Nebraska moved the ball in Champaign. It did not finish. Illinois beat the Huskers 24-13 Friday night at Gies Memorial Stadium, the Illini’s fourth straight win and the one that made them bowl eligible. Nebraska fell to 5-4 overall and 2-4 in the Big Ten with its fourth straight loss.
How it happened
After a scoreless first quarter, Nebraska went 98 yards in 10 plays and Mekhi Nelson ran it in from 15 yards out for a 7-0 lead with 9:29 left in the half. Illinois tied it before the break on a three-yard Katin Houser pass to Collin Dixon.
The Illini took the lead for good in the third quarter. On 4th-and-12 from the Nebraska 32, a fake field goal turned into a 29-yard run by holder and punter Lars Rau to the 3. Three plays later Jordan Anderson caught a five-yard touchdown for a 14-7 lead. Dixon’s six-yard catch early in the fourth made it 21-7.
Nebraska answered fast. Anthony Colandrea hit Jacory Barney Jr. for a 51-yard catch-and-run touchdown to cap a 91-yard drive, but the two-point try failed and the score stayed 21-13 with 10:44 left. Illinois answered with a 58-yard Houser-to-Dixon strike, and the Blackshirts held after a first-and-goal to force a 21-yard Ethan Moczulski field goal. Nebraska’s next drive reached Illinois territory before a fourth-down throw to Kwazi Gilmer was broken up by Juice Clarke. The last Husker possession ended on downs.
The numbers
- Total offense: Nebraska 426, Illinois 376. Both teams averaged 5.8 yards per play.
- Colandrea: 32 of 43 for a season-high 284 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions.
- Barney: six catches for 93 yards and the touchdown. Jamal Rule ran 15 times for 69 yards.
- Dixon: eight catches, 129 yards, two touchdowns. Per the AP, that gives him 12 touchdown catches this year, an Illinois single-season record.
- Houser: 22 of 36 for 292 yards and three touchdowns.
- Nebraska won time of possession, 31:57 to 28:03, and neither team committed a turnover.
What it means
This was not one of the coin-flip finishes that defined the last three weeks. Illinois was perfect in the red zone, 4-for-4, and Nebraska got inside the 20 once. The Huskers still need one win in their final three games to reach bowl eligibility. Next up is a trip to Rutgers on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 11:30 a.m. CT on BTN.
Featured image: Photo: Jered and Alexis Hofker. CC BY-SA 2.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Taylor_Martinez_(3)_during_game_against_Texas,_October_16,_2010.jpg.
