3 keys to a Nebraska football win over Illinois

Big Ten play starts on Friday night for the Nebraska football team and it opens with a top-25 matchup against Illinois, another team that’s 3-0.

Neither team played an overly challenging non-conference schedule. Illinois beat Kansas. Nebraska football beat Colorado. Both teams have been stellar on defense and have gotten great quarterback play.

Talk about Dylan Raiola all you want, but Luke Altmyer has six touchdown passes in three games compared to zero interceptions. He’s also completing 69 percent of his passes and he can run a little.

Illinois is allowing just over eight points per game on defense. They have forced nine turnovers in three games and even though the Huskers are more than a touchdown favorite, this will be a battle, and here are three keys to a Nebraska football win on Friday night.

Stuff the run

Fans always want to talk about the quarterbacks and rightfully so. They are the most important players on the field. But in college football, most of the time, the quarterback relies heavily on other things.

Altmyer is a solid quarterback. He can run, but Nebraska football stuffed Illinois on the ground last season (21 yards on 19 carries) and it forced Altmyer to throw the ball 49 times, which amounted to just 289 yards. He was also sacked three times and turned it over twice.

If Illinois is able to run the ball, Altmyer will be able to use some play-action and the Nebraska pass rush won’t be as effective. We saw that last week against Northern Iowa. Nebraska had one sack. Colorado couldn’t run though and Shedeur Sanders was tormented all night.

That’s why if Nebraska can stuff the run, it will be a long night for Altmyer.

Don’t lose the turnover battle

The turnover battle often decides these things. Nebraska football has the better team. I believe that in my heart of hearts, so they don’t need to win the turnover battle, but they can’t lose it.

Nebraska could probably survive being minus one in turnover ratio, but if Illinois gets a couple of takeaways, that’s how the Fighting Illini leaves Lincoln with a win.

I just don’t see it happening any other way.

Keep it clean with Dylan Raiola

I mean this in two different ways: Dylan Raiola needs to play a clean game for Nebraska football and avoid turnovers, but the offensive line also has to keep him clean in the pocket.

Raiola is going to see things he probably hasn’t so far this season from Illinois. They will try to disguise coverages and do it at the last second to try and confuse the young quarterback.

It only takes one or two bad decisions to lead to a bad day (interceptions), especially with a young quarterback. Raiola is wise beyond his years at the position though, so as long as he’s protected, he’ll do just fine protecting the football.

Illinois has five sacks in three games. They also have six interceptions, but if they can’t get to Raiola, I don’t think he’ll have trouble picking the defense apart.

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