Sometimes one team just has another teams number. The Nebraska Cornhuskers have had a one sided history against their current conference opponent Illinois Fighting Illini. Currently the Huskers have a 8-2-1 historical edge on the Illini. The last time Illinois won a game against Nebraska was on October Fourth, 1924, when they won 9-6. Since then the Huskers have won five of the next six, including when they had a tie game. In the last two games, the Huskers have won by a combined average of 25.5 points per game.
Offensively, the Illini are led by Wes Lunt and Josh Ferguson. Lunt has had a great start to the season. He had a total of 856 yards with a total of six touchdowns and two interceptions. Since he had transferred in from Oklahoma State, Lunt has been learning as he joined his former Offensive Coordinator Bill Cubit, who is now the Head Coach on the team, after Tim Beckman got fired before the season began. Ferguson has been doing well to begin the season with a full total of 331 yards and three touchdowns. When Lunt throws the ball, his primary target has been Geronimo Allison. Allison has been great with 24 catches for 362 yards and a touchdown.
Meanwhile for the Huskers, Tommy Armstrong Jr. threw for 1266 yards with 11 touchdowns and five interceptions. Also, he has run for 118 yards and a rushing touchdown too. Last year against the Illini the Huskers ran, ran, and ran some more as they piled up a total of 458 rushing yards. Armstrong accounted for 66 yards, while Terrell Newby, who will start for Nebraska in this game ran for a total of 34 yards and a touchdown in relief of Ameer Abdullah. Jordan Westerkamp is still Armstrong's primary target, with 4 touchdowns and 351 receiving yards. They have a pretty multi-faceted offense which will be difficult to contain.
Husker Head Coach Mike Riley is looking to get above .500 for the first time in his tenure as the Nebraska Head Coach, and he will be looking to win his opening Big Ten Conference Game. It will be a critical game for Riley as his non-conference work came in rather unimpressive with two losses to the BYU Cougars and the Miami Hurricanes. The Huskers were close in both games which tough because there is such a large difference between 2-2 and 4-0.
One player the Huskers are looking to get back in this game is De'Mornay Pierson-El. He has been injured since before the season began and his presence will be missed. He has been cleared to play this weekend.
The prediction for this game is that things continue to stay the same in this conference battle. Nebraska will pile it up on the ground as Newby will get over 100 rushing yards, but Armstrong will pass better than last year too, as they make this game a runaway before it even gets to halftime. Also, this writer predicts a big day for Allison of the Illini, going for 150 yards and a touchdown. The final score in this game is Nebraska 51, Illinois 24.