On the road again.
For the first time this season, the No. 24-ranked Fighting Illini is on the road, traveling west to take on No. 22 Nebraska under the lights on Friday night.
With both teams ranked in the Associated Press top-25 poll and undefeated ahead of the nationally televised primetime kickoff, Illinois head coach Bret Bielema is eager for his squad to square off with a talented Cornhuskers program.
“It’s a very talented Nebraska football team,” Bielema said. “I have a lot of respect for not only their head coach but also several of their coaches, who have had very storied careers. It’ll be a tremendous challenge and one that we’re excited about to play under the lights.
“To have two Big Ten teams for a Friday night game is a little bit unusual. It doesn’t happen all the time, so to see that play out and be a part of it is awesome. Give a lot of credit to their team and what they have accomplished to this point. I’ve told our guys to continue to keep our focus and our mentality and see where it can go.”
Here are a few things to watch ahead of Friday night’s 7 p.m. kickoff on FOX.
Rematch Game #2
The Orange and Blue sit at 1-0 in rematch games this season after defeating No. 19 Kansas on Sept. 7. The Jayhawks defeated the Illini in Lawrence, Kansas, last season, but for the second straight season, the home team came out on top in the form of a 23-17 Illinois victory.
The Illini will look to avenge a 20-7 home defeat against the Cornhuskers in Champaign last season, though the Orange and Blue have found success in each of their previous two trips to Lincoln. The No. 17-ranked Illini entered Lincoln in 2022 with a 6-1 record and left with a 26-9 win to extend their winning streak to six games.
In 2020, Illinois picked up its first road victory at Nebraska since 1924, with the Illini forcing five turnovers en route to a 41-23 win.
Friday’s game will be one of the Orange and Blue’s biggest tests of the year. It will be the Illini’s first ranked vs. ranked game since 2008, while Illinois and Nebraska will square off as ranked foes for the first time since 1985.
“It’s our first Big Ten game. It’s a rematch game. There are a lot of different things that factor into it besides two Big Ten teams that are ranked,” Bielema said. “Once our guys get into Big Ten play, because of our conference right now and the…
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