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 Abdullah ran 22 times for 208 yards and a career-high three
touchdowns, and No. 21 Nebraska used a punishing ground attack to
defeat Illinois 45-14 on Saturday night in the Big Ten Conference
opener for both teams at Memorial Stadium.
Abdullah, a senior running back, collected his fourth career
200-yard rushing game, with three coming this season. He did the
brunt of his work in the first half, as Nebraska (5-0, 1-0 Big Ten)
took a commanding second-quarter lead and never let up.
Nebraska, which entered the game averaging 329 rushing yards to rank
No. 2 in the Big Ten and No. 5 in the nation, ran for 458 yards.
Reserve running back Imani Cross carried 22 times for 109 yards.
Abdullah ran only twice in the second half, with both carries coming
in the third quarter. He was icing his knee on the sideline,
although Nebraska coach Bo Pelini said Abdullah was fine.
"I thought we really came out well running the football," Pelini
said. "You know, 190 yards, some teams are happy to do that in the
game. We did that in the first quarter. That changes a football
game. That wears on people. It takes the wind out of people's sails.
There's nothing more demoralizing than when you can't stop the run."
Nebraska opened the second half with an 11-play, 68-yard touchdown
drive to open a 38-14 lead, and the Huskers tacked on a
fourth-quarter touchdown after quarterback Tommy Armstrong converted
fourth-and-22 on a run.
Illinois (3-2, 0-1) played without sophomore starting quarterback
Wes Lunt, the Oklahoma State transfer who was sidelined with an
injury. Lunt had thrown for 1,237 yards and 11 touchdowns while
completing 65.8 percent of his passes over the Illini's first four
games.
Illinois coach Tim Beckman said Lunt didn't practice Tuesday, but
did on Wednesday and Thursday.
"We just did not feel like he was ready to be 100 percent,
especially at quarterback," Beckman said. "I am not going to play a
guy obviously. He is like my son. I am going to make sure what is
best for him. Right now it was not to play tonight."
Senior backup Reilly O'Toole, making his third career start and his
first since 2012, kept the Illini in the game early, but he threw
two costly interceptions in the first half that swung momentum
Nebraska's direction.
O'Toole completed 17 of 38 passes for 261 yards, with one touchdown
and three interceptions, in his second game this season. His first
action came in a loss at Washington on Sept. 13, when he was 4 of 5
for 49 yards off the bench.
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"I think he came in and did some things for us at quarterback,"
Beckman said. "The interception kind of was the same thing that
happened to us up in Washington. We had an interception that was
returned for a touchdown and then you have an interception that
happens, then a penalty on that play to get the ball on the 3- or
4-yard line. You just can't do those types of things when you are
playing a Top 25 football team."
Nebraska led 31-14 at halftime after pounding Illinois with 288
rushing yards, including 196 by Abdullah, who had 20 carries.
Abdullah had 127 rushing yards in the first quarter, including 60 on
the Huskers' opening drive. He busted a 21-yard run on the first
play and finished the series with a 12-yard touchdown run for a 7-0
lead.
Illinois answered quickly as O'Toole hit junior wide receiver
Geronimo Allison on a 36-yard pass down the sideline, and running
back Josh Ferguson scored on the next play, running 41 yards
untouched up the middle to force a 7-7 tie.
The Illini had a chance to take the lead after linebacker T.J. Neal
intercepted a pass by Armstrong at midfield. O'Toole led Illinois to
the Nebraska 1-yard line, but Ferguson lost three yards on
second-and-goal, and junior cornerback Daniel Davie intercepted
O'Toole's pass in the end zone.
Nebraska went on to expand its lead to 28-7.
Abdullah and Cross took turns gashing the Illini on a 10-play,
80-yard touchdown drive that was capped by Abdullah's 8-yard run up
the middle.
Sophomore safety Nate Gerry returned an interception 54 yards to set
up Abdullah's 2-yard touchdown run, and Armstrong hit senior wide
receiver Kenny Bell on a 63-yard pass for a one-play scoring drive.
Illinois got on the board again midway through the second quarter
when O'Toole hit Allison for a 58-yard touchdown.
NOTES: For just the second time in the past 19 seasons, Nebraska has
scored 30 or more points in the first five games. ... In all four
home games, Nebraska has allowed a touchdown on the opponent's
opening drive. Illinois went 70 yards in three plays. ... Illinois
sophomore LB T.J. Neal came up with his first career interception in
the first quarter, and he nearly picked off QB Tommy Armstrong again
late in the second quarter.
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