Dave Feit: Hard Lessons and Silver Linings in Nebraska Football’s Loss to Illinois

The Huskers are not yet at a place where they can show up and expect to win. There’s still much work to be done.

Sep 20, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini wide receiver Collin Dixon (17) runs after a catch against Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive back Marques Buford Jr. (3) during the second quarter at Memorial Stadium. / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Last week, I asked what happens when Nebraska gets punched in the mouth.  On Friday night, the Huskers took several shots - some from Illinois, and some self-inflicted.  By the time regulation ended, the Huskers were wobbling against the ropes.  In overtime, Illinois landed a devasting combination to score a decisive victory. 

  What? You expected Nebraska win every game? 

  While I would absolutely love for the program to get back to that point, the truth is we're not there yet.  Mistakes - big and small - are not always easy for this program to overcome.  They will have an impact.  I'll spare you the same "Chasing 3" reference you've seen 71 other times and simply note that the rebuild is not yet complete. 

  The defense cannot afford to give away free yardage and play tentative.  The offense cannot afford to stall out - and protecting the franchise quarterback would sure be good idea.  The special teams need to execute when they're on the field (or the coaches need to know to keep them on the sidelines).  The coaching staff cannot afford to be outcoached.  

  As much as we all wanted to roll into Ohio State at 7-0, it probably would have been 2016 all over again.  That Nebraska team rode momentum (and a rather pedestrian schedule) to a #7 ranking before losing four of their last six games, two by 30+ points. 

  I'll never say a loss is a good thing - even if hindsight shows that a few ultimately worked in Nebraska's favor.  This is a game the Huskers could have - and maybe should have - won.  It sucks to lose games like this. 

  But maybe the loss will re-emphasize the importance of details, composure, and being more physical than the opponent.  Maybe it will help keep Year 2 expectations at a more realistic level. 

Sep 20, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers head coach Matt Rhule talks with officials after an interception during the second quarter against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium. / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

  So now what? 

  Nebraska's first road trip of the season awaits.  Dylan Raiola's first time in front of a hostile crowd … or as hostile as West Lafayette can muster for an 11 a.m. CDT game featuring the 1-2 Boilermakers. 

  This should be a great bounce-back opportunity for the Big Red.  A chance to get away from the hype and hope of home where expectations were growing exponentially with every win.  A chance to refocus and prove that sometimes we learn more from adversity than we do from success. 

Things I believe 

This is what happens when Nebraska cannot win the line of scrimmage.  Nebraska's running backs gained 89 yards on 24 carries (3.7 per carry).  Dylan Raiola was sacked five times, including three in overtime. 

  In the first half, Illinois was able to run the ball enough that Nebraska had to respect it.  In the second half, they were often able to get chunks of yards right up the middle.  In overtime, Kaden Feagin's 21-yard run on the first play set up the game-winning touchdown.  The Blackshirts struggled to get to quarterback Luke Altmyer. 

  Matt Rhule rightfully believes in controlling the line of scrimmage.  He's made great strides towards Nebraska being a dominant team in the trenches.  Unfortunately, Bret Bielema believes the same thing. 

Nebraska's staff got outcoached.  Tip your cap to the Illinois staff.  They had a great game plan and executed it well. 

  Offensively, Illinois neutered Tony White's pressure with quick passes, tight ends, and a quarterback who was mobile enough to stay out of trouble.  The Illini didn't abandon their running game and were able to sustain drives - with help from Nebraska's defense. 

  On defense, the Illini opted to make the true freshman beat them with his arm.  They mostly shut down Nebraska's running game, making the Huskers one-dimensional.  Sometimes, Illinois was able to cover NU's receivers well - Raiola often had to check the ball down to a back.  Sometimes, Jahmal Banks and Isaiah Neyor got open and Raiola made the Illini pay.  Raiola had a lot of completions and yards, but couldn't connect on a knockout punch. 

  I know many Husker fans look down their noses at Illinois.  But as long as Bret Bielema (now 5-2 against NU) is there, we should not overlook them. 

Freshman quarterbacks will have "oh wow" and "oh no" moments.  Regular readers may remember this from after the UTEP game, but I feel it is worth repeating:   

Dylan is ridiculously talented, but he's also ridiculously raw.   That means "what are you doing?" moments and "did you see that!" plays. 

