Illinois lost its home opener this morning in what was surprising to many as quite a high scoring game.
Junior Luke Altmeyer led the Illini against a powerful passing attack from Nebraska and Heisman hopeful Dylan Raiola. Altmeyer finished 16-29 for 270 yards and 2 touchdowns. Altmeyer also threw 2 costly interceptions. The second one happened late in the game as Illinois trailed by 3 with 4 minutes left. Illinois put together a solid drive and it was stopped by a costly pick 6 returned by Nebraska that pushed the deficit to 10 with a little over 2 minutes to play. That’s turned out to be the nail in the coffin as Nebraska held on 39-29 for the road win.
There’s were bright spots for this Illinois offense, as RB Kaden Feagin rushed for 116 off 22 attempts with a score. McCray shot life into this offense early with a few big runs and finished with 3 attempts for 60 yards. Senior WR Pat Bryant finished with 5 balls for 91 yards and Junior WR Sanders finished with 3 for 75 and a score.
Illinois had a tough time getting stops when they needed them the most from the talented Freshman Raiola. Raiola finished 19 for 28 for 341 yards and 2 scores but was picked off 3 times. However Raiola’s mobility costs Illini on several plays as he was able to extend and make chunk gains.
Illinois goes back to the drawing board with a very talented Boise St. team coming in and hope to be able to build on this loss and capitalize on the costly turnovers their defense is providing.
Nebraska's defense has faced challenges this season, particularly in back-to-back games where they conceded over 60 points. However, they made a significant improvement by holding an opponent to under 30 points and scoring two touchdowns. Gifford was instrumental in the second half; as the offense struggled and turnovers were made, he intercepted two RPO swing routes and returned them for touchdowns. Without these crucial plays, Nebraska would be facing a 1-2 record and a loss at the start of B1G play.
Illinois excelled in their running game, dominating the line of scrimmage and leaving the Huskers scrambling. Yet, when it came to the goal line, Nebraska's defense, known as the Blackshirts, intensified their efforts, forcing Illinois to settle for three field goals instead of touchdowns, which was pivotal in keeping Nebraska competitive.
The standout player of the game was SS Gifford, who amassed a total of 8 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, 1 pass deflection, and 2 touchdowns, showcasing a remarkable defensive performance.
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