Illinois Beats Nebraska 24-13 as Collin Dixon Sets TD Record and Illini Clinch Bowl Eligibility

Illinois beat Nebraska 24-13 on Friday night at Gies Memorial Stadium in Champaign. Collin Dixon caught two touchdown passes, one of them a school record, and a fake field goal set up the go-ahead score. The win is the Illini’s fourth straight, and it makes them bowl eligible.

Update (5:45 PM ET): Nebraska coach Matt Rhule fired offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen on Saturday, a day after the Huskers’ 24-13 loss at Illinois, according to AP News and CBS Sports. Rhule said in a statement that the offense’s plan and execution were not working after four straight losses in which Nebraska averaged 13.5 points per game. Co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Glenn Thomas will take over play-calling for the rest of the season, CBS Sports reported.

Illinois improved to 6-3 overall and 4-2 in the Big Ten. Nebraska fell to 5-4 and 2-4 in the league and has now lost four in a row.

Final score

How did Illinois beat Nebraska?

Nebraska scored first. Mekhi Nelson ran in from 15 yards on his only carry to cap a 98-yard, 10-play drive in the second quarter. The Huskers could have led by more, but kicker John Hohl missed field goals from 54 and 45 yards in the first half, according to the AP.

Illinois tied it 7-7 late in the half when Dixon scrambled into the end zone on a 3-yard touchdown pass from Katin Houser. That catch gave Dixon the school’s single-season record for touchdown receptions.

The key play came early in the third quarter. Punter and holder Lars Rau ran 29 yards on a fake field goal, and the drive ended with Houser’s 5-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Anderson for a 14-7 lead. Rau told reporters the fake is called “Charlie Brown.” “It worked because everyone did their part,” he said, according to the AP.

Dixon added a 6-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter to make it 21-7. Nebraska answered right away. Anthony Colandrea hit Jacory Barney Jr. for a 51-yard catch-and-run to cut the gap to 21-13. On the next drive, Houser found Dixon for 58 yards, but Nebraska’s defense held at the goal line and forced a 21-yard Ethan Moczulski field goal for the 24-13 final.

Nebraska had two more chances. One drive ended on a fourth-down pass to Kwazi Gilmer that was broken up by Juice Clark, and the Huskers’ last threat ended with a turnover on downs, according to Nebraska Athletics.

Collin Dixon’s record night

Dixon finished with eight catches for 129 yards and two touchdowns. That gives him 12 touchdown catches this season, two more than the previous Illinois single-season record, according to the AP. Houser went 22 of 36 for 292 yards and three touchdowns.

Dixon’s record catch came on the drive right after Illini running back Javari Barnett was carted off with his left leg in an air cast. No update on Barnett’s condition had been reported early Saturday.

Key stats

• Total offense: Nebraska 426 yards, Illinois 376 (team sites)
• Colandrea: 284 passing yards, a season high, and 1 TD
• Barney Jr.: 93 receiving yards and 1 TD
• Jamal Rule: 69 rushing yards on 15 carries
• Illinois rushing: only 84 yards, according to the AP

What did Matt Rhule say?

Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said his team was ready for the fake but couldn’t stop it. “They called something aggressive, executed it, and made the play,” he said, according to the AP. “I know everyone is frustrated, but when you look at the game, it was a good one for a long time. We just needed to make a couple more plays.”

KETV reported that Rhule pointed to missed field goals and red-zone trips without touchdowns. He said the team needs to get back to work for Rutgers and that he is working to keep “pity” from creeping in.

Why it matters

For Nebraska, the slide is getting harder to ignore. The Huskers started 5-0 for the first time since 2016. They then lost three straight games by a total of 13 points after leading each one in the fourth quarter, the AP noted. Friday’s loss makes it four in a row.

For Illinois, early home losses to Duke and Purdue had raised doubts. Now the Illini are bowl eligible for a third straight season, something that hasn’t happened since 1992, according to the AP. Illinois coach Bret Bielema said “a 9-3 team can get into the playoffs.”

What’s next?

Illinois finishes with games at UCLA, at home against No. 21 Iowa and at Northwestern.

FAQ