Illinois and Nebraska meet Friday night with both teams sitting at 5-3, and the matchup is set for 7 p.m. on FOX. Fans looking to stream it can find the game on FOX ONE.
Illinois comes in at 3-2 in Big Ten play, while Nebraska is 2-3. The odds list Illinois as a 6.5-point underdog, with the over/under at 48.5.
Illinois is led by head coach Bret Bielema, now in his sixth season. The Fighting Illini are 9-4 in 2025 and 5-4 in conference play, and they’re coming off a 20-17 win over Maryland. Nebraska, coached by Matt Rhule in his fourth season, is trying to bounce back after a 17-10 loss to Washington.
The last time these teams met, Illinois walked out of Lincoln with a 31-24 overtime win on Sept. 20, 2024.
In a sold-out Friday night atmosphere against a No. 22 Nebraska team, the Illini pulled off an upset behind quarterback Luke Altmyer and a defense that made the biggest plays when it mattered most.
That game swung back and forth all night. Nebraska had a chance to win it after a five-plus minute drive, but with its backup kicker on the field, it missed a 39-yard attempt and sent the game to overtime. Illinois took control from there, with Altmyer finding Pat Bryant for a touchdown on the first possession of overtime.
The Illini defense finished the job by sacking Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola twice and forcing a three-and-out from 40 yards away from the end zone. Altmyer was sharp throughout, going 21-of-27 for four touchdowns and no interceptions. His 78% completion rate stood out in a game where Illinois kept answering every Nebraska push.
Raiola was effective for much of the night as well, finishing regulation with 284 passing yards and three touchdowns. Illinois also got an opening-drive touchdown to set the tone early, and while the Illini have plenty of options in their running back room, the ground game didn’t produce huge numbers. The backs combined for 166 yards.
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Illinois Gets Nebraska At The Perfect Time After Another Collapse
Nebraska arrives on Illinois schedule at a moment when the Cornhuskers are still trying to shake off a brutal stretch of late-game losses. They have dropped three straight after carrying fourth-quarter leads against Indiana, Oregon and Washington, a run that has left them 5-3 overall and 2-3 in the Big Ten. For Illinois, coming off a win over Maryland, it is the kind of matchup that can feel especially inviting when a league opponent is still sorting through the fallout of repeated collapses.
The Big Ten landscape around them has been just as uneven, with Rutgers falling narrowly to Michigan and Iowa handling Wisconsin in the latest round of conference play. Nebraska still has more chances ahead to steady itself, but the timing of this one gives Illinois a chance to catch a vulnerable team before it finds its footing. In a league where momentum can turn quickly, the Illini may have drawn the Cornhuskers at exactly the right moment. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois May Have Found Another Intriguing Long Term Wing
Illinois may have added another long-term piece on the wing with the commitment of Zavier Zens, a 6-foot-7 forward who is set to join the program for the 2026-27 basketball season. His profile fits the modern mold Illinois keeps chasing: a player who can stretch the floor, handle the ball well enough to be useful in different spots, and bring a high basketball IQ to the table. Add in a high school rsum that includes three state championships and individual honors, and it is easy to see why the Illini staff is intrigued.
Zens still has work ahead of him before he gets to Champaign, and the path to minutes will not be easy once he arrives. Even so, he already gave a glimpse of what he can bring in a preseason exhibition game, where he turned in a promising performance that only added to the buzz around his future fit. For Illinois, it is the kind of commitment that does not just fill a roster spot, but hints at another versatile wing option down the line. [Read more 🡒]
Matt Rhule's Emotional Nebraska Moment Adds Tension Before Illinois Matchup
Matt Rhule opened up this week about a painful moment away from the field, saying a fan directed profanity at his 13-year-old daughter after Nebraskas loss to Washington. The Nebraska coach said he intends to keep coaching through it, even as the pressure around the program has grown with the Cornhuskers mired in a rough stretch and trying to steady themselves in conference play.
Now Nebraska turns to Illinois after dropping three straight Big Ten games, and the backdrop around the matchup is more complicated than the standings alone. Rhules comments add a human layer to a team already searching for traction, with the next game carrying both the usual urgency of a conference test and the added weight of a program trying to move forward amid frustration. [Read more 🡒]