Link: Full Game Notes (Huskers.com)
WHEN: Friday, October 6 | 7:00 PM (CT)
WHERE: Memorial Stadium | Champaign, Illinois
TV: FOX Sports 1 (Jeff Levering, Mark Helfrich)
RADIO: Huskers Radio Network (Greg Sharpe, Damon Benning, Jessica Coody)
HUSKERS
Record: 2-3 (0-2 Big Ten)
Last Game: vs. #2 Michigan (L 7-45)
Streak: Lost 1
Rank: NR
Head Coach: Matt Rhule (2-3, 1st year NU | 49-46, 8th year overall | 0-0 vs. Illinois)
ILLINI
Record: 2-3 (0-2 Big Ten)
Last Game: at Purdue (L 19-44)
Streak: Lost 1
Rank: NR
Head Coach: Bret Bielema (15-15, 3rd year ILL | 112-73, 15th season overall | 4-1 vs. Nebraska)
THIS WEEK'S NUMBERS
3 - Nebraska's Friday night matchup at Illinois is one of three weekday games on the Husker schedule. Nebraska opened on a Thursday night at Minnesota and will play its regular-season finale against Cockeye on Black Friday.
35 - A total of 35 Husker players have made a start on offense or defense through five games, including 19 different offensive players and 16 on defense
2000 - Nebraska senior receiver Billy Kemp IV needs 33 yards to reach 2,000 career receiving yards. There are currently 22 active FBS players with 2,000 career receiving yards heading into this week's games.
THE MATCHUP
Nebraska returns to the road on Friday night when the Huskers travel to Illinois for a Big Ten West battle. The matchup between Nebraska and the Fighting Illini will kick off at 7 p.m. at Illinois' Memorial Stadium. Television coverage will be provided by FS1 with the contest available on the Huskers Radio Network, the official Huskers App and Huskers.com.
The Huskers complete the first half of their 2023 schedule at Illinois before moving into a bye week after the contest. Nebraska takes a 2-3 record into the game, including an 0-2 mark in Big Ten Conference play. The Huskers are coming off a home setback against No. 2 Michigan on Saturday in Lincoln. The trip to Illinois is Nebraska's only road game in a six-game stretch, following the Huskers' recent three-game homestand and back-to-back home contests against Northwestern (Oct. 21) and Purdue (Oct. 28).
Illinois comes into the game with the same record as Nebraska at 2-3 overall and 0-2 in Big Ten play. Coach Bret Bielema's squad will also be looking to rebound from a loss last week, suffering a 44-19 loss at Purdue. Illinois features one of the top passing offenses in the conference, averaging 242.6 yards per game through the air.
Nebraska holds a strong 13-6-1 overall lead in the series heading into the game, however Illinois has captured the past three meetings between the two schools. Nebraska and Illinois have a history of close games in Champaign. Three of the four contests at Illinois since Nebraska joined the Big Ten have been one-score contests.
SERIES HISTORY
Saturday's meeting between Nebraska and Illinois will be the 21st all-time matchup between the schools and the 11th consecutive season the teams have met on the gridiron. Nebraska has a 13-6-1 edge in the all-time series, including a 6-4 advantage since Nebraska joined the Big Ten.
- Nebraska won six of the first seven meetings as conference foes, but Illinois brings a three-game series win streak into Friday's matchup.
- Nebraska owns a 9-3 edge in games played in Lincoln, including 5-3 at Memorial Stadium.
- The Huskers won 54-35 in Lincoln in 2018, marking Nebraska's first 50-point outburst in a Big Ten Conference game
- The only meetings between 1953 and 2013 came in 1985 and 1986 when Nebraska won both ends of a home-and-home series
- Nebraska defeated Illinois and Red Grange, 14-0, in 1925, marking the only time in Grange's career he was held scoreless in a home game.
