Nebraska Football: Containing the Illinois offense a point of emphasis

Nebraska Football will certainly have its hands full on Saturday.

It’s no secret that Illinois will not be an easy test for Nebraska Football on Saturday. The first game of conference play is always tough for any program. Now, Nebraska wants to continue to build solid momentum. A win on the road would be able to do wonders.

One of the things that Illinois quarterback Brandon Peters brings to the program is his ability to run the football. There is no doubt that he has a very solid arm. However, his dual-threat ability makes it difficult for defenses to gameplan against him. Running is not his strong suit, but there is reason to pay attention to him. He is a playmaker and for that reason, his play style fits very well in the Big Ten.

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Whatever the case may be, how Peters and Illinois run their offensive scheme will be challenging for Nebraska football. This is a team that has nothing to lose and everything to gain. Furthermore, they have put together several strong offensive performances that should give them confidence heading into Saturday’s game. The Nebraska defense will undoubtedly be challenged, and they will certainly have to fight tooth and nail in order to be successful.

With both teams coming in with a record of 2-1, this is a big game for all involved. Starting off the conference slate with a win would certainly give Nebraska Football the momentum they need. Especially if they string together a couple of wins following a tough loss against Colorado, that would certainly make fans feel a lot better about the team moving forward.

The last time Nebraska Football faced a running quarterback was against South Alabama. Nebraska was able to hold Cephus Johnson to nine yards on 18 carries. Hopefully, they can do the same to Peters. Peters is having a great year, and letting him run amok would not be ideal for Nebraska Football. As a report from Brian Christopherson of 247Sports notes, defensive coordinator Erik Chinander knows what he has to do for Saturday to be a successful game.

"Chinander said Illinois has a good offensive scheme, and that Brandon Peters is more difficult to defend in the passing game than what Nebraska has seen from Illinois in the past. He said the Fighting Illini also have elements of quarterback run game that make opponents have to play ‘rule football’ and keep their eyes in the right place."

I can’t wait to see how Nebraska contains Illinois. It’s not going to be an easy task, but I’m confident that this defense can get it done.

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