CHAMPAIGN - While preparing for Iowa, the Illini football players talked about a bitter, long-standing rivalry that automatically inspires motivation. While preparing for Wisconsin, those same players talked about a tradition of hard-hitting play that goes back many years. | U Pick 'Em

And it goes without saying Illinois had no trouble finding focus for Penn State and Michigan, two perennial powers in the Big Ten Conference.

But what about this week, when Illinois continues its late-season drive for a bowl bid by stepping out of conference to play a team with which it has no tradition, Kalamazoo-based Western Michigan University?

On Sunday, coach Ron Zook said if Illinois is serious about its season-long aspirations, getting locked in for Western Michigan should be easy. And it shouldn't matter that the crowd at Detroit's Ford Field, home of the NFL Lions, is expected to be less than 30,000.

Zook bristled at the suggestion his team might not be fired up for a game that won't match the atmosphere in State College, Pa., or in Ann Arbor, Mich., where Illinois performed in front of crowds that topped 109,000.

"Here's the deal: Hopefully we're not playing because of how many people are in the stands," Zook said. "I would be (ticked) at them. It doesn't matter. If they can't realize what they heck they are playing for, I don't care if there are 10 people in the stands. Hopefully they don't play football for that reason.

"It's a great venue, playing in a stadium where a lot of great NFL players play. I would hope our kids appreciate that."

What should really get Illinois' attention is the Western Michigan offense, which is averaging 444 yards and 31.8 points a game for a group that is 7-2 overall and 5-1 in the West Division of the Mid-American Conference.

"They have a quarterback and a receiver that remind me a lot of (Adam Weber and Eric Decker) from Minnesota," Zook said. "Defensively, they have a really good secondary. This is a good football team."

The Broncos' quarterback has been outstanding. Tim Hiller, a 6-foot-5, 228-pound junior, has completed 255 of 372 passes (68.5 percent) for 2,856 yards and 28 touchdowns. Even more impressive, he has thrown just five interceptions.

"One of my good friends, Bill Miller, was their defensive coordinator last year," Zook said. "He was with us at Florida and he felt like they had a chance to be a really good team. And this is a team that beat Iowa (28-19) last year. If our guys don't understand that…"

The Big Ten is 7-3 against Mid-American teams this season. Indiana has two of those losses (Ball State and Central Michigan) while Michigan lost to Toledo.

For the Illini, a victory would be its sixth of the season, which would make it eligible for bowl consideration. Eligible, but not necessarily a lock for a bowl game.

"Like I told them, six wins doesn't guarantee you a bowl," Zook said. "Northwestern won six last year and didn't get to a bowl."

At 5-4, the Illini hope to pick up victory No. 6 this week, then get at least to No. 7 at home against Ohio State on Nov. 15, or on the road at Northwestern for the regular-season finale Nov. 22.