1892 - Nebraska 6, Illinois 0 (Lincoln)
1903 - Nebraska 16, Illinois 0 (Lincoln)
1904 - Nebraska 16, Illinois 10 (Lincoln)
1905 - Nebraska 24, Illinois 6 (Lincoln)
1923 - Illinois 24, Nebraska 7 (Champaign)
1924 - Illinois 9, Nebraska 6 (Lincoln)
1925 - Nebraska 14, Illinois 0 (Champaign)
1953 - Nebraska 21, Illinois 21 (Champaign)
1985 - #18 Nebraska 52, #20 Illinois 25 (Lincoln)
1986 - #6 Nebraska 59, Illinois 14 (Champaign)
--------------Big Ten-----------------
2013 - Nebraska 39, Illinois 19 (Lincoln)
2014 - #21 Nebraska 45, Illinois 14 (Lincoln)
2015 - Illinois 14, Nebraska 13 (Champaign)
2016 - #15 Nebraska 31, Illinois 16 (Lincoln)
2017 - Nebraska 28, Illinois 6 (Champaign)
2018 - Nebraska 54, Illinois 35 (Lincoln)
2019 - Nebraska 42, Illinois 38 (Champaign)
2020 - Illinois 41, Nebraska 23 (Lincoln)
2021 - Illinois 30, Nebraska 23 (Champaign)
2022 - #17 Illinois 26, Nebraska 9 (Lincoln)
BIG TEN FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
Nebraska will be playing a road game on the first Friday night in October for the second straight season, and a road Friday night game for the fourth time since 2017, including two games at Illinois.
- Nebraska also played a Friday night road game at Illinois in 2017, winning 28-6 in Champaign. Nebraska also won Friday night road games at Rutgers in 2020 and 2022.
- The Huskers do have a long history of playing on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Nebraska has played on Black Friday every year since 1990.
- Nebraska plays three total games on weekdays this year, including a Thursday night season opener at Minnesota and the Black Friday game against Cockeye (Nov. 24).
ABOUT ILLINOIS
Illinois has fielded a football team since 1890 and the Fighting Illini have tallied nearly 630 wins as a program. UI has claimed five national titles and 15 Big Ten Conference championships.
The Fighting Illini have made 20 bowl game appearances, claiming eight wins. Illinois' last bowl game appearance came last season when the Fighting Illini took on Mississippi State in the ReliaQuest Bowl
First Year: 1890
All-Time Record: 629-621-51
Bowl Record: 8-12
Conference Titles: 15
National Titles: 5 (1914, 1919, 1923, 1927, 1951)
Stadium: Memorial Stadium
Capacity: 60,670
Surface: FieldTurf
Location: Urbana-Champaign, Illinois
Enrollment: 56,644
School Colors: Orange & Blue
2023 ILLINOIS SCHEDULE/RESULTS
Toledo (W 30-28)
at Kansas (L 23-34)
Penn State (L 13-30)
Florida Atlantic (W 23-17)
at Purdue (L 19-44)
Nebraska
at Maryland
Wisconsin
at Minnesota
Indiana
at Cockeye
Northwestern
SCOUTING ILLINOIS
Illinois stands at 2-3 on the season after suffering a 44-19 setback on the road at Purdue last weekend.
The Fighting Illini enter Friday averaging 390.8 yards per game, with 242.6 yards per game through the air and 148.2 yards per game on the ground. Luke Altmyer has completed 93-of-143 passes for 1,076 yards, five touchdowns and seven interceptions. Isaiah Williams has 30 receptions for 446 yards, followed by Pat Bryant with 16 grabs for 155 yards and three touchdowns. Reggie Love III leads the rushing attack with 248 rushing yards and a touchdown this season. Altmyer has carried the ball 47 times for 175 yards and three scores, followed by Josh McCray with 43 rushes for 156 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Defensively, Illinois is allowing 419.4 yards per game and 30.6 points per game. Miles Scott leads the Illini with 32 tackles and an interception. Keith Randolph Jr. has posted 30 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks for the Illinois defense. Dylan Rosiek has a team-leading four tackles for loss, while Jer'Zhan Newton leads the Illini with two sacks through five games.
ABOUT BRET BIELEMA
Bret Bielema is in his third season as the head coach at Illinois. He led the Fighting Illini to an 8-5 record last season after a 5-7 mark in his debut season at Illinois in 2021.
