Husker Doc Talk: Reality Hits Nebraska Football Against Illinois

Dr. Rob Zatechka and Travis Justice pull no punches in their postmortem of the Huskers' overtime loss.

Sep 20, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini offensive lineman Brandon Henderson (94) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the fourth quarter at Memorial Stadium. / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Husker Nation was hit with a hefty dose of reality Friday. On the night of the 400th consecutive sellout at Memorial Stadium, Nebraska loses the Big Ten opener to Illinois in overtime, 31-24. It's the first time Nebraska has lost a Big Ten Conference opener at home.

Dr. Rob Zatechka and Travis Justice don't hold back in this Husker Doc Talk Podcast edition.

1. Matt Rhule Was Out-Coached
2. The Defense Sucked and Was Undisciplined
3. The Offense Couldn't Find A Running Game
4. The Team Was Not Mentally Prepared for Primetime

All of this is a surprise, considering the momentum the Huskers had been building in the first three weeks of the season. Maybe we should have seen it coming based on recent history. Nebraska has lost eight straight overtime games. It's like they didn't even show up in the extra period against the Illini.

Matt Rhule is now 2-20 all-time against teams ranked in the top 25, including 14 straight losses. Nebraska has lost 25 straight games against ranked teams dating back to 2016.

What did we learn? Nebraska has come so far but still has a long way to go. Maybe this is a good time to get away from Lincoln. After four consecutive home games, Nebraska is at Purdue on Saturday. The Boilermakers are bad, 1-2 on the season after getting beat Saturday by Oregon State. It's a game the Huskers should  win, but then again, we thought the same thing against Illinois.

Watch or listen to the episode below.

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