No. 22 Nebraska hosts No. 24 Illinois in Big Ten opener

LINCOLN, Neb. (WOWT) – The college football world's spotlight will once again be on Memorial Stadium, and given Friday night's rare showdown, that spotlight won't even have to be shared.

In the first Big Ten Conference game of the season for both teams, Nebraska (3-0) faces No. 24 Illinois (3-0).

It will be the first time in over a decade that two top-ranked teams have faced each other in Lincoln – the last time was in 2013. A win would also be Nebraska's first victory over a top-ranked opponent since 2016.

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BEFORE THE GAME

However, Nebraska's 2024 campaign seems to be under this motto: It is the first time since “insert year here” that the Huskers have made “insert stat here.”

It's a sign that head coach Matt Rhule is turning the program around — something that has essentially become his trademark over the course of his career. He did it at Temple, he did it at Baylor, and now the Huskers appear to be on the same trajectory. Some would argue they're even ahead of schedule.

Fittingly, this game also marks Nebraska's 400th consecutive sellout at Memorial Stadium – a milestone the university plans to celebrate all night Friday.

“It's about passion and loyalty,” Rhule said. “And it's not just about selling out shows, it's about coming early and staying late. That loyalty, that passion, as I've been saying since day one, is something that's humbling and we have to make sure we do our jobs. I feel it all the time. Not as a burden or in a bad way, but as a sense of responsibility to make sure we do our part.”

GAME INFORMATION

• WHEN: 7pm, Friday, September 20
• WHERE: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska.
• REGARD: FOX
• HEAR: Huskers Radio Network
• VEGAS OPPORTUNITIES: Illinois +9, Over/Under 43.5

Optimism among Big Red fans is at its highest level in decades, and so far the product on the field is living up to that excitement. A 3-0 record and a top-25 showing are certainly a good start, but now the tests are getting tougher.

“It's time for the season to start,” Husker quarterback Dylan Raiola said after Nebraska's 34-3 win over Northern Iowa last week. “It's time for the games to start. You treat those three (non-conference) games like real games, but you figure out your identity before you go into these conference games that mean everything. I know our team was excited and it's finally time.”

The conference is here and what better way to start than against a team that embodies the Big Ten's smash-mouth style of football, with a motto that says “line up and show me what you've got.” In other words, “Bielema Ball.”

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema has assembled his own, now patented model of a football team: a tough, physical squad that will wear down opponents over the course of the game. Bielema demonstrated this for a decade as the head coach of Wisconsin and Arkansas before landing at Illinois in 2021 after a brief stint as an assistant to Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots.

“I have a lot of respect for (Bielema),” Rhule said. “His teams are going to play great defense, they're going to run the football, they're going to play great special teams. Obviously, after a brilliant career as a head coach, he's worked with Coach Belichick, so I know he understands that mindset and is doing a great job at Illinois. I have a lot of respect for him.”

Running back Kaden Faegin is Bielema's workhorse this year, carrying the ball 42 times in three games. But Illinois is more versatile this year than it was during the season pass thanks to the improved play of quarterback Luke Altmeyer, who has been as good as anyone in the country so far, completing 70 percent of his passes for 647 yards and 6 touchdowns without a single turnover.

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