The Huskers hobble their way across the finish line against Illinois, pulling off a 31-16 win, but the bye week couldn't come at a better time.
Running back Devine Ozigbo, wide receiver Jordan Westerkamp and tight end Cethan Carter all left the game early with injuries. Not to mention the offensive line's razor-thin depth that featured three walk-ons.
The offensive line had it's ups and downs. It cleared massive holes for Terrell Newby at some points, but was terrorized all game by future NFL defensive end Dawuane Smoot and defensive lineman Chunky Clements.
Newby stepped up after Ozigbo's injury, finishing the game with 27 carries for 140 yards and two touchdowns, one which sealed the deal for Nebraska in the fourth quarter after Lovie Smith decided to give the ball back to Nebraska with three minutes left.
The defensive line had major issues containing Illinois running backs, and the linebackers were almost complete non-factor. The Huskers are going to need to address the tackling issues during the bye week as well.
Tommy Armstrong passed the ball with confidence when he needed to. He completed 16 of his 23 passes for 220 yards, including a touchdown to his roommate Trey Foster to give Nebraska an eight-point lead in the fourth.
Absent was the quarterback run plays that Husker fans have gotten used to seeing the past couple of games. My guess is this was because of the offensive line concerns.
I would chalk most of today's mistakes up to injuries. The Huskers were without the explosive plays, other than Newby's touchdown run in the fourth, but were also missing some of their most explosive offensive players (Westerkamp, Ozigbo, Alonzo Moore, Cethan Carter). This bye week will help.
Following the bye week, Nebraska will travel to Indiana to take on the Hoosiers. The Hoosiers might come into this game 2-3 after losing to Wake Forest last week and matching up with Michigan State and Ohio State these next two weekends. However, this Hoosiers offense is no joke. Nebraska won't be able to come out as flat on defense as it did today if it wants to leave Bloomington with a win.
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Twitter: @TylerMartinOSI
Email: Tyler.Martin@KMTV.com
