Nebraska takes on Illinois on Friday at Memorial Stadium
On Friday evening, the final month of the regular season gets underway for Nebraska when Champaign, Ill., hosts Memorial Stadium’s matchup between the Huskers and Illinois.
Watch the Game on Fox and Listen on the Radio Network
The game is set for a 7 p.m. CT kickoff on FOX. Fans can also tune in via the official Huskers App, Huskers.com, and the Huskers Radio Network along with its partner stations.
Both teams enter November with identical 5-3 overall records. Nebraska holds a 2-3 mark in the Big Ten Conference.
Husker Defense Dominates Despite Narrow Loss to Washington
The Huskers enter this road matchup following a 17-10 setback against Washington in Lincoln. For the majority of the second half, Nebraska maintained a 7-3 advantage until the Huskies punched in two touchdowns during the final two minutes.
Despite the loss, the Husker defense dominated the field. The unit held Washington to just 32 rushing yards and 267 total yards of offense.
Known as the Blackshirts, the Nebraska defense leads the nation in third-down defense. The unit also ranks among the top 15 nationally in total defense, scoring defense, rushing defense, pass efficiency defense, and sacks.
Illinois brings a three-game winning streak into Friday’s contest. The Fighting Illini secured a 20-17 victory at Maryland on Saturday.
Illinois trailed for much of that game before rallying with 10 fourth-quarter points. The comeback was capped by a game-winning walk-off field goal.
The Fighting Illini offense averages more than 164 rushing yards and 230 passing yards per contest. Directing the program in Champaign is Bret Bielema during his sixth season as Illinois’ head coach, having accumulated 42 victories during his tenure.
Series History in Champaign
Friday marks the 23rd all-time meeting between Nebraska and Illinois. Nebraska holds a 14-7-1 advantage in the series.
The Huskers carry a 5-3-1 record in games played in Champaign. This is the 13th meeting between the schools as Big Ten opponents.
The two programs met 12 straight seasons from 2013 to 2024 before not playing last season. Before their first meeting as conference opponents in 2013, the teams had met just three times in the previous 88 seasons.
Recent history favors the visitors in this matchup. The road team has won six of the past eight meetings, including three Husker victories at Memorial Stadium in 2017, 2019, and 2023.
Friday Night Prime Time Tradition
Friday’s game is the first of two Friday matchups for Nebraska in November. The Huskers will close the regular season on Black Friday at Iowa.
This marks the fifth straight season Nebraska has played at least two Friday games during the regular season. The Huskers and Fighting Illini are familiar with the slot.
Including 2023 in Champaign and 2024 in Lincoln, this marks the third consecutive Friday night matchup between the Illini and the Huskers. The road team has won each of those three Friday meetings.
The contest also marks Nebraska’s third consecutive prime-time game and its fifth overall night game of the 2026 season. It is the third consecutive season the Huskers have had three consecutive prime-time games in Big Ten play.
Nebraska Started the Season Strong Before Suffering Three Losses
Nebraska opened the 2026 season by winning its first five games before three one-score losses dropped the Huskers to 5-3. The 5-0 start was the program’s first unbeaten record through five games since 2016 and just its sixth since that year.
During that initial stretch, Nebraska won its first two Big Ten games for the first time since 2017. Each of the first five wins came by at least 18 points.
The Huskers also completed non-conference play unbeaten for the third straight season. That extends Nebraska’s streak of regular-season non-conference wins to 11 games dating back to 2023.