Where do you even begin? The Nebraska Cornhuskers lost their second game in a row as the Illinois Fighting Illini leave Lincoln with a 26-9 victory. However, a bigger storyline to the game was starting quarterback Casey Thompson was forced to leave the game in the first half after suffering an injury to his arm. Interim Head Coach Mickey Joseph has described the injury as day-to-day.
That injury placed the offense in neutral for the remainder of the afternoon. Offensive Coordinator Mark Whipple could not figure out how to use the skills of backups Chubba Purdy and Logan Smothers effectively against a talented Illinois defense. As a result, the Huskers could only muster 248 yards of total offense, including just 29 yards in the second half. Combine that with four turnovers, and you’ll find it hard to win no matter who or where you’re playing.
The defense wasn’t much better, surrendering 367 total yards of offense, including 188 yards on the ground. Star running back Chase Brown was responsible for 149 rushing yards and one touchdown. Quarterback Tommy DeVito was efficient in the pocket, going 20-22 for 179 yards and two touchdowns.
The fact is, this loss isn’t on any coach or players. This was a collective defeat at the hands of a talented Illinois football team. Where the season goes from here is anyone’s guess. How will this loss affect the head coaching search? Interim Head Coach Mickey Joseph had a big feather in his cap with the commitment of Malachi Coleman of Lincoln East High School earlier this week. He also made waves when Ohio State commit, and the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2024, Dylan Raiola, decided to take a visit to Lincoln. This loss will most definitely take some of the shine off those accomplishments.
Four games are left in the regular season, and the Huskers can still make a bowl game. Mickey and the staff have shown they are willing to put in the hard work to get this program back on track. But the fact of the matter is it’s not translating to the field. Big changes are on the horizon for Nebraska football. What those changes are will be anyone’s guess.
Below is a collection of social media reactions to Saturday’s loss to Illinois.