Under the lights on a Friday night. That is definitely not typical Memorial Stadium Husker football.
There were two teams in that Memorial Stadium match who were ranked. This is the first Husker home game versus a ranked team since UCLA in 2013, so that has also been rare.
What information is so needed regarding this 3-0 Illinois team? Thankfully, Jeremy Werner of the Illini Inquirer is here to provide us with insider information.
I thought Illinois had a potential for a bright start because of their powerful passing offense and their schedule of three consecutive home games to start the season. I also expected Illinois to be competitive since that’s what they’ve been under Bret Bielema.
However, the defense has performed significantly better than I anticipated before the season started. After Ryan Walters’ final season in 2022, Illinois’ scoring defense fell from its top spot in the Big Ten to No. 12 in Aaron Henry’s first season as defensive coordinator. Jer’Zhan Newton, an All-American defensive lineman, and two additional defensive line starters from the previous campaign were also lost by the Illini.
However, with two-year starters Xavier Scott and Miles Scott (not related) combining for seven takeaways in three games, the Illini secondary has improved significantly already this season. Along with Kaleb Patterson, the Illini now have more depth and experience at cornerback thanks to the addition of transfers Terrance Brooks (Texas) and Torrie Cox Jr. (Ohio).
Although the Illini’s run defense isn’t the best, they’ve done a fantastic job of stopping big plays and making other teams go for lengthy drives. This increases the possibility of more errors, and the Scotts in the secondary and All-Big Ten edge rushers Seth Coleman and Gabe Jacas give the Illini plenty of playmakers.
