Nebraska and Illinois kick off primetime Friday night with a matchup between two top 25 teams.

The No. 22 Huskers, led by star freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola, take on the No. 24 Fighting Illini in what should be a rowdy environment at Memorial Stadium. The Huskers lead the all-time series 14-6 and are looking to win their second straight game against Illinois.

Last season, the Huskers defeated the Fighting Illini 20-7 in Champaign. After that game, Nebraska was 3-3 and won its first conference game. Illinois fell to 2-4 and 0-3 in the conference. This season, both teams are 3-0 before Friday night’s game.

That 2023 game was won by the Huskers by 13 points, but it was a bit closer for a while. One of the key sequences in the game came when Illinois was stopped inside the 1-yard line twice as they failed to reach the endzone on back-to-back plays on their opening drive. The Huskers took advantage by marching down the field and kicking a 31-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead.

The turning point in the game came in the second quarter. After Anthony Grant scored a one-yard touchdown for the Huskers, Illinois fumbled a short kickoff and Nebraska scored again. The score was 17-0 and the game was all but over. Nebraska did not score again for the rest of the game and Illinois managed only one touchdown before halftime. Another field goal by the Huskers was all that was scored in the second half.

Tonight’s game will likely be very different from the 2023 game. The Huskers now have Raiola at quarterback instead of Heinrich Haarberg, who was a capable runner but not as dynamic a passer. Illinois is also much improved from last season’s 5-7 team.

One thing that could apply to last year’s game and tonight’s is how quickly the game can turn on its head. Those two touchdowns in 10 seconds of playing time ended up being the difference. The Huskers need to be ready to capitalize on any mistakes this year, just like they did last season.

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