The time has finally come – Nebraska will open up Big 10 play when they take on Illinois Friday night in Lincoln! This will be Nebraska’s first matchup against a ranked opponent this season. Nebraska is coming into this game ranked 22nd and Illinois is ranked 24th in the AP Top 25. It will be Nebraska’s fourth home game in a row and their third night game. Once again, they will be on a huge stage with the whole world watching. Not only is it a primetime game, but it is also the 400th consecutive sellout for the Huskers. This is going to be a big game! Let’s take a look at Illinois.
Illinois Defense
When looking at Illinois, they have a great defense with a lot of very talented players. Statistically they have done well, creating turnovers and taking away the ball so far this season. Throughout three games, they recovered three fumbles and totaled six interceptions. Right now, they are ranked 10th in fumble recoveries and 3rd in interceptions. Their linebackers and secondary are both very skilled and have impacted their defense. Their defensive line does not have as much experience working together, being that most of them are transfers that were acquired in the off-season. However, they are still tough and may present many challenges this week for Nebraska.
One linebacker that stands out is returner, Seth Coleman. In their last game, he totaled five tackles, including three solo, and one being a tackle for loss. This was an impressive performance. Illinois’ secondary may be considered the strongest part of their defense. They have some real ball hogs, including their defensive backs Miles Scott and Xavier Scott. Miles has two interceptions while Xavier has three so far this season. As a pair, they are ranked second in the country totaling five interceptions. Overall, Illinois has a well-rounded defense.
Illinois Offense
Illinois has a pretty good offense this year. They are very talented on this side of the ball, especially with their quarterback and in their wide receiver core. When it comes to turnovers lost, Illinois is ranked six in the country only losing the ball once. Their offense is ranked first overall in red zone offense. They’ve scored a total of 12 times on this part of the field. Eight of these 12 scores have been touchdowns while four have been field goals.
Their offense is led by quarterback Luke Altmyer. In two out of three games this season, he has thrown for at least two touchdowns. He has explosive weapons in wide receivers Zakhari Franklin and Pat Bryant. Franklin is a skilled player that leads the nation in many categories. As of right now, he leads the NCAA in reception yards, reception touchdowns, and total receptions among active rosters. Another weapon for Illinois’ team is wide receiver Pat Bryant. Last week, Bryant totaled seven receptions for 102 yards and two touchdowns. Illinois will look to get the ball to these receivers as much as possible in order to get their offense rolling.
Fundamentals For Nebraska Two Win
When it comes to what it will take for Nebraska to win, the plan is pretty simple. They will need to make good decisions with the ball and stop Illinois receivers. On the offensive side of the ball, we will need to be careful with the ball, but also make big plays. We need to capitalize on opportunities and make sure to keep the ball away from Illinois’ elite secondary. As for the defense, Nebraska will need to cover the wide receivers, make sure that they don’t miss tackles, and wrap up the players when tackling. If we can do all of this, we have a great chance of winning.
Score Prediction
Originally, I had us losing this game due to it being on such a big stage, but after seeing how we’ve done so far, I think that we can win. I expect it to be a tough game but think we have a chance. I predict Nebraska will win 35 to 31.
