Can Illinois Football Capitalize Against a Struggling Nebraska Team?

Momentum is a funny thing. Just a few weeks ago, Illinois Football was searching for answers after a very shaky start dropped the Illini to 2-3, with little to build on. Now, Bret Bielema’s squad has found a spark, winning 3 straight, with the opportunity to make it 4 and become bowl-eligible against Matt Rhule’s struggling Huskers on Friday night.

Meanwhile, Nebraska is heading in the opposite direction.

After opening the season 5-0, the Cornhuskers have dropped 3 straight to Indiana (20-17), Oregon (17-14) and Washington (17-10), including last week’s brutal last-minute loss to the Huskies. After surrendering 4th-quarter leads against both Indiana and Oregon, Nebraska watched another late advantage slip against Washington. The Huskies took the lead with 1:30 remaining before safety Alex McLaughlin returned a pick-6 to put the game away.

On paper, Illinois has the momentum advantage. However, a desperate Huskers squad trying to end a losing streak could be dangerous.

The Illini haven’t exactly had a smooth ride themselves, making their recent turnaround even more impressive. After a bad Week 5 loss to Purdue, things weren’t looking great for Illinois, with DC Bobby Hauck gone and starting quarterback Katin Houser sidelined after breaking his throwing hand early against Michigan State. However, the Illini found a way to keep winning, leaning on true freshman Michael Clayton II and getting some help from Carson Boyd to pick up victories over Michigan State and Oregon. With Houser back under center last week, the Illini took care of Maryland, extending their winning streak to 3 in a row.

Now, Illinois has a chance to secure bowl eligibility and carry this momentum into the final stretch. The Question is, can the Illini capitalize on Nebraska’s struggles? 

What’s Gone Wrong for Nebraska, and How Can Illinois Football Capitalize on It? 

Nebraska looked like a completely different team during the opening weeks of the season. The Cornhuskers raced out to a 5-0 start, winning by an average of 29.5 points per game. 

Ohio (9/5) – W, 49-21

Bowling Green (9/12)  – W, 56-7

North Dakota (9/19) – W, 34-7

at Michigan State (9/26) – W, 31-13

Maryland (10/3) – W, 48-23

However, October brought a frustrating change in direction, and the Huskers haven’t quite recovered.

Nebraska followed that 5-0 start with losses to Indiana (20-17), Oregon (17-14) and Washington (17-10). Even more concerning for Nebraska, the Huskers offense has scored just 41 points across those 3 losses, averaging fewer than 14 per game. Quarterback Anthony Colandrea has also struggled with turnovers, throwing 5 interceptions during the losing streak, including 3 last week against Washington. The Huskers’ inability to establish a run game and struggles sustaining drives are major concerns. Consequently, Nebraska has become far too dependent on Colandrea to create rhythm through the air, and that lack of offensive balance has made it difficult to close out games.

Meanwhile, Nebraska’s defense has been competitive, keeping all 3 recent losses within reach late, despite major offensive struggles. The Huskers’ defense has given up an average of 15.6 points per game to date, which, notably, ranks 14th nationally. 

So, if the Illini want to take care of business on Friday, they’ll need to add to Nebraska’s inability to run the ball and force Colandrea to find enough confidence to beat them through the air, on the road, after last week’s disastrous loss. 

Nebraska has shown they can compete, but their inability to finish games has become a troubling pattern. If Illinois can take advantage of those offensive struggles, Friday night presents a great opportunity to extend their win streak and secure bowl eligibility.

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