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Saturday afternoon was not the best moment of the Husker defense.
Former Nebraska quarterback, AJ Bush, burned his former team for a total of 331 yards. The Fighting Illini amassed 509 yards and 35 points in their lost effort.
Despite the difficulties on the statistics sheet, the Nebraska defense has strengthened its identity under Scott Frost.
For the third consecutive game, the Huskers forced three turnovers or more. Most importantly, they turned five Illinois turnovers into 24 points. In a 19-point win, these takeaways made the difference between an easy win and a tight approach.
This defensive identity is nothing new to the teams coached by Frost. His 2017 UCF team forced 32 turnovers, offsetting 428 yards per game. The first year in Nebraska, his team continues this trend.
The Huskers first began to forge this identity in their victory over Minnesota. After almost giving up a 28-point lead, they forced a downward turn of the goal line and intercepted a pass in the end zone to strengthen their lead. Then, faced with an outmoded Bethune-Cookman, the team forced three turnovers (including another interception in the red zone).
The three turnovers against Bethune-Cookman may have seemed insignificant to the extent that the match has never been so close, but they turned an event into a habit.
This habit lasted until November, when three points to remember allowed the Huskers to stay in their match against Ohio State last week.
In today's game against Illinois, the Huskers forced turnovers when they needed them the most. Midfielder Reggie Corbin and Bush burned Nebraska early and helped Illini counter two quick touchdowns. After being led 21-14 in the second quarter, Illinois was lucky enough to level the match again after forcing Nebraska to win the first kick of the day. But instead, Carlos Sandy escaped the ball and the Huskers retained possession of the ball over the Illinois territory.
The turnover virus officially bit Illinois. During their next visit, it appeared that the Illinis were going to make it a game again. Bush and Corbin led the Fighting Illini on the field in 10 games and moved closer to the red zone. However, Senior Safety Tre Neal dropped the ball from Bush's hands and linebacker JoJo Domann re-entered. Three games later, the Huskers had a 31-14 lead.
The Illini still had a chance to return to the match. They marched on the field for a touchdown and forced a punt with 20 seconds to play. By getting the ball in the first half, they had the opportunity to draw or take the lead in the second half if they scored before half-time. Instead, Jordan Holmes stifled the punt and a head-to-head game played by senior Wyatt Mazour kept the ball alive to allow the Huskers to get it back. Instead of 10 points or less, a touchdown with three seconds left in the half gave Nebraska a 38-21 lead.
Nebraska's fourth turnover was started early in the second half, while Illinois again crossed the midfield. This time, a pass from Bush deflected wide receiver Dominic Stampley and intercepted by senior security official Aaron Williams. The interception set up a 17-yard, 82-yard touchdown game that chilled the game.
With an attack as fast as that of Nebraska, it is unrealistic to expect the defense to be as stingy as the other Big Ten defenses. In order for the Huskers to regain their elite status, they will have to have a defense that thrives on turnovers and offers them more opportunities to score for the offensive.
The landscape of the conference is changing. More specifically, the Big Ten West landscape is changing. Purdue and Nebraska have two of the most explosive offenses in the country, and both are run by freshmen. The Illinois offense took a turning point in the third year under Lovie Smith and has more talent than in the last 10 years. Such units, in the face of the Ohio State offensive and the Wisconsin run, will use a defense.
That's why creating opportunities is more important for Nebraska. Forced turnarounds against Ohio State have completely changed the complexity of the game. It's something they were unable to do in Wisconsin a month ago. Their forced turnarounds against Illinois and Minnesota helped them get the separation they needed during those victories, which they could not do in tight defeats against Colorado and the United States. the Northwestern.
At 3-7, playing in a bowl game seems unlikely. Yet there is a lot to play for. These last two games will be dedicated to creating good habits for next season. Forcing the turnarounds, and taking advantage of them, is a smart habit to take for Nebraska.
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