Bielema came to Illinois after serving as a coach in the NFL for three seasons. He spent one year as the outside linebackers and senior assistant coach for the New York Giants and two years as the defensive line coach and consultant to the head coach with the New England Patriots.
Bielema led Arkansas' football program from 2013 to 2017, holding a 29-34 record. HIs first head coaching job came at Wisconsin where he was 68-24 from 2006 to 2012.
Prior to serving as a head coach, Bielema served as an assistant coach at Cockeye (1996-2001), Kansas State (2002-2003) and Wisconsin (2004-2005).
Bielema will be facing Nebraska for the sixth time as a head coach on Friday. Bielema holds a 4-1 record against the Huskers. Bielema last faced the Big Red in 2022, when the Illini ventured to Lincoln and came away with a 26-9 win against the Huskers.
LAST MEETING
October 29, 2022
Illinois 26, Nebraska 9
LINCOLN - Nebraska rallied to take a 9-6 lead in the second quarter, but No. 17 Illinois responded with 20 unanswered points to grab a 26-9 victory over the Cornhuskers on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
The Huskers had a three-point lead and the ball with less than seven minutes remaining in the first half when Casey Thompson was hit as he threw, resulting in an interception. Illinois returned the interception to the Nebraska 11-yard line and scored two plays later to take the lead for good. Thompson would not return for the Huskers, who managed just 34 yards of offense without their starting quarterback over the final 36 minutes against the No. 1 defense in the country.
After an opening-drive touchdown by Illinois, the Huskers responded late in the first quarter. Alante Brown's 15-yard reception and a career-long 45-yard catch for Chancellor Brewington put Nebraska in scoring position and Timmy Bleekrode hit a 26-yard field goal to put Nebraska on the board with 1:49 left in the first quarter.
Nebraska carried that momentum into the second quarter with Quinton Newsome's second tackle for loss of the game, driving Illinois out of field goal range on the Illini's next possession. That set the stage for Nebraska to take a lead. Brown had a 32-yard catch on the second play of the Huskers' ensuing drive and three plays later, Thompson capped the drive off with 56-yard touchdown strike to Travis Vokolek, who sprinted down the sideline into the end zone.
The reception marked the longest of Vokolek's four-year career and gave Nebraska a 9-6 lead with 9:38 remaining in the first half.
NU's defense continued to hold strong as Isaac Gifford tallied his first career sack with 7:50 left in the half. Illinois' defense responded with the interception of Thompson and subsequent touchdown. Leading 13-9, Illinois added another touchdown with 23 seconds left in the first half on a 12-yard touchdown reception by Chase Brown.
Trailing 20-9, Nebraska drove into Illinois territory on the first drive of the second half but the drive stalled. After a Brian Buschini punt pinned the Illini at their own 9-yard line, Newsome came up with a big play for the Husker defense, recovering an Isaiah Williams' fumble inside Illinois territory with 11:51 left in the third quarter.
With a chance to make it a one score drive, Chubba Purdy, who played the entire second half after Thompson's injury, was picked off on the subsequent drive to give the ball back to the Fighting Illini.
With the football and the lead, Illinois went 70 yards on 13 plays ending with a 36-yard field goal to extend the lead to 14. Nebraska's fourth turnover of the game set Illinois up with a short field, but the Husker defense did not allow a first down as Illinois settled for a 41-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter.
That proved to be the final points of the game, as the Huskers held the Illini to only six points in the second half. Nebraska limited Illinois to only 132 yards in the second half and came up big as three of Illinois' second-half drives started at midfield or in Nebraska territory.
Luke Reimer led the attack on defense with nine total tackles, followed by Marques Buford Jr. and Myles Farmer who both finished with seven.
The Husker offense tallied 219 yards in the first half but were held to just 29 yards of offense in the second half. Anthony Grant carried the ball 12 times for 61 yards in the game while Casey Thompson led Nebraska before his injury with 172 passing yards and a touchdown.
NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS (2-3, 0-2) | at | ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI (2-3, 0-2) |
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WHEN: Friday, October 6 | 7:00 PM (CT)
WHERE: Memorial Stadium | Champaign, Illinois
TV: FOX Sports 1 (Jeff Levering, Mark Helfrich)
RADIO: Huskers Radio Network (Greg Sharpe, Damon Benning, Jessica Coody)
HUSKERS
Record: 2-3 (0-2 Big Ten)
Last Game: vs. #2 Michigan (L 7-45)
Streak: Lost 1
Rank: NR
Head Coach: Matt Rhule (2-3, 1st year NU | 49-46, 8th year overall | 0-0 vs. Illinois)
ILLINI
Record: 2-3 (0-2 Big Ten)
Last Game: at Purdue (L 19-44)
Streak: Lost 1
Rank: NR
Head Coach: Bret Bielema (15-15, 3rd year ILL | 112-73, 15th season overall | 4-1 vs. Nebraska)
THIS WEEK'S NUMBERS
3 - Nebraska's Friday night matchup at Illinois is one of three weekday games on the Husker schedule. Nebraska opened on a Thursday night at Minnesota and will play its regular-season finale against Cockeye on Black Friday.
35 - A total of 35 Husker players have made a start on offense or defense through five games, including 19 different offensive players and 16 on defense
2000 - Nebraska senior receiver Billy Kemp IV needs 33 yards to reach 2,000 career receiving yards. There are currently 22 active FBS players with 2,000 career receiving yards heading into this week's games.
THE MATCHUP
Nebraska returns to the road on Friday night when the Huskers travel to Illinois for a Big Ten West battle. The matchup between Nebraska and the Fighting Illini will kick off at 7 p.m. at Illinois' Memorial Stadium. Television coverage will be provided by FS1 with the contest available on the Huskers Radio Network, the official Huskers App and Huskers.com.
The Huskers complete the first half of their 2023 schedule at Illinois before moving into a bye week after the contest. Nebraska takes a 2-3 record into the game, including an 0-2 mark in Big Ten Conference play. The Huskers are coming off a home setback against No. 2 Michigan on Saturday in Lincoln. The trip to Illinois is Nebraska's only road game in a six-game stretch, following the Huskers' recent three-game homestand and back-to-back home contests against Northwestern (Oct. 21) and Purdue (Oct. 28).
Illinois comes into the game with the same record as Nebraska at 2-3 overall and 0-2 in Big Ten play. Coach Bret Bielema's squad will also be looking to rebound from a loss last week, suffering a 44-19 loss at Purdue. Illinois features one of the top passing offenses in the conference, averaging 242.6 yards per game through the air.
Nebraska holds a strong 13-6-1 overall lead in the series heading into the game, however Illinois has captured the past three meetings between the two schools. Nebraska and Illinois have a history of close games in Champaign. Three of the four contests at Illinois since Nebraska joined the Big Ten have been one-score contests.
SERIES HISTORY
Saturday's meeting between Nebraska and Illinois will be the 21st all-time matchup between the schools and the 11th consecutive season the teams have met on the gridiron. Nebraska has a 13-6-1 edge in the all-time series, including a 6-4 advantage since Nebraska joined the Big Ten.
- Nebraska won six of the first seven meetings as conference foes, but Illinois brings a three-game series win streak into Friday's matchup.
- Nebraska owns a 9-3 edge in games played in Lincoln, including 5-3 at Memorial Stadium.
- The Huskers won 54-35 in Lincoln in 2018, marking Nebraska's first 50-point outburst in a Big Ten Conference game
- The only meetings between 1953 and 2013 came in 1985 and 1986 when Nebraska won both ends of a home-and-home series
- Nebraska defeated Illinois and Red Grange, 14-0, in 1925, marking the only time in Grange's career he was held scoreless in a home game.
