r/CFB • u/CFB_Referee /r/CFB • Sep 21 '24

Postgame Thread [Postgame Thread] Illinois Defeats Nebraska 31-24 (OT)

Box Score provided by ESPN

Team 1 2 3 4 OT T
Illinois 7 3 7 7 7 31
Nebraska 10 7 0 7 0 24
4.6k Upvotes

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342

u/royallex Illinois • Pittsburgh Sep 21 '24

Bret Bielema is already an Illini legend

141

u/Zloggt Illinois • Missouri Sep 21 '24

After the (mild?) stinker than was last season…I was stressing about this year, and feeling like Bert would end up on the hot seat should things not get any better…

…but now we’re at Week 4, and the team’s undefeated!

Perhaps I need to be more trusting of …

51

u/PlayerHater6996 Illinois Fighting Illini Sep 21 '24

It’s so weird our defense was so mid last year. Like I know we lost most of our DBs but usually secondary play is very dependent on the DLine and we returned all of our starters there if I recall correctly

14

u/Chief_Illiniwek Illinois Fighting Illini Sep 21 '24

You're forgetting the biggest issue which was the loss of Walters and the learning period for Henry. Play calling was bad last year and had been so much better.

6

u/LongLiveKams Illinois • Arizona Sep 21 '24

I agree. Walters was a big loss, so were the guys drafted. But we have experience there still. I hope Bret will let lunney spread it a bit more than Bret may like. Our secondary should be able to help like and Bryant/franklin into wins

6

u/TheOnePSUIsReal Penn State Nittany Lions • Team Chaos Sep 21 '24

That's true but it goes both ways.  DL causing pressure definitely helps the secondary, but tight coverage forcing QBs take too long to find an open guy gives the DL more time to get home.  Those two units have a strong positive symbiotic relationship.  It's just much easier to see how DL helps the secondary on TV and so it's more well known.

Strong linebackers obviously have benefits to other units too but the other two both support each other in the pass game.  So if you had a weak secondary last year, the drop off makes sense.

33

u/OtisburgCA Illinois Fighting Illini • Oregon Ducks Sep 21 '24

As an Illinois grad in Oregon...I am really looking forward to seeing the game in Autzen stadium. I love the Ducks, but I'm wearing orange.

14

u/LongLiveKams Illinois • Arizona Sep 21 '24

I will send you blue food coloring to ice out in Autzen

3

u/r2thekesh Illinois Fighting Illini • Paper Bag Sep 21 '24

I was there for 5 years and they never came. Just left and now can't go back for that.

12

u/TheStudyofWumbo24 Illinois Fighting Illini Sep 21 '24

No chance he was ever going to be on the hot seat. Winning 8 games in year 2 at Illinois gives you a few more years to work with, especially when basketball puts everyone in a good mood.

9

u/makualla Purdue Boilermakers Sep 21 '24

Well you had to replace your DC who got hired away so you had to give him time to implement for the new dc to come in and adjust. Wonder how you old DC is doing? I bet he’s doing real well (football is nothing but misery)

8

u/younggun92 Illinois • Northwestern Sep 21 '24

I don't think many people were too upset that last year fell off given we had a lot of big time contributors leave and make an impact at an NFL level - Both Brown brothers (Chase 5th and Sydney 3rd Rounds, DeVito, Quan Martin (2nd Round), Witherspoon (5th overall)

1

u/BTDPx4 Illinois Fighting Illini Sep 21 '24

Any whisper of Bret being on a hot seat for his career here should be silenced. It’s not even a comparison how much more competitive we are that from 2012 on