Nebraska’s trip to Illinois on November 6 just got a little more complicated.
Illinois has already moved on from defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck after just one season calling the defense, a decision coach Bret Bielema said came after Hauck reached out before their usual Sunday meeting. Bielema said the two sides agreed a change was the best move for everyone involved.
"Coach Hauck and I agreed this is the best path forward for our staff, and most importantly, our student-athletes, at this time," Bielema said in a statement. "I would like to thank Bobby for his work with our program."
The timing matters for Nebraska because Illinois’ defense was exactly the kind of matchup the Huskers might have liked to see later this fall. Hauck was trying to install a 3-3-5 system, but the results were rough.
Illinois is 101st nationally in points allowed under his direction, and the unit has already taken some serious hits, including 31 points allowed in a Week 2 home loss to Duke and 42 in Saturday’s loss at No. 7 Ohio State.
That setup would have looked familiar to Nebraska fans. The Huskers dealt with a similar situation last season when first-year defensive coordinator John Butler was trying to run his own version of a 3-3-5.
The difference is that Butler’s defense actually started out well before things fell apart late. Nebraska finished with three straight blowout losses, slid from 7-3 to 7-6, and Butler was out.
There’s also a contrast in how the two schools handled the fallout. Nebraska didn’t dress up Butler’s departure as anything else, and although he has stayed mostly quiet since then, he did post something on social media that came across as a “don’t blame me” message.
For Nebraska, the bigger question now is whether Illinois can stabilize before the teams meet. The Illini will keep working within the 3-3-5 the rest of the season, even if the new voice in charge tweaks things around the edges. At this stage of the year, a full overhaul is basically off the table.
That leaves Nebraska in a strange spot. If Illinois’ new coordinator gives the defense a short-term lift, the Huskers lose the chance to face the same struggling version that was on display early in the season. But if the change doesn’t move the needle much, Nebraska may still get the favorable matchup it was hoping for.
With five games left before the Nov. 6 meeting, Matt Rhule and his staff will have plenty of time to watch how Illinois responds. Nebraska’s offense has been playing well, and that game could have been even more attractive with Hauck still in place. Now, the Huskers will have to wait and see whether the Illini’s reset makes them tougher - or just different.
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