Sep 20, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola (15) passes against Illinois Fighting Illini linebacker Jojo Hayden (30) during the second quarter at Memorial Stadium. / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

How many times did Raiola make a play on third down to move the sticks?  That's not a rhetorical question.  The answer on Friday was six times.  Completions to three different receivers and a zone-read keeper.  That doesn't include the play that was called a touchdown on the field, but was turned into an interception by replay or barely overthrowing an open receiver in the end zone. 

Raiola also had two trainwreck drives.  He fumbled twice on a three-play drive that lost 13 yards.  And I'd rather not discuss the overtime possession.   

But he had an absolutely gorgeous pass that floated over the outstretched arm of a defender before dropping into Isaiah Neyor's arms, and an absolute rope of an out route from the west hash to the east sideline.  

Dylan Raiola is the real deal, even if he's not (yet) perfect. 

Things I don't know 

What the hell happened in overtime?  As the game headed to overtime, I jotted down the following note: "Will it be old NU or a new NU?" 

  Welp. 

  A complete and utter meltdown.  Six total plays, each somehow more disastrous than the one before.    Recapping them would require a "NSFW" warning label.  Easily, the most Frost-ian moment of Rhule's tenure - which is also what makes it the most concerning. 

  A pre-snap penalty was compounded by a blitz that the line failed to pick up.  And things snowballed from there. 

  So now what?  I guarantee overtime is a scenario that will get a lot more attention in practice.  I also guarantee that Nebraska's next overtime possession will NOT include a "3rd and 42." 

  As for us fans, my advice is to wad those memories into a ball, encase them in a protective resin, bury it deep in the yard, and sprinkle some diatomaceous earth over the top for good measure.  One debacle of a possession does not define this team or this season. 

Were the right decisions made on 3rd and 4th down?  You know the drive we're talking about.  Midway through the fourth quarter, Mikai Gbayor recovers a fumble at the NU 38.  Eight plays later, the Huskers have 3rd & 3 from the Illinois 21 in a tie game.   

  On third down, Raiola dropped back and had Luke Lindenmeyer open, but his pass went over the fingertips of his diving tight end.  On fourth down, John Hohl missed a 39-yard field goal.  Even though they failed, were these the right choices? 

  I completely support the decision to throw for it all on third down.  Nebraska was definitely playing to win.  The trick play where Heinrich Haarberg took a handoff and threw it back to Raiola clearly demonstrated that NU wasn't interested in settling for a field goal or playing for overtime.  They wanted to score.  And they almost got it.   

  Which is why the decision to kick the field goal - with a backup kicker - is harder to process.  Against Northern Iowa, with Tristan Alvano available, Nebraska went for it on 4th & 3 from the 25.  Against Illinois, with Alvano out, Nebraska opts to kick on 4th & 3 from the 21.   

  It is definitely worth nothing that Nebraska failed to convert that 4th & 3 against the Panthers.  I think we'd all agree that Illinois has a better defense than Northern Iowa.  But unless Rhule was positive the kick would be made, I'd take my chances with Raiola and his receivers. 

  In the end, I can live with both decisions.  There are alternate universes where Lindenmeyer and Hohl are carried off the field as heroes, instead of thinking "what if…"

Sep 20, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini defensive back Torrie Cox Jr. (5) intercepts a pass to Nebraska Cornhuskers wide receiver Isaiah Neyor (18) during the second quarter at Memorial Stadium. / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

How would the game have played out if the Neyor touchdown hadn't been overturned?  While we're playing the "what if" game, let's look at the pivotal play in the game:  the second-quarter pass from Raiola to Isaiah Neyor that was ruled a touchdown on the field but was changed to an interception on replay. 

  What if the call on the field had been upheld (or, if replays needed to be completed within 60 seconds)?  Nebraska goes into halftime with a 14-point lead and all sorts of momentum.  Could Nebraska have held on - or extended their lead - for another 30 minutes?   

  Maybe I'm delusional, but I think they could have.  I believe the better team won Friday, but Nebraska could have won that game by double digits.  The overturned touchdown was the tipping point. 

  Unfortunately, that touchdown was never going to stand.  Having watched that replay a couple hundred times, there was just enough to give the official a shadow of doubt.   

  I remain convinced that if the question is "is it a catch?" or "is it targeting?", replay officials have the same answer:  "I know it when I see it, even if it's different from anything you've seen before." 

  In other words, unless Neyor brought the ball cleanly to the ground, stood up, and handed it to the official, there's always going to be a risk of it being overturned. 

Huskerigami Update 

A “Huskerigami” is a final score combination (win or lose) that has never happened in the 130+ year history of Nebraska football. 

  Final score:  31-24 

  Is that a Huskerigami?  No.  It has happened five times before.  The first time was a 1977 win over Bear Bryant's Alabama.  The most recent was a home loss - in overtime - to Northwestern in 2017. 

Nebraska linebacker John Bullock brings down Illinois running back Kaden Feagin after a short gain during the first quarter against Illinois. / Kenny Larabee, KLIN

5 Things I loved 

1. Jahmal Banks & Isaiah Neyor.  The duo were a big reason why Nebraska's passing game was so strong on Friday.  The two transfer wide receivers combined for 184 yards and two touchdowns on 12 receptions.  Neyor also had a 13-yard run.  Their impact has helped Raiola look good early on. 
2. John Bullock.  Every high school coach in the state should show their team the video of Bullock stripping the ball out.  It was the perfect "start the lawnmower" technique.  Through four games, Bullock probably has the edge on Ty Robinson for defensive MVP. 
3. Dylan Raiola.  Just missed a 300-yard, 3 TD day (or 330 and 4 TD if the replay official doesn't overturn the call on the field).  Yes, Raiola had some freshman moments - the drive where he inexplicably turned into Jeff Sims - and was failed by his offensive line in overtime.  But, goodness gracious, does he make some beautiful throws. 
4. Backups.  Due to injuries, tackle Gunnar Gottula, Ceyair Wright and John Hohl all played the most significant snaps of their Nebraska careers.  Wright made the most of his time, with six tackles, a sack, and a huge forced fumble.  Fair or not, the focus will be on the mistakes (Gottula's false start at the beginning of the overtime debacle and Hohl's missed field goal) instead of the otherwise solid performances. 
5. Will Compton.  The former Blackshirt last made this list after the Minnesota game in 2012.  But if you've seen his pregame videos, you'll understand why he's here.  They're a perfect blend of old school hype video and WWE promo.  And Compton is perfect for the role.  I was glad to see the HuskerVision folks bring him back in the fourth quarter. 

  Honorable mention:  Noel Martin, Thomas Fidone, Brian Buschini, Janiran Bonner, Dante Dowdell, Vincent Shavers, Jr., Ashley Spitsnogle creating artwork during the game, everybody who has purchased tickets to any of the last 400 home games. 

5 Areas for improvement 

1. Penalties.  Nebraska had nine penalties for 89 yards, with the defense accounting for seven of them (for 79 yards).  Twice, the Illini offense was backed up by their own penalty.  Twice, Nebraska immediately gave them five free yards by being offsides.  Seventeen of Illinois' points came on drives where Nebraska committed a 15-yard penalty.  
2. Defensive aggressiveness.  There are several times where it felt like the Blackshirts - normally swarming demons of destructions - were patient little cherubs waiting for Illinois to act before they reacted.  The few times that it felt like Nebraska was aggressive - Ceyair Wright's strip sack, a fourth down where Jimari Butler applied pressure - good things happened. 
3. Xavier Scott.  The Illinois defensive back was shown taunting NU kicker John Hohl after his missed field goal.  It probably will not surprise you to know that was not seen - or at least not called - by the officials.  Mr. Scott, you appear to be pretty good player, so stop waging your finger at 180-pound kickers. 
4. Player safety.  Time and time again we hear how they want to protect players and make the game safer.  Yet, when a player, very clearly out of bounds, gets hit - up around the helmet - in front of an official and no flag is thrown, I question that commitment to safety.  There was also a third-quarter throw (I think it was the one to Fidone) where an Illinois defender hit Raiola in the head after the ball was released. 
5. Memorial Stadium cellular reception.  My understanding is the old FanXP wifi network is now being used for cashless concessions.  Without it, you'd have better luck blocking Nash Hutmacher than getting a signal in the stadium.  I completely acknowledge that not being able to check Twitter during a TV timeout is the most first world of all first world problems.  But the reality is that fan experience matters.  Especially if Nebraska wants to keep the Sellout Streak going for the foreseeable future. 

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