Game notes: Nebraska at Illinois
Friday, November 6, 8 p.m. ET, Memorial Stadium (Champaign, IL).The game page.
30 notes · built Oct 19, 2:05 PM ET
The matchup
- Nebraska (5–2, 2–2 in conference) at Illinois (3–3, 1–2 in conference), Friday, November 6, 8 p.m. ET, Memorial Stadium (Champaign, IL).resultsWins and losses in this season’s finished games before kickoff, from the game results on file. Ranks as of the game, as listed with the schedule (AP poll, else the coaches’).
The series
- It will be their 23rd meeting; Nebraska leads the series 14–7–1.resultsEvery meeting on file; official counts take out wins the NCAA vacated and count forfeits as the rivalry’s article does.
- Last meeting: Friday, September 20, 2024: Illinois 31, Nebraska 24.resultsThe most recent meeting on file.
- They first met in 1892: Nebraska 6, Illinois 0.resultsThe earliest meeting on file.
- Illinois is 3–5–1 at home against Nebraska.resultsThe home team’s record against this opponent in its home games (neutral sites aside), every meeting on file.
- Last five meetings: 2024: Illinois 31–24 (at Nebraska); 2023: Nebraska 20–7 (at Illinois); 2022: Illinois 26–9 (at Nebraska); 2021: Illinois 30–22 (at Illinois); 2020: Illinois 41–23 (at Nebraska).resultsThe last five meetings on file.
Nebraska
- Nebraska is 5–2 (2–2 in conference games), 0–1 against ranked teams.resultsWins and losses in this season’s finished games before kickoff, from the game results on file.
- This season: W 49–21 vs. Ohio; W 56–7 vs. Bowling Green; W 34–7 vs. North Dakota; W 31–13 at Michigan State; W 48–23 vs. Maryland; L 17–20 vs. No. 7 Indiana; L 14–17 at Oregon.resultsThis season’s finished games.
- Nebraska has lost two straight, since beating Maryland 48–23 (Oct. 3, 2026).resultsThe team’s current run of results, every finished game on file across seasons.
- Nebraska is No. 32 of 138 FBS teams in our Elo ratings.our ratingsOur Elo rating, from every game on file, ranked among active FBS teams.
- Nebraska is one of five FBS teams that have led at halftime of every game this season, with Ohio State, SMU, Utah and Virginia Tech.resultsFBS teams ahead at halftime of each game this season, read from the score after every scoring play (four games or more).
- Matt Rhule is 24–21 in his fourth season at Nebraska and 71–64 as an FBS head coach.results, WikipediaHead-coaching seasons on file, ours rebuilt from game results and the season articles’ coaching splits.
- Matt Rhule is 1–1 against Illinois.results, WikipediaGames between the two coaches’ teams in seasons each was the head coach, every game on file.
- Kwazi Gilmer (WR): 38 catches, 492 yards, 7 TD, No. 8 in FBS in receiving touchdowns.resultsThis season’s team leaders and national ranks, from player season statistics.
- Anthony Colandrea (QB): 1,569 passing yards, 14 TD, the team leader in passing yards.resultsThis season’s team leaders and national ranks, from player season statistics.
- Owen Chambliss (LB): 46 tackles, 0.5 sacks, 1 INT, the team leader in tackles.resultsThis season’s team leaders and national ranks, from player season statistics.
- Jacory Barney Jr. needs 7 catches to pass Marlon Lucky (135, 2005–08) for eighth on Nebraska’s career receptions list. He has 129 so far.Wikipedia, resultsThe school’s record lists (its Wikipedia statistical leaders article, from the school’s media guide) against our totals from his season lines at the school, this season through the last game in our records.
- On this date in 2021, Nebraska lost to No. 6 Ohio State 26–17.resultsThe team’s most notable finished game on this calendar date in an earlier season: a ranked opponent first, then a bowl, then the newest.
Illinois
- Illinois is 3–3 (1–2 in conference games), 0–1 against ranked teams.resultsWins and losses in this season’s finished games before kickoff, from the game results on file.
- This season: W 42–23 vs. UAB; L 27–31 vs. Duke; W 48–10 vs. Southern Illinois; L 19–42 at No. 7 Ohio State; L 17–24 vs. Purdue; W 38–37 at Michigan State.resultsThis season’s finished games.
- Illinois is No. 68 of 138 FBS teams in our Elo ratings.our ratingsOur Elo rating, from every game on file, ranked among active FBS teams.
- Bret Bielema is 40–29 in his sixth season at Illinois and 137–87 as an FBS head coach.results, WikipediaHead-coaching seasons on file, ours rebuilt from game results and the season articles’ coaching splits.
- Bret Bielema is 5–2 against Nebraska.results, WikipediaGames between the two coaches’ teams in seasons each was the head coach, every game on file.
- Collin Dixon (WR): 47 catches, 608 yards, 9 TD, No. 3 in FBS in receiving touchdowns.resultsThis season’s team leaders and national ranks, from player season statistics.
- Katin Houser (QB): 1,440 passing yards, 12 TD, the team leader in passing yards.resultsThis season’s team leaders and national ranks, from player season statistics.
- Matthew Bailey (DB): 41 tackles, 1 INT, the team leader in tackles.resultsThis season’s team leaders and national ranks, from player season statistics.
- Collin Dixon needs 1 touchdown catch to tie Pat Bryant (10 in 2024) for Illinois’s single-season record in touchdown catches, 2 to break it. He has 9 this season.Wikipedia, resultsThe school’s record lists (its Wikipedia statistical leaders article, from the school’s media guide) against our totals from his season lines at the school, this season through the last game in our records.
- Collin Dixon is tied with Isaiah Williams (14, 2019–23) for eighth on Illinois’s career touchdown catches list, at 14 so far; one more touchdown catch breaks the tie.Wikipedia, resultsThe school’s record lists (its Wikipedia statistical leaders article, from the school’s media guide) against our totals from his season lines at the school, this season through the last game in our records.
- On this date in 1982, Illinois lost to No. 15 Michigan 16–10.resultsThe team’s most notable finished game on this calendar date in an earlier season: a ranked opponent first, then a bowl, then the newest.
The coaches
- Bret Bielema is 1–1 against Matt Rhule’s teams as a head coach.results, WikipediaGames between the two coaches’ teams in seasons each was the head coach, every game on file.
Sources
Every sentence here is ours, written from counts we make over the games on file. Where the facts come from:
- CollegeFootballData.com: Game results, rankings and player statistics; the sentence and every count in it are ours. Derived output (CollegeFootballData.com terms, section 4).
- CollegeFootballDigest: Our own ratings (Elo) and research notes. CC BY 4.0.
- Wikipedia: Facts from Wikipedia’s lists and articles (schools’ record books, trophies, College GameDay sites, coaching records), restated. CC BY-SA 4.0 (facts restated; credit Wikipedia).
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