Illinois Fighting Illini vs Nebraska Cornhuskers Match Player Stats On Oct 01, 2016

The Sports Xchange
Oct 1, 2016

Nebraska stormed from behind with three touchdowns in the final quarter on Saturday to beat Illinois 31-16 before 90,374 fans on Homecoming Day in Lincoln, Neb.

The No. 15 Cornhuskers (5-0, 2-0 in the Big Ten), trailed 16-10 heading in the final 15 minutes, but went ahead to stay on a 3-yard touchdown run by Terrell Newby, who finished the game with 27 carries for 140 yards and two touchdowns.

Nebraska added a 6-yard touchdown pass from Tommy Armstrong Jr. to Trey Foster with 4:32 left and Newby applied the clincher with a 63-yard scoring burst with 2:03 left on the clock.

Armstrong, who completed 16 of 23 passes for 220 yards with one touchdown and one interception, put the Huskers ahead 7-0 with a 1-yard run to cap a 75-yard drive on the 13th play after the opening kickoff.

However, the Illini (1-3, 0-1) took a 13-10 halftime lead after Kendrick Foster ran 31 yards for a touchdown and Chase McLaughlin added field goals of 24 and 43 yards in the second quarter, the second with one second left.

McLaughlin added a 33-yard field goal with 7:40 left in the third quarter to make it 16-0 before Nebraska owned the fourth quarter.

The Huskers played most of the game without one of its best players, tight end Cethan Carter, who sustained shoulder and ankle injuries while making his only catch of the game for two yards in the first quarter.

Drew Brown of Nebraska missed a 56-yard field goal attempt early in the second quarter, his first miss in 14 tries, but connected from 29 yards to give the Huskers a 10-7 lead with 5:59 left in the half.

Quarterback Wes Lunt of Illinois completed 13 of 22 passes for 133 yards without a touchdown or interception, and Reggie Corbin led the Illini with 72 yards on nine carries, including a 31-yard scoring run.

Nebraska, which avenged a 14-13 defeat last season in Champaign, Ill., has a bye next week while Illinois plays host to Purdue.