CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) -- After a pair of big road games in front of rowdy crowds, Illinois football coach Ron Zook is pleading with Illini fans to pack relatively sedate Memorial Stadium for Saturday's contest with Minnesota.

(AP Photo/Tom Gannam)

In this Aug. 30, 2008 file photo, Illinois head coach Ron Zook waits with his players to head out to the field during an NCAA college football game against Missouri in St. Louis. After skating through its nonconference schedule, No. 12 Penn State could gain some respect with a win Saturday night in its Big Ten opener against No. 22 Illinois.

Illinois is coming off last weekend's 45-20 win at Michigan and a noisy 38-24 loss at Penn State. Both stadiums seat more than 100,000.

Zook wants Memorial Stadium's 62,000 seats filled with screaming, towel-waving Illini fans Saturday when they face the Gophers.

Illini players like sophomore receiver Arrelious Benn are talking this week about how they fed off the big crowd at Michigan.

Benn had six catches for 122 yards and a touchdown. He says there's nothing quite like the noise -- and the silence -- that follow a big play against the home team.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)