1892 - Nebraska 6, Illinois 0 (Lincoln)
1903 - Nebraska 16, Illinois 0 (Lincoln)
1904 - Nebraska 16, Illinois 10 (Lincoln)
1905 - Nebraska 24, Illinois 6 (Lincoln)
1923 - Illinois 24, Nebraska 7 (Champaign)
1924 - Illinois 9, Nebraska 6 (Lincoln)
1925 - Nebraska 14, Illinois 0 (Champaign)
1953 - Nebraska 21, Illinois 21 (Champaign)
1985 - #18 Nebraska 52, #20 Illinois 25 (Lincoln)
1986 - #6 Nebraska 59, Illinois 14 (Champaign)
--------------Big Ten-----------------
2013 - Nebraska 39, Illinois 19 (Lincoln)
2014 - #21 Nebraska 45, Illinois 14 (Lincoln)
2015 - Illinois 14, Nebraska 13 (Champaign)
2016 - #15 Nebraska 31, Illinois 16 (Lincoln)
2017 - Nebraska 28, Illinois 6 (Champaign)
2018 - Nebraska 54, Illinois 35 (Lincoln)
2019 - Nebraska 42, Illinois 38 (Champaign)
2020 - Illinois 41, Nebraska 23 (Lincoln)
2021 - Illinois 30, Nebraska 23 (Champaign)
2022 - #17 Illinois 26, Nebraska 9 (Lincoln)
BIG TEN FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
Nebraska will be playing a road game on the first Friday night in October for the second straight season, and a road Friday night game for the fourth time since 2017, including two games at Illinois.
- Nebraska also played a Friday night road game at Illinois in 2017, winning 28-6 in Champaign. Nebraska also won Friday night road games at Rutgers in 2020 and 2022.
- The Huskers do have a long history of playing on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Nebraska has played on Black Friday every year since 1990.
- Nebraska plays three total games on weekdays this year, including a Thursday night season opener at Minnesota and the Black Friday game against Cockeye (Nov. 24).
ABOUT ILLINOIS
Illinois has fielded a football team since 1890 and the Fighting Illini have tallied nearly 630 wins as a program. UI has claimed five national titles and 15 Big Ten Conference championships.
The Fighting Illini have made 20 bowl game appearances, claiming eight wins. Illinois' last bowl game appearance came last season when the Fighting Illini took on Mississippi State in the ReliaQuest Bowl
First Year: 1890
All-Time Record: 629-621-51
Bowl Record: 8-12
Conference Titles: 15
National Titles: 5 (1914, 1919, 1923, 1927, 1951)
Stadium: Memorial Stadium
Capacity: 60,670
Surface: FieldTurf
Location: Urbana-Champaign, Illinois
Enrollment: 56,644
School Colors: Orange & Blue
2023 ILLINOIS SCHEDULE/RESULTS
Toledo (W 30-28)
at Kansas (L 23-34)
Penn State (L 13-30)
Florida Atlantic (W 23-17)
at Purdue (L 19-44)
Nebraska
at Maryland
Wisconsin
at Minnesota
Indiana
at Cockeye
Northwestern
SCOUTING ILLINOIS
Illinois stands at 2-3 on the season after suffering a 44-19 setback on the road at Purdue last weekend.
The Fighting Illini enter Friday averaging 390.8 yards per game, with 242.6 yards per game through the air and 148.2 yards per game on the ground. Luke Altmyer has completed 93-of-143 passes for 1,076 yards, five touchdowns and seven interceptions. Isaiah Williams has 30 receptions for 446 yards, followed by Pat Bryant with 16 grabs for 155 yards and three touchdowns. Reggie Love III leads the rushing attack with 248 rushing yards and a touchdown this season. Altmyer has carried the ball 47 times for 175 yards and three scores, followed by Josh McCray with 43 rushes for 156 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Defensively, Illinois is allowing 419.4 yards per game and 30.6 points per game. Miles Scott leads the Illini with 32 tackles and an interception. Keith Randolph Jr. has posted 30 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks for the Illinois defense. Dylan Rosiek has a team-leading four tackles for loss, while Jer'Zhan Newton leads the Illini with two sacks through five games.
