It was every bit what Illinois needed in Game 1 of the Bret Bielema era. It was a fine place to start — more than just any old building block — as the Illini seek to end a streak of losing seasons at nine.
Week Zero? So it was. Weak zeros? Maybe not Illinois. Maybe not anymore. The Illini’s 30-22 upset of Nebraska in the opening game of the college football season was no masterpiece. It probably didn’t keep a national audience on FOX on the edge of its collective seat for anywhere close to 60 minutes.
