The Nebraska Cornhuskers welcome the No. 24 Illinois Illini to Memorial Stadium for their first game between two ranked teams since 2013 and a monumental celebration of the 400th consecutive sold-out game at Memorial. A standalone game on Friday that will solidify who is a contender and who is just a contender in the crowded Big Ten Conference.
Deal with the five-man front
The Illini are incredibly aggressive at the line of scrimmage. Brett Bielema’s group loves to use five-man fronts on the defensive side of the ball to create one-on-one matchups on the interior in hopes of getting to the quarterback or running back quickly and effectively. Despite losing first-round pick Johnny Newton and starter Keith Randolph, they have still been effective at the line of scrimmage and have made life easier for the entire defense. Two names to watch out for are lineman Dennis Briggs Jr. and Gabe Jacas. Combined, they have 25 tackles, five tackles for loss and two sacks in three games.
Nebraska’s offensive line cannot afford a bad day. If Briggs, Jacas and Co. have easy access to the backfield, it will make life more difficult for young star Dylan Raiola. The Illini have stars in the secondary like Xavier Cross, who will turn Raiola’s mistakes into turnovers when the opportunity arises.
The Huskers need to protect Raiola, and Raiola needs to get the ball out of his hands quickly in return. One more player on the line means one less player in coverage, so quick running routes with speedsters Jacory Barney Jr. and Jaylen Lloyd could be a way to crack this well-coached Illini defense.
Make Luke Altmyer one-dimensional
So far, the story of Illinois’ season has been the improvement of quarterback Luke Altmyer. After a subpar season last year, many viewed the junior quarterback as a weakness of the Illinois team.
After three weeks of play, the story is exactly the opposite. Altmyer is averaging almost 220 passing yards per game, six touchdowns and no interceptions. If Altmyer maintains this level of play, he will have by far the best year of his career in every statistical throwing category.
His composure in the pocket, his accuracy and his confidence have taken leaps. Altmyer is no one-trick pony, however. One reason he started nine games last year despite significantly below-average numbers was his legs. The former four-star quarterback is an athlete who can succeed both in the air and by sea.
The Blackshirts need to make him one-dimensional. Nebraska can’t allow the dual-threat quarterback to be effective in both facets of the offense. The Cornhuskers need to keep the quarterback in the pocket as much as possible and, when he escapes, take him down as quickly as possible. I think Nebraska can afford to use a player like Mikai Gbayer as a spy for Altmyer because of its strengths in the middle of the defensive line and its elite zone corners.
Don’t underestimate this team
Nebraska enters this game as a plus touchdown favorite. They have looked dominant in their three games this season and will play this game in front of arguably the best fans in college football.
While the atmosphere will be hostile for Illinois—and I may get some flak for saying this—I don’t think the crowd will affect the game as much as the public may think.
I have two reasons for this thought.
First, Illinois is coached by Brett Bielema, a tough pro who has his team ready to play any game in the country. Their offensive system is very simple. They use their physicality on offense to establish the run and take quick passes the defense gives them to set up shots down the field when the defense is asleep later in the game. They lull you to sleep and then kill you when you least expect it. This style of play can be used anywhere.
Second, the Illini have done this before. They’ve gone to a ranked team’s home stadium and beat them once this season, beating No. 19 Kansas in week two. This is nothing new for them.
That’s not the case with the Big Red. The last time NU beat a higher-ranked opponent was nearly eight years ago. They’re the ones under pressure. They’re the ones who have to prove they deserve the respect they’re being given.
If the Big Red take Illinois lightly for even a moment, they will be terribly disappointed with the outcome of Saturday morning’s game.
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