Let the real games start.
That’s the mindset of coach Matt Rhule as No. 22 Nebraska prepares to face No. 24 Illinois on Friday night.
“Now the season starts; this is our first Big Ten game, and we’ll see where we are,” he said.
The Cornhuskers (3-0) have enjoyed easy nonconference wins against UTEP, Colorado, and Northern Iowa—what Rhule calls “the preseason”—giving them their best start since 2016. Now they face Illinois (3-0), which has a win over a previously ranked Kansas and is enjoying its best start since 2011.
Nebraska aims to break a 24-game losing streak against ranked teams and to win its first conference opener in five years.
“We’re trying to compete to win the Big Ten,” Rhule said. “All of these games matter.
This is a great opportunity. It’s our first league game. We didn’t approach this preseason like the NFL preseason. Now we’re entering Big Ten play. Our approach doesn’t change, but the importance of the situation is a bit different.”
Nebraska won against Illinois 20-7 in Champaign last year, ending a three-game losing streak in the matchup. Illinois coach Bret Bielema noted that his players have extra energy this week.
“I think when you add the fact that they’re ranked and we’re ranked, it creates a unique atmosphere for the players,” he said. “It’s interesting to see the energy that brings out—not for me, I really don’t care—but from what I hear from the outside and from the players’ perspective, it’s been pretty good.”
