Nebraska will start John Hohl at place-kicker Friday night at Illinois, Matt Rhule confirmed earlier this week. Kyle Cunanan is 4-of-9 on field goals this season, including misses from 36 and 40 yards in last Saturday’s loss to Washington. Hohl replaced him in that game and hit a 42-yarder.
Why it matters tonight
Nebraska’s last three losses were all decided by one score. Field goals are the difference between a three-game skid and bowl eligibility. Per Cornhuskers Wire, Hohl is 11-of-16 on field goals in his career with a long of 54 yards, and 23-of-25 on extra points. That range gives an offense that has averaged 13.5 points over the last three games a wider scoring window.
The rest of the kicking game
Punting is not the question. Sophomore Archie Wilson made the Ray Guy Award Midseason Watch List this week after a 49.8-net average against Washington with four of five punts inside the 20. He averages 45.1 yards per punt on the season, and only four of his 31 punts have been returned. Nebraska ranks 12th nationally in net punting.
This is also the third straight Nebraska-Illinois meeting on a Friday night, following 2023 in Champaign and 2024 in Lincoln. Kickoff is 7 p.m. CT on FOX.
Featured image: Photo: Maize & Blue Nation. CC BY 2.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2022_FB_UM_vs_Nebraska056_(52498863382).jpg.
