bed at 2:30 Sunday morning.

By Sunday afternoon, the Illini coaching staff had met and rehashed the loss at Iowa, concluding the team played with less than a full tank of gas after physical, emotional victories over Penn State and Wisconsin.

"A lot of things didn't go the way they have been going," Zook said. "There is nobody on our football team that has been through what we've been through. We've won some games, had some success with things going well, then we went to a hostile environment against a team that we had to be ready to play.

"I think we were ready. But energy-wise, maybe we weren't quite at the level we'd been at the last couple of weeks. Look at Wisconsin and what happened to them (losing at Penn State 38-7) and you see the same thing.

"And then you go on the road and you don't have the energy of the crowd behind you."

Zook said the staff also reviewed the crucial penalty call that wiped out an apparent 82-yard fourth-quarter touchdown pass from Eddie McGee to Joe Morgan.

"The call was there," Zook said of the illegal receiver downfield penalty. "We can't make those kinds of mistakes."

Receiver Jacob Willis lined up on the line of scrimmage (rather than a step behind it), making tight end Michael Hoomanawanui ineligible.

If there was an excuse for Willis' mistake, it was that he was playing the 'Z' wide receiver position in place of Mattoon's Kyle Hudson, who had left the game after a helmet-to-helmet collision. Normally, Hudson would have been at his familiar spot.

Hudson, Zook said, was still suffering from a headache on Sunday but is expected to be ready to play against Michigan.

Fullback Russ Weil, who twisted his ankle, also will be back in action, as will receiver Rejus Benn, who left the game briefly against Iowa when he injured his shoulder. Benn's shoulder is likely to be an on-going issue for the remainder of the season, the freshman receiver said.

Zook also reaffirmed that Juice Williams will be Illinois' starting quarterback against the Wolverines, who have won five straight since opening the season with losses to Appalachian State and Oregon.

Against Iowa, Illinois pulled Williams in the fourth quarter and replaced him with McGee.

"I think overall you are going to play the person who will give your football team the best chance to be successful," Zook said. "There's no question other guys can play, but there's no question in our opinion that Juice gives us the best opportunity (to win)."

Mark Tupper can be reached at mtupper@herald-review.com or 421-7983.