The Cornhuskers converted four of the Illini’s five turnovers into 24 points while pulling away for a 54-35 win, their third in four games.
The Cornhuskers converted four of the Illini’s five turnovers into 24 points while pulling away for a 54-35 win, their third in four games after an 0-6 start.
Nebraska linebacker Collin Miller celebrates a turnover against the Illini at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Neb. The Cornhuskers wore alternate uniforms to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. Steven Branscombe/Getty Images
“There early on in the game, watching our offense executing, man, it’s fun calling plays; it was a thing of beauty,” Frost said. “Those guys were executing everything we were calling.”
Adrian Martinez threw for 290 yards and accounted for four touchdowns and Devine Ozigbo ran for 162 yards and three scores.
“When you turn the ball over like that, it’s tough to win,” Illini coach Lovie Smith said. “When you continue to give up big runs on the defensive side of the football, run and pass, it’s tough duty. When you have a couple mishaps like we did in the special teams game against a team like this at home, it’s tough to win.”
Martinez was 24 of 34 and threw for three touchdowns, and he ran 13 times for 55 yards and a TD. His 345 yards of total offense pushed his season total to a school freshman-record 2,747.
Ozigbo broke a career-long 66-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and went 60 yards for another TD in the fourth.
“It’s cool, but I didn’t get the most important stat I wanted,” Bush said. “You ball out, but LeBron scores 60 and they lose. It’s like that.”
THE TAKEAWAY
“I firmly believe we can move the ball on anybody,” Ozigbo said, “and we should score every drive.”
NUMBERS TO NOTE
Ozigbo is 42 yards short of becoming the Huskers’ first 1,000-yard rusher since 2014.… Stanley Morgan Jr. caught eight passes for 131 yards and two TDs and moved to No. 2 on the school’s all-time receiving list behind Kenny Bell.… Illinois’ 383 rushing yards were its second-most this season behind the 430 against Minnesota last week.
CORBIN INJURED
The Illini’s Reggie Corbin, who ran for a career-high 213 yards against Minnesota, left with an injury in the middle of the second quarter. He ran nine times for 59 yards and caught one pass for 34 yards. He favored his right leg as he was helped off.
UP NEXT
Illinois hosts Iowa on Nov. 17.
