EAST LANSING, Mich.  Last week, Lon Kruger''s Illini had more fun on the road than Dale Earnhardt, Willie Nelson and Thelma and Louise.

   Keep it up, and they could be on the road to something special.

   A win Saturday at Michigan State would give Illinois a 3-0 Big Ten record away from home. Last time that happened: 1969-70, when Kruger was throwing touchdown passes for Silver Lake (Kan.) High''s football team and looking for a senior prom date.

   "Winning three on the road would be huge," Illinois guard Matt Heldman said.

   Winners last week in Evanston and Iowa City, Iowa, the 11-6, 3-1 Illini enter Saturday''s 11 a.m. game tied with Iowa, Purdue, Michigan and Michigan State for No. 1 in the Big Ten.

   The best way for the Illini to stay there: protect their home turf  they''re 12 for their last 13 in Champaign  and win more than they lose on the road, which they haven''t pulled off since 1990-91 (5-4).

   In the ''90s, the Illini have averaged just a smidge more than three league road wins a season.

   "My first year here, we lost one home game and we won two road games, so we ended up 10-8 in the Big Ten," said Brian Johnson, an Illini since 1993-94. "That really opened my eyes to how tough it is on the road and the fact that you''ve got to protect your homecourt and pick up as many as you can on the road.

   "From then on, I''ve really appreciated road wins."

   If ever there was an season to exceed .500, it''s this one.

   With the conference cutting back to a 16-game schedule to accommodate the postseason tournament, each team''s road slate is two trips fewer than it has been.

   This year, there''s no flight to Michigan, where the Illini are zip for their last six.

   No trip to Minnesota, where they''ve dropped five straight.

   And the dreary Wisconsin Fieldhouse, site of six straight Illinois losses, is closed for business, the Badgers playing their home games at the opponent-friendly, $76.4 million, 17,142-seat Kohl Center starting Saturday.

   "Thank God," Johnson said.

   The schedule isn''t the only thing that works in the UI''s favor. Starting five seniors never hurts, either.

   "We should be a good road team," senior center Jarrod Gee said. "We''re used to all the arenas and all the atmospheres in the Big Ten. We know what to expect."

   On Saturday morning, they can expect to be insulted like they''ve never been insulted before.

   "The students just got back Wednesday," Michigan State forward Jason Klein said. "That should help a lot."

   "They get pretty personal," Johnson said. "I think it''s kind of funny."

   No mother would. Michigan State''s foul-mouthed student section would make George Carlin blush.

   "They really get after you, even before the game starts. In warmups," Heldman said. "They heckle you pretty good."

   Just be glad you don''t play for Michigan.

   "I laugh about it," Spartans forward Morris Peterson said. "When we go out of town and play games, the fans do the same things to us. They always pick on Robert Traylor. They mention his weight."

   Peterson said the students get the Spartans going, too, though one has to wonder what happened last month when Detroit''s Titans walked out of the Breslin Center with a 68-65 win.

   Temple did, too. And Spartans coach Tom Izzo wasn''t too thrilled with his team''s 12-point home win over Eastern Illinois.

   But the 10-4, 3-1 Spartans won their lone Big Ten home game in impressive fashion, whipping Wisconsin 63-40 last week at a sold-out Breslin Center.

   Like at Iowa and Northwestern, the Illini are expected to play in front of another sellout crowd Saturday. As of Thursday night, about 400 seats hadn''t been reserved at the 15,138-seat Breslin Center.

   "Hopefully, we can keep them mighty quiet," Gee said.

Houses of horror

   Michigan State''s Breslin Center hasn''t been the Illini''s favorite place to play, the Spartans winning 5 of 7 meetings in the ''90s. How the Illini have fared at other Big Ten arenas since the Final Four season, with Illinois forward Brian Johnson''s thoughts on each building:

   Arena, School, Record, Johnson''s comment

   Assembly Hall, Indiana, 2-6, Strange  the shooting backgrounds  but big and loud

   Breslin Center, Michigan State, 2-5, Crowd''s right on top of you and they get personal, which is kind of funny

   Bryce Jordan Center, Penn State, 3-2, Immense. Reminds me of the dome in St. Louis. Crowd''s real far away

   Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa, 3-6, I love it. It''s a really classy arena

   Crisler Arena, Michigan, 1-7, I''d rather never go there again

   Mackey Arena, Purdue, 4-3, Revenge. Payback

   St. John Arena, Ohio State, 4-3, Windy. The exits are at the corners of the arena and the wind blows in there

   Welsh-Ryan Arena, Northwestern, 6-2, Kind of home. Small, cozy. Like playing up there

   Williams Arena, Minnesota, 1-6, Elevated court a little strange. A psychological advantage for them

   Wisconsin Fieldhouse, 1-6, A dive. Thank God it''s closed