ABOUT BRET BIELEMA
Bret Bielema is in his third season as the head coach at Illinois. He led the Fighting Illini to an 8-5 record last season after a 5-7 mark in his debut season at Illinois in 2021.
Bielema came to Illinois after serving as a coach in the NFL for three seasons. He spent one year as the outside linebackers and senior assistant coach for the New York Giants and two years as the defensive line coach and consultant to the head coach with the New England Patriots.
Bielema led Arkansas' football program from 2013 to 2017, holding a 29-34 record. HIs first head coaching job came at Wisconsin where he was 68-24 from 2006 to 2012.
Prior to serving as a head coach, Bielema served as an assistant coach at Cockeye (1996-2001), Kansas State (2002-2003) and Wisconsin (2004-2005).
Bielema will be facing Nebraska for the sixth time as a head coach on Friday. Bielema holds a 4-1 record against the Huskers. Bielema last faced the Big Red in 2022, when the Illini ventured to Lincoln and came away with a 26-9 win against the Huskers.
LAST MEETING
October 29, 2022
Illinois 26, Nebraska 9
LINCOLN - Nebraska rallied to take a 9-6 lead in the second quarter, but No. 17 Illinois responded with 20 unanswered points to grab a 26-9 victory over the Cornhuskers on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
The Huskers had a three-point lead and the ball with less than seven minutes remaining in the first half when Casey Thompson was hit as he threw, resulting in an interception. Illinois returned the interception to the Nebraska 11-yard line and scored two plays later to take the lead for good. Thompson would not return for the Huskers, who managed just 34 yards of offense without their starting quarterback over the final 36 minutes against the No. 1 defense in the country.
After an opening-drive touchdown by Illinois, the Huskers responded late in the first quarter. Alante Brown's 15-yard reception and a career-long 45-yard catch for Chancellor Brewington put Nebraska in scoring position and Timmy Bleekrode hit a 26-yard field goal to put Nebraska on the board with 1:49 left in the first quarter.
Nebraska carried that momentum into the second quarter with Quinton Newsome's second tackle for loss of the game, driving Illinois out of field goal range on the Illini's next possession. That set the stage for Nebraska to take a lead. Brown had a 32-yard catch on the second play of the Huskers' ensuing drive and three plays later, Thompson capped the drive off with 56-yard touchdown strike to Travis Vokolek, who sprinted down the sideline into the end zone.
The reception marked the longest of Vokolek's four-year career and gave Nebraska a 9-6 lead with 9:38 remaining in the first half.
NU's defense continued to hold strong as Isaac Gifford tallied his first career sack with 7:50 left in the half. Illinois' defense responded with the interception of Thompson and subsequent touchdown. Leading 13-9, Illinois added another touchdown with 23 seconds left in the first half on a 12-yard touchdown reception by Chase Brown.
Trailing 20-9, Nebraska drove into Illinois territory on the first drive of the second half but the drive stalled. After a Brian Buschini punt pinned the Illini at their own 9-yard line, Newsome came up with a big play for the Husker defense, recovering an Isaiah Williams' fumble inside Illinois territory with 11:51 left in the third quarter.
With a chance to make it a one score drive, Chubba Purdy, who played the entire second half after Thompson's injury, was picked off on the subsequent drive to give the ball back to the Fighting Illini.
With the football and the lead, Illinois went 70 yards on 13 plays ending with a 36-yard field goal to extend the lead to 14. Nebraska's fourth turnover of the game set Illinois up with a short field, but the Husker defense did not allow a first down as Illinois settled for a 41-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter.
That proved to be the final points of the game, as the Huskers held the Illini to only six points in the second half. Nebraska limited Illinois to only 132 yards in the second half and came up big as three of Illinois' second-half drives started at midfield or in Nebraska territory.
Luke Reimer led the attack on defense with nine total tackles, followed by Marques Buford Jr. and Myles Farmer who both finished with seven.
The Husker offense tallied 219 yards in the first half but were held to just 29 yards of offense in the second half. Anthony Grant carried the ball 12 times for 61 yards in the game while Casey Thompson led Nebraska before his injury with 172 passing yards and a touchdown.
