Two truths and a lie about Nebraska football following its loss to Illinois
After having a little time to rest, relax, and rewatch the Nebraska football team’s loss to Illinois, some things stood out about yet another close loss for the Huskers. Another close lose to a ranked team.
Another start to the season that was seemingly upended by a team that just couldn’t stop shooting itself in the foot. For all intents and purposes, Friday night looked like far too many games the Huskers have played over the last eight years.
Every time Nebraska football is poised to turn the corner, they seemingly turn the other way. It’s exhausting. It’s frustrating. It can even be infuriating.
The real question for this year’s version of the Cornhuskers is whether this is the same old story or just a team that lost a game most people thought they should have won. Here are two truths I found about this team and one big lie.
Truth: Dylan Raiola finally had some freshman moments
As good as the Huskers quarterback has looked all season long, there were some moments on Friday that should have reminded everyone he’s a 19-year-old true freshman. His lack of experience in games like this was especially evident in the Huskers final drive of regulation.
On 3rd and 3, he had a wide open receiver headed to the end zone and it sure looks like he allowed himself to get a little too excited. Put a little too much air on the ball. And he badly overthrew him. Overthrew him by more than it looked at first glance.
But there were other moments too. There was the drive before that, when Raiola dropped the ball not once, but twice. NU recovered the fumbles both times so the only harm done was a 3 and out. But it’s clear the moment was starting to feel a bit big for him.
And then there was overtime. Where he was sacked several times. Illinois dialed up the pressure and it surprised him He didn’t know how to deal with it and the overtime ended in disaster. The good news is that Raiola has shown time and time again he can learn and adjust.
Truth: The defense is concerning
Two weeks in a row, the Nebraska football defense hasn’t looked as dominating as they did in their first two weeks. So, which is the real Blackshirts? We’ll find out next week. Purdue isn’t as bad as their 66-7 loss last week.
However, the Boilermakers aren’t so good that the Huskers shouldn’t win. They should be able to look more like they did against Colorado and UTEP then they have against Northern Iowa and Illinois. If the defense comes out next week and looks as soft as it has the last two weeks, then we’ve got a real problem on our hands.
Lie: Nebraska football is about to spiral to another 5-7 season
The most prevalent opinion on social media directly after the game was that this loss was the same old, same old. However, the fact of the matter is that Illinois is pretty darn good.
There was a ton of hype around the Huskers after the Colorado game, but Illinois is the team that went out and took down a talented Kansas team that same week. The KU mystique took a hit last week, but they still have a ton of talent on that roster and the Illini were clearly the better team.
I think Illinois is the kind of team that will be in the Big Ten title conversation for a while. They’ve got weapons on both sides of the ball and a veteran quarterback who many overlook because of how he started the 2023 campaign.
The loss last night is frustrating. It’s not embarrassing. It’s not the kind of loss Nebraska football should look at as a black mark on their resume.
The expectations for this season, the realistic ones, were always 7-5 or 8-4 and a bowl game. Some Nebraska football fans let the media’s talk about a possible playoff berth go to their heads. The first winning season since 2016 is still very much in reach and this year, that’s the goal. Worry about more than that once the Huskers have figured out how to turn the corner.