Illinois kept Nebraska’s skid rolling Friday night in Champaign, handing the Huskers a 24-13 loss and extending the Illini’s own run to four straight wins.
For Nebraska, the defeat was the fourth in a row after a 5-0 start, and it dropped the Huskers to 2-11 in November since Matt Rhule took over. The game never fully got away from Nebraska on the stat sheet, but the mistakes came at the worst possible times.
The first two Husker possessions were undone by penalties. An illegal motion wiped out a first-down play on the opening drive, forcing a punt. On the next series, a run all the way to the Illinois 10 was erased by holding, and after Nebraska managed 14 yards over the next three snaps, Rhule sent John Hohl out for a 45-yard field goal.
Nebraska’s offense did show its best side on the third drive. Starting deep in its own end, the Huskers pieced together a 98-yard march with a mix of passes and runs from Jamal Rule, Isaiah Mozee and Mekhi Nelson. Nelson finished it off with a 15-yard touchdown run.
But Illinois answered quickly and decisively. After punting on its first three possessions, the Illini found their rhythm and never really let go. They had just one play that failed to gain yards while driving 75 yards for the tying score, then followed that with four straight possessions that ended in points, with the one before halftime included in that stretch.
Nebraska had a chance to respond before the break. The Huskers put together a clean two-minute drive into Illinois territory, but another penalty wrecked the sequence. What should have been first down at the Illinois 16 became third and 16 at the 36, and after an incomplete pass, Hohl came on again, this time for a 54-yard attempt.
The second half brought more of the same: Nebraska moved the ball, Illinois kept scoring, and the Blackshirts never found a way to slow down the Illini passing game. On fourth and one, Dana Holgorsen went with an empty set and Anthony Colandrea’s pass fell incomplete.
Nebraska did catch a break later when Colandrea, under pressure, lofted a deep ball that Jacory Barney Jr. hauled in among multiple defenders and carried into the end zone. Rhule went for two, but the try failed, leaving the Huskers still chasing.
Down 11, Nebraska needed a clean finish. It didn’t get one.
A drive into Illinois territory was set back by a personal foul on a block after Colandrea scrambled for a short gain, and the Huskers eventually came up short on third down when a pass from Colandrea to Kwazi Gilmer hit the turf after a 5:29 march. Nebraska got one more possession but never crossed midfield.
The final numbers showed how close the game stayed in total yardage: Nebraska outgained Illinois 426-376. The Blackshirts held the Illini to 84 rushing yards, while the Huskers ran for 142.
Colandrea threw it 43 times for the second straight game, finishing 32-of-43 for 284 yards and a touchdown without an interception. Katin Houser was even sharper for Illinois, going 22-for-36 for 292 yards and three touchdown passes.
Rule led Nebraska with 69 rushing yards on 15 carries, and Barney paced the receivers with six catches for 93 yards and a touchdown. For Illinois, Collin Dixon had eight receptions for 129 yards and two scores, while Aidan Laughery led the ground game with 11 carries for 55 yards.
Nebraska heads back on the road next Saturday to face Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights are 2-6 and play at Wisconsin on Saturday.
Kickoff is set for 11:30 a.m. CST on the Big Ten Network.
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