Nebraska Tailgate Talk: Trip to Illinois is cooking up a JFW kind of game

The Big Red bus heads east for a short week, Friday night game against the Fighting Illini at 7pm, televised on Fox. The weather report for Champaign, Illinois, projects a high of 50 degrees with partly sunny skies. Winds will be from the North at 10-15 mph, but in that wind tunnel of a stadium, don’t count on it being that simple.

I’ll admit I’m at a bit of a loss for words this week. The Kool-Aid is gone, and it doesn’t feel like it had enough sugar, with a bitter taste left in my mouth after another craptastic Washington game ending. A LOT of my friends are writing off the rest of football season. “I’m checked out.” “I’m moving on to basketball or volleyball.” I’m still not quite there yet. Mostly, because the potential hasn’t changed, just the math, and lately, it’s not “mathing”.

We all know the only math that matters is the score at the end of the game. When you listen to DC Rob Aurich articulately explain the rationale of having the best cover guy blitz on a 4th and 18 obvious passing situation, you hear his clear and concise reasons, and the fact that the odds were only 10% that the Huskies offense has success with that personnel, in that scheme, and against that Husker personnel, in that scheme, you can’t help but scratch your head ( or bang it on the wall). Statistically, it shouldn’t have happened that way.

This season is like trying to learn Texas Hold’em: you constantly watch the percentages on the deal, the flop, etc., and you bet heavy when the math (percentages) is in your favor, but you still don't have the right cards. Now you’re broke, living in your car and eating uncooked Ramen noodles. In my humble opinion, the right Husker player cards are in the deck this year, more than in any previous year. Is the deck just stacked against Nebraska in some type of 6th level of Hell? (Mom would like the Dante’s Inferno reference).

Nebraska football heads to Illinois needing offense, better execution and to Just Freaking Win

The fan base's exhaustion comes from all the unnecessary close losses, or the lack of a close win. If Nebraska was getting blown out, the consternation wouldn’t be so deep. And I get being upset enough to classlessly (almost a word) toss something onto Tom Osborne Field. Let’s not ever do that again! I get it. Trust me, I get it. But at the end of the day, I’m going to keep overanalyzing and picking apart everything I see and hear, and I’ll still turn on the TV or go to that Husker tailgate. Am I frustrated? Yes. Do I think the players and coaches are too? Yes. But everyone out there is still cashing paychecks like they’re winners, except fans.

Ok, enough of the rant. I can’t write off the team yet because all the pieces of the puzzle are still there. They are banged up, but still there. I don’t have the answer on how to fit that 4th corner piece so the puzzle comes together with a Big Red Victory. If I did, I’d be living in a McMansion and sipping cocktails in a suite on Memorial Drive. This week Dana Holgorsen and Geep Wade will be up in the booth hoping that vantage point brings clarity in the moment and better strategies.

For the 2nd time this season, NU punter Archie Wilson earned the Ray Guy Award as one of Ray’s 8 for Week 9. The award recognizes the top eight punters from last weekend’s games.

Random shoutout to one bright spot with Husker Punter Archie Wilson for another POW Ray Guy Award for his great performance Saturday. He had a 60-yard boot, averaged 49.8, and pinned them deep a few times. Another well done, Mate!

Other than the changes up to the booth for the coaches, we won't change much else this week, except for Husker kicker John Hohl replacing Kyle Cunanan. I’m going to keep watching, rewinding, rewatching, and listening to the faces I trust, and to those who know way more about football than I do. I do know this -- Winning solves everything. Instead of Go Big Red and GBR, the chant is now JFW. Just #$*)@ Win!

What do you need to know before the game Friday? The bullet points are: Illinois HC Bret Bielema has his team hitting their stride, having beaten Maryland last week with a walk-off field goal. That’s not good for Nebraska. The Orange and Blue are on a 3-game win streak, while Nebraska is not. Illinois likes to run it downhill with running back Aidan Laughery, who had two 100+ yard games against Ohio State and Oregon. They have a balanced offensive attack (rush 164 yards/throw 230).

Illinois Head Coach Bret Bielema has great wideouts, a good QB, and he likes to control the clock. They will play with tempo, though. Other tidbits: the Illini wide receiver #17 Collin Dixon is in the Top 12 in receiving yards in college football. Oh, yeah, their O-line doesn’t allow sacks. By the numbers, Nebraska has the 8th-best defense in NCAA statistics. Illinois is 79th. For reference, Washington is 54th. Illinois D-lineman Will Holmes is ranked 6th in the B1G with 26 pressures, and Cornerback Juice Clarke is 6th nationally and tied for the lead with the most breakups. In total offense, Nebraska is 38, and Illinois is 62. That's the math.

My recipe this week for an away game is Tums and box breathing techniques (Google it). That’s all I got. It’s been a mentally taxing season for all of us.  I do know that at least by the time the sun comes up on Saturday, you won’t be stressed about the upcoming game, and you can enjoy your “off day” getting things handled around the yard and house since the ridiculously front-loaded football schedule has made sure no one has been able to keep up with such things.

If Nebraska can find a rhythm on offense, including a forward-moving run game, I see a W in the good-team column. The fight will be in the trenches early. If the lights go out Friday night and Nebraska doesn’t have a Win, expect it to get hotter than that aforementioned 6th level over in Lincoln. I'm pretty sure $51 million or so to buy out Rhule’s contract isn’t sitting around anywhere, though. Please don’t let it go to a Dana Holgorsen extension. Any spending money the University of Nebraska has should go toward keeping Rob Aurich in the 402!

I’m still hopeful. The math may be there, but as luck would have it, the Road team usually wins this matchup. Friday I’m going to order a greasy pepperoni pizza (it goes well with Tums), get comfortable on the couch, and watch the Huskers rebound and regain momentum for a better November run that will surprise everyone. JFW & GBR!

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow