Nebraska returns to Lincoln to begin the final stretch of the 2022 season when it takes on Illinois on
Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium. Game time for the matchup between the Huskers and No.
17/18 Illinois is set for 2:30 p.m. CT, with television coverage provided by ABC.
The Huskers are coming off their second bye week of the season, following a 43-37 setback at Purdue
on Oct. 15. The loss to the Boilermakers dropped Nebraska to 3-4 overall and 2-2 in Big Ten Conference
play. The Illinois game starts a stretch of five games in 27 days to end the 2022 regular season, with
three of the next four games in Lincoln.
Nebraska was electric on offense at Purdue, averaging 9.2 yards per play with five plays that covered
at least 30 yards in the game. Wide receiver Trey Palmer set a Nebraska single-game receiving record
with 237 yards on his seven receptions, while totaling 297 all-purpose yards. Despite the effort by the
offense, Purdue secured the six-point win by controlling the football for nearly 43 minutes, allowing the
Boilermakers to run 101 offensive plays.
Illinois comes to Lincoln with a 6-1 overall record and a 3-1 mark in Big Ten Conference play. The
Fighting Illini are ranked 17th in this week's Associated Press Poll and check in at No. 18 in the coaches
poll. Illinois has won its past five games, and at 3-1 in the league it holds a 1/2 game lead in the Big
Ten West Division race.
The Illini are led by one of the nation's best defenses. Illinois ranks first in the nation in scoring defense
(8.9 ppg) and total defense (221.0 ypg), and is second nationally with 18 takeaways. Offensively, Illinois
averages nearly 200 rushing yards per game and ranks in the top 10 nationally in time of possession.