The Nebraska Cornhuskers visit the Illinois Fighting Illini on Friday, Nov. 6, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET from Gies Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois. Both teams are 5-3, with Illinois at 3-2 in Big Ten play and Nebraska at 2-3.

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Nebraska has lost three straight, all by one score, most recently a 17-10 loss to Washington. The Cornhuskers still allow only 15.6 points per game.

Illinois has gone the other way with three wins in a row, including a 21-10 win over Oregon on Oct. 24. Katin Houser missed that game with a hand injury and came back to throw for 223 yards in the 20-17 win at Maryland.

Below are the details on how to watch.

How to Watch Nebraska vs. Illinois

Players To Watch

Nebraska has scored 17 points or fewer in each game of its three-game skid, and the offense has leaned on Anthony Colandrea to throw it out of trouble. He attempted 33 or more passes in all three losses, and Washington intercepted him three times on Oct. 31.

Illinois gives him a friendlier front. The Illini have only eight sacks and allow 240.8 passing yards per game, so the throws should be there if he protects the ball. His legs are the other answer. He threw three touchdowns and ran for 108 yards against Maryland on Oct. 3. Watch whether he takes off when his first read is covered.

An injury held Jamal Rule to three carries at Oregon on Oct. 17, and Nebraska scored 14 points that day. He looked like himself again against Washington with 72 yards on 13 carries, and he leads the team with 463 rushing yards at 6.3 per carry.

Illinois allows 129.9 rushing yards per game, and a steady ground game is Nebraska’s cleanest way to keep its quarterback out of third-and-long. Mekhi Nelson adds 333 yards, so the Cornhuskers can rotate backs without losing much. Count how many carries Rule gets before halftime.

Collin Dixon

Houser looked for Collin Dixon 12 times in his return at Maryland, and the result was 103 yards, Dixon’s fourth 100-yard game of the season. He has 781 receiving yards and 10 touchdown catches.

Nebraska is a tougher read. The Cornhuskers allow only 179.6 passing yards per game, so Illinois will have to work for every completion. Dixon has handled heavy volume before, with 15 targets against Purdue on Oct. 3, and he averages 13 yards per catch. His third-down targets are the number to track.

Aidan Laughery

Illinois found a lead runner against Oregon on Oct. 24, when Aidan Laughery ran for 123 yards on 13 carries with a 75-yard burst. He leads the Illini with 560 rushing yards at 6.3 per carry.

This is a different kind of test. Nebraska allows just 91.1 rushing yards per game and has 23 sacks, so Illinois needs early-down yards to keep Houser out of obvious passing situations. Maryland held Laughery to 46 yards on 14 carries one week after Oregon. The first few series will show whether Illinois can stay balanced.

Nebraska vs. Illinois Odds



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