Illinois defeats Nebraska 24-13 as Huskers struggle with penalties and offensive efficiency
The Illinois Illini rallied in the fourth quarter to beat the Nebraska Cornhuskers 24-13, while Nebraska’s penalties and low offensive efficiency contributed to its fourth straight loss.
Illinois overcame a seven-point deficit on Friday night in Champaign, scoring 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to beat Nebraska 24-13. The Illini improved to 4-1 against the Cornhuskers under head coach Bret Bielema, who recently lost his father.
Nebraska entered the game with a season-long record of leading after three quarters, but the Cornhuskers fell behind 14-7 at the start of the final period and could not recover. The team amassed 426 total yards, outgaining Illinois’s 376 yards, but was hampered by 11 penalties costing 82 yards and four drives of 11 plays that produced no points. Nebraska’s yards-per-point (YPP) metric fell to 32.8, well above the 16-point threshold considered efficient.
The Huskers’ defense, ranked 14th nationally in points allowed, gave up 24 points, the most it has yielded this season. Illinois converted 8 of 15 third-down attempts (53.3%), while Nebraska’s conversion rate dropped to 21.4%.
Key individual performances included Illinois quarterback Anthony Colandrea, who completed 32 of 43 passes for 284 yards and added 27 rushing yards. Illinois receiver Collin Dixon recorded eight catches for 129 yards and two touchdowns. For Nebraska, receiver Jacory Barney Jr. had six receptions for 93 yards, and running back Jamal Rule carried 15 times for 69 yards.
Nebraska’s special teams struggled, with placekicker John Hohl missing field-goal attempts from 45 and 54 yards, leaving the team 5 of 12 on field goals for the season. A fake field-goal attempt also failed, giving Illinois favorable field position.
Head coach Matt Rhule’s record at Nebraska fell to 24-23 overall and 2-11 in November games, raising questions about the program’s direction as the season approaches its final stretch.