The best way to get people talking about your favorite college football event is to either stay relevant consistently or be so inept that the mere mention of that school leads to nods & laughs.
The latter is especially true for Nebraska, which last season campaigned for open play during a pandemic & then complained when the Big Ten released its schedule.
According to The Action Network, the Cornhuskers also attempted to pull out of this season's September 18 matchup against Oklahoma, & led by head coach Scott Frost, assessing the interest of several Group of Five conference events to replace the Sooners. tried to.
Illinois won't benefit from a 30-22 loss on Saturday, but it gets worse.
Nebraska is under NCAA investigation, which is accused of improperly using analysts & advisors during practices & games during the 2020 season.
Perhaps the hottest seat in the game, due to Frost's 12-20 record in his first three seasons at his alma mater, would ignite buyout chatter at Lincoln again.
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The fourth year of the Frost Experiment started poorly as Brett Belma, in his Illinois coaching debut, scuttled Nebraska's comeback effort on a blustery day in Champagne.
Nebraska was again marred by a bevy of poor decision making & worse execution.
The first score of the season came when Nebraska punt returner Cam Britt-Taylor inexplicably fielded the ball to the 2-yard line, ran backwards & was tackled in the end zone to give Illinois a 2-0 lead.
On Illinois' next possession, quarterback Brandon Peters was slammed onto the turf on his left shoulder & did not return to the game. He watched from the side with his arm in a sling.
Rutgers transfer Artur Sitkowski entered the game & was promptly sacked on the next game.
The Huskers hit pay dirt in the second quarter on a Marquis step 2-yard touchdown run. But at the end of the half, Illinois took advantage of another Nebraska mistake when Adrian Martinez was sacked & led to a 41-yard scoop & score by linebacker Calvin Hart.
Illinois took hold in the opening second half & chewed eight minutes off the clock & took a 23-9 lead on a Sitkowski 2-yard TD pass to Luke Ford. Sitkowski finished with a skillful 12-of-15 for 124 yards & two touchdowns.
The same issues plaguing Huskers a year ago reappeared. Martinez was not skilled & when he had time, he overshot the receiver or held the ball too long, resulting in five sacks. Punt return miscues & two missed extra points added to another disappointing day for Frost.
Martinez was 16-in-32 with a touchdown for 232 yards & added 111 on the ground, including a third-quarter 75-yard scramble that cut into a three-touchdown deficit.
Illini could not have scripted the opening game better than this. After his stint in Wisconsin, Belema is back in the Big Ten, where he won three Big Ten titles in seven years before moving to Arkansas & spending time as an NFL assistant.
Illinois is in the midst of a reset after Lowy Smith's five-year tenure, going 17-39 with a 10-33 point in conference play.
Depending on how long Peters has been out, Illini will need to rely on his ground game & experienced offensive line to maintain his defence, which finished last in the Big Ten in 2020.