Sep. 19—LINCOLN, Neb. — There is a time to celebrate and a time to work, according to Illinois football coach Bret Bielema.
While the Fighting Illini fan base is gleaming with pride with the school’s first national ranking (No. 24) since 2022 and a 3-0 record for the first time since 2011, the players and coaches are focused on just this week’s Big Ten opener on the road against the No. 22 Nebraska Cornhuskers this Friday night.
“With a short week of preparation we turned the page quickly,” Bielema said. “We flipped the page and went from Saturday to Monday — we skipped Sunday.”
It’s similar to what Illinois did before its season opener against Eastern Illinois on a Thursday night.
“These guys have handled their business as good as any team I’ve been around,” said Bielema, noting that the Fighting Illini had no issues with cramping or hydration during its first afternoon game of the season on a very warm and humid Saturday against Central Michigan. “We made a big issue from Thursday on about the game-day temperature, the heat factor and playing at 11 o’clock. The way we handled that made a pretty big statement to me.”
Now, his Fighting Illini can make an even bigger statement playing their first conference game on the road against a nationally-ranked opponent in a sold-out Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Neb.
“This is 400 straight sellouts,” Bielema noted from the Nebraska game notes. “It’s a tremendous challenge. We had a Friday night game with these guys last year here in our stadium.
“Just because of what they accomplished and what we have accomplished, to have two Big Ten teams ranked in a Friday night game on national television is a little bit unusual.”
And while that is definitely the storyline for the fan bases on each side, Bielema says it’s actually quite simple for his team.
“More than anything, it’s our first Big Ten game, it’s a rematch game from last year. There are a lot of different things that factor into this besides just two Big Ten teams that are ranked,” he said. “Once our guys get into Big Ten play, because of the conference now with the exposure of 18 teams from coast-to-coast, these nine conference games mean a lot.
“I just keep challenging these guys to play their best football and to do it against another really good team. I think going into the Kansas game, I know our guys were excited to play against good competition.”
Nebraska (3-0) is very similar to the team that beat Illinois 20-7 in Champaign on Oct. 6, 2023.
“A lot of the same players that we saw a year ago,” Bielema said.
But, there is also a big difference as freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola from Buford, Ga., has taken control of the Cornhusker offensive attack. In the first three games, Raiola has accounted for 684 yards and five touchdown passes.
“He brings a different element immediately,” Bielema said. “He is a very talented young man that has incredible awareness … has a great deep ball throw. They maximize and utilize him pretty well.
“I know he was a highly-recruited player that brought a lot of attention, deservedly so.”
While Raiola is a main feature in the Cornhuskers offense, they still have a solid running attack averaging more than 170 yards per game led by Dante Dowdell with 184 yards and three scores.
For Illinois, the numbers are pretty similar. Luke Altmyer has thrown for 647 yards and six touchdowns while the Illini ground game is averaging just over 150 per game with Kaden Feagin having a team-high 173 yards and three scores.
But, Bielema is wanting more from his ground game.
“The numbers speak for themselves. The ultimate number we care about is three wins and zero losses,” he said. “I think good teams do three things. They run the ball, defend the run and cover kicks.
“Our offense has to be balanced, but we have to run the ball effectively, especially when certain situations arise. If we want to win in Big Ten, being able to run the ball in certain situations is required.”
Friday’s game is set for a 7 p.m. kickoff. The game can be seen on Fox and heard on the Busey Bank Illini Sports Network.
