Nebraska is trying to shake off another painful finish and do it fast.
The Huskers head to Champaign, Illinois, for a Friday night matchup with Illinois after a 17-10 loss to Washington, and the turnaround has already forced the team into a different rhythm. Nebraska is 5-3 overall and 2-3 in Big Ten play, while the Fighting Illini enter at 5-3 and 3-2 after winning three straight, including one-score victories over Michigan State and Maryland and a 21-10 win over Oregon.
Matt Rhule said Monday that the whole week has been pushed up a day.
“Today’s a Tuesday practice; we had a Monday practice last night,” Rhule said.
He also said the team gathered on Sunday to watch the Washington game together, even though that day is usually reserved for rest.
Inside the locker room, several players sounded ready to move on quickly. After the loss, sophomore defensive lineman Kade Pietrzak said the focus would shift immediately to Illinois.
“It’s going to be right to that game,” Pietrzak said after the 17-10 loss. “We’re going to get here tomorrow, we’re going to get working on (Illinois) and try to put this one past us.”
Junior defensive back Caleb Benning said the short week could actually help Nebraska reset.
“(The) sun’s going to come up tomorrow, and we got to go to Champaign on Friday,” Benning said after the game. “Short week, personally I love that. Get the bad taste out of our mouth as soon as possible.”
Nebraska’s only touchdown against Washington came from junior tight end Carter Nelson, who scored for the first time since the Huskers’ 34-3 win over Northern Iowa in 2024. The Ainsworth, Nebraska native had missed the first three Big Ten games because of a leg injury and returned in a limited role against Oregon.
Nelson said there isn’t much time to dwell on the score.
“We’ve got to learn from this one tonight,” Nelson said after the Washington game. “We’ll flush it and then get right back to it tomorrow.”
Senior green-dot linebacker Owen Chambliss said the emphasis this week has to be on the details.
“I think our approach is just going to be dialed in, locked in, focused on the details, focused on the execution,” Chambliss said. “(We’re) learning from our mistakes from this game and getting back to playing on Friday.”
This is Nebraska’s fifth straight season with at least two Friday games. Last year, the Huskers went to Minneapolis and lost 24-6 to the Golden Gophers.
The recent Friday history with Illinois has been split. Nebraska lost 31-24 in overtime in Lincoln in 2024 on a Pat Bryant touchdown from Luke Altmyer from four yards out. The year before, in 2023, the Huskers beat Illinois 20-7 in Champaign in Rhule’s first season at Nebraska.
Overall, Nebraska is 14-7-1 against Illinois and 5-3-1 in Champaign.
The timing of this week gives Nebraska a chance to reset after its bye week following the Oregon loss, and Illinois also comes in rested after a break two weeks ago before its home win over Oregon on Oct. 24.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT Friday at Gies Memorial Stadium, with the game to be televised on Fox.
In Other News...
Former Husker Says Nebraskas Slide Is About More Than Bad Luck
The frustration around Nebraskas three-game skid has plenty of familiar edges, but former wingback Clester Johnson thinks the conversation has to go deeper than bad breaks. On a podcast episode with the Common Fans, Johnson reflected on his own playing days and used that lens to talk about what he sees in the Huskers now, pointing to leadership and accountability as central pieces of the discussion.
Johnson also zeroed in on the on-field issues that have kept the slide going, including inconsistent running and problems closing games late. Even with the frustration mounting, he still sees enough talent on the roster to believe Nebraska can steady itself and finish the season strong, which is part of what makes the current stretch so hard to swallow for everyone around the program. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Should Watch Nebraskas Injury Report Very Closely This Week
Nebraskas injury report is worth a close look this week as the Cornhuskers prepare for Illinois, with a few key names still in flux heading into the matchup. Jamir Conn and Gunnar Gottula are both listed as questionable, and while Conn has been practicing, he still needs further clearance. Gottula is working back from a head injury, leaving Nebraska to sort through a situation that could affect its depth in more than one spot.
The longer-term picture is less encouraging for the Huskers. Vincent Genatone is out for the season after surgery, while Anthony Jones Jr. remains sidelined with a broken foot, though he is expected back before the year ends. Nebraska has already had several players listed out since the season began, so the availability of even a couple of questionable contributors could matter as the Cornhuskers try to keep their roster intact for a key Big Ten test. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas Late-Game Problem Just Got A Lot More Costly
Nebraskas slide at the wrong time has left the Huskers with little margin for error as they try to stay in the bowl picture and keep their season from drifting further off course. At 5-3, they were left out of the initial College Football Playoff Top 25, even as other teams with similar records found a place, a reminder that recent results carry as much weight as the overall record.
The bigger concern is the way the last three games have gone, with losses to Indiana and Oregon helping close the door on any early national momentum. Now the path forward runs through a difficult stretch against Illinois, Ohio State and Iowa, and Nebraska needs to start turning close calls into wins if it wants to change the tone of the season before November gets away from it. [Read more 🡒]