Illinois limped home from Nebraska with a Big Ten loss as well as questions about when injured quarterback Wes Lunt will return.
But the worst development in the 45-14 loss in Lincoln, Neb., was this: The Illini defense was trampled by the Cornhuskers’ running game.
Offense: D.
Receiver Geronimo Allison was the bright spot with 118 yards and a touchdown on five catches. Reilly O’Toole threw three interceptions filling in for Lunt, completing just 44.7 percent of passes. The run game managed only 78 total yards.
Defense: F.
Nobody is doubting whether Huskers running back Ameer Abdullah has Illinois’ number. Last season he rushed for 225 yards and two touchdowns. On Saturday he accounted for 208 yards and three touchdowns. The Illini allowed six touchdowns and 624 yards.
Special teams: C.
Justin DuVernois was solid again. The punter averaged 42.3 yards on eight punts. But there weren’t enough opportunities for the special teams to showcase kickoffs or punt returns.
Coaching: D.
After falling behind early, Illinois coaches had few offensive options with a backup quarterback in the game. It’s debatable, but the Illini kept quarterback Aaron Bailey’s potential redshirt intact. The defense looked stunned by the Nebraska offense.
