Illinois Football: 4 observations from the Illini win over Nebraska

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Nov 21, 2020; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Love Smith looks toward the scoreboard during the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the first half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports /

The Illinois football team has now moved to 2-3 on the season after a big win against Nebraska.

Illinois was a 16.5-point underdog coming into the game on Saturday and didn’t just cover the spread, they won outright.

The Illini played well on both sides of the ball and ended up beating the Cornhuskers 41-23. Here are four observations from the Illini win over Nebraska.

1. Illinois won with a balanced offense

I think it is fair to say that the Illinois football team hasn’t had a balanced offense this season. For the first three games of the 2020 campaign, the Illini didn’t have much of an offense at all.

In week four against Rutgers, the Illini put up 23 points in a victory, but it was a run-heavy attack led by Isaiah Williams. Williams rushed for 192 yards in that game and the team rushed for a total of 338 yards. But the Illini only managed 104 yards through the air.

On Saturday against Nebraska, the Illini finally had a balanced offensive attack. This attack was rarely stopped by the Cornhuskers and was a major reason we came out with a victory.

The run game was still on point for Illinois as Mike Epstein led the way with 113 yards. Brown was again sensational with 110 yards as well. Even Brandon Peters got into the mix with 36 yards. What made this a more balanced offensive attack was Peters’ arm.

While Illinois rushed the ball for 285 yards, they also threw the ball for 205 yards and a touchdown. The passing game fed off the running game. This was a great game plan by offensive coordinator Rod Smith. The offense was amazing and hopefully, we can continue watching it develop next week against Ohio State.

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