Illinois hosted No. 25 Oregon at 2 p.m. with National Guard flyover and Jer'Zhan Newton as honorary captain

CHAMPAIGN - Illinois hosted No. 25 Oregon at 2 p.m. Saturday at Gies Memorial Stadium in its annual Military Appreciation Game, with an Army National Guard flyover and former Illini All-American Jer'Zhan Newton as honorary captain, according to Illinois Athletics.

Two Army National Guard helicopters, a CH-47F Chinook and a UH-60V Black Hawk, were scheduled to fly over the stadium from north to south at about 1:45 p.m., after the national anthem, the athletics department said. Dalton Trimble of Danville, an Army infantry veteran and Purple Heart recipient, was set to sound the pregame air raid siren. Illinois planned to wear helmets with U.S. flags on each side, and 50,000 orange rally towels were to be handed out to fans.

Newton, a two-time All-American and the 2023 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, was the first honorary captain to have played under coach Bret Bielema, the department said. He is in his third NFL season with the Washington Commanders and is on the team's reserve/injured list.

The game was on Big Ten Network and the Busey Bank Illini Sports Network.

Source: Illinois Athletics, Military Appreciation game day information, Oct. 23, 2026, https://fightingillini.com/news/2026/10/23/illini-football-announces-saturdays-military-appreciation-game-day-information; honorary captain release, Oct. 23, 2026, https://fightingillini.com/news/2026/10/23/football-johnny-newton-to-serve-as-honorary-captain-vs-oregon; football schedule, https://fightingillini.com/sports/football/schedule (all read Oct. 24, 2026).