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Nebraska vs. Illinois, Sept. 27, 2014
- Nebraska improved to 5-0 overall with tonight’s victory, marking the Huskers’ first 5-0 start since the 2010 season. Nebraska won for the sixth straight time on Homecoming and improved to 78-22-4 all-time on Homecoming. The Huskers also won their Big Ten opener for the third straight season and NU improved to 5-2 in conference openers under Bo Pelini. Nebraska improved to 9-2-1 all-time against Illinois, including 7-1 in Lincoln.
- Nebraska won its 15th straight home night game and improved to 41-5 all-time in night games at Memorial Stadium. The win also gave Nebraska a 4-0 record at home this season ensuring Nebraska’s 46th consecutive winning home season.
- Nebraska won its sixth straight game overall, including last year’s bowl victory over Georgia. The six-game win streak ties for the longest under Pelini, and is the fourth time Nebraska has achieved a six-game win streak under Pelini.
- Nebraska scored more than 30 points for the fifth straight game to open the season, marking just the second time in the past 19 seasons the Huskers have scored at least 30 points in each of their first five games. NU scored at least 30 points in each of the first six games in 2012. The Huskers, who won 45-14, have scored 40 or more points in four of their first games this season.
- The Huskers rushed for 458 yards in tonight’s game, including 190 first-quarter rushing yards and 288 yards on the ground before half. The 458 rushing yards marks the second time Nebraska has topped 400 rushing yards this season, after rolling up 498 rushing yards against Florida Atlantic in the opener. It is the third time NU has rushed for 400 yards under Pelini. Nebraska has rushed for more than 300 yards three times this season, and NU improved to 18-0 under Pelini when rushing for at least 300 yards.
- Nebraska finished with 624 yards of total offense, marking the first time the Huskers had amassed 600 total yards in a Big Ten Conference game. NU ran 91 total plays, including 70 rushes for 458 yards and 10-of-21 passing for 166 yards.
- Nebraska senior I-back Ameer Abdullah rushed 22 times for 208 yards and a career-high three rushing touchdowns. Abdullah opened the game with five carries for 60 yards on Nebraska’s first drive, capped by a 12-yard touchdown run to give Nebraska a 7-0 lead. Abdullah rushed for 196 yards on 20 carries in the first half alone, including 13 carries for 127 yards in the first quarter.
- Tonight’s game marked the second straight three touchdown game for Abdullah after recording two rushing scores and a receiving TD against Miami last week. Abdullah now has 28 career rushing touchdowns, including eight in 2014. With his three touchdowns tonight, Abdullah increased his overall career touchdowns total to 36 moving him into a tie for sixth place with Tommie Frazier on the NU list.
- The 208-yard effort was Abdullah’s fourth career 200-yard rushing game and third of the 2014 season. The four 200-yard rushing games ties Abdullah with Ahman Green for the second-most in NU history, trailing Mike Rozier’s seven career 200-yard rushing games. Abdullah also notched a 200-yard game against the Illini for the second straight season, after posting 225 yards last season. The three 200-yard games this season are tied for the second most in a season, trailing Rozier’s four 200-yard games in his 1983 Heisman season. It was also Abdullah’s 21st career 100-yard rushing game, the second-most in Nebraska history, trailing only Mike Rozier’s 26 100-yard rushing games. Abdullah was tied with Ahman Green (20) coming into tonight’s game.
- Abdullah increased his career rushing yardage total to 3,810 yards, moving him within 70 yards of Ahman Green (3,880 yards) for second place on the Nebraska career rushing list.
- Abdullah totaled 208 yards from scrimmage in tonight’s game to increase his career yards from scrimmage total to 4,339 moving him past Ahman Green into second place on the NU list. Mike Rozier holds the NU school record with 4,996 career yards from scrimmage. Abdullah has topped 100 yards from scrimmage in 18 straight games.
- Abdullah had 212 all-purpose yards in the game, increasing his career total to 5,974 yards and moving him within 26 yards of becoming just the seventh player in Big Ten history with 6,000 career all-purpose yards. In tonight’s game, Abdullah passed Anthony Carter, Michigan (5,799 yards), Brandon Williams, Wisconsin (5,852 yards), and Montee Ball, Wisconsin (5,935 yards).
- With his 22 rushing attempts in tonight’s game, Abdullah now has 663 career carries, leaving him just five attempts behind Mike Rozier’s school record of 668 carries.
- Junior I-back Imani Cross rushed 22 times for a career-high 109 yards in tonight’s game, including a four-yard TD run in the third quarter. The 109 yards bettered his 105 yards against Wyoming in the 2013 season opener. With both Abdullah and Cross topping 100 yards rushing it marked the second time this season and the 77th time in school history NU has had a pair of 100-yard rushers. Abdullah and Terrell Newby both topped 100 rushing yards against Florida Atlantic in the season opener.
- Senior receiver Kenny Bell caught a 63-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter to give Nebraska a 28-7 lead. The 63-yard touchdown catch tied Bell’s season long reception and was Nebraska’s fourth touchdown pass of better than 50 yards this season. Bell now has 17 career touchdown receptions, moving into third place on the NU career touchdown receptions list. Each of Bell’s last 15 touchdowns have covered at least 20 yards. Bell finished the night with five receptions for 105 yards, increasing his career receptions total to 153 to move within 13 receptions of Nate Swift’s NU record of 166 career receptions. It marked his fifth career 100-yard receiving game, tying Bell for third on the NU list of 100-yard receiving games.
- Junior defensive end Randy Gregory finished the game with 2.5 sacks for 17 yards. Gregory has 4.5 sacks this season, including 2-25 against Miami. Gregory increased his career sack total to 15, moving him within 1.5 sacks of the top 10 on the NU career sacks list (16.5, 10th). Gregory has had a sack in seven of nine career Big Ten Conference games.
- Sophomore quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. improved his record to 12-1 as Nebraska’s starting quarterback. Armstrong is one of only four quarterbacks to start a career with a 12-1 record, joining Fred Duda (13-0), Turner Gill (12-1) and Tom Sorley (12-1).
- Sophomore safety Nate Gerry and junior cornerback Daniel Davie each registered their first career interceptions in the first half. Davie added his second interception of the night in the fourth quarter. Nebraska has had six takeaways in the past two weeks after having just one takeaway in the first three games of the season.
- Zaire Anderson led the Nebraska defense with nine total tackles, including 3-13 TFL and a sack on the final play of the game. Gregory, who added three quarterback hurries to go along with his 2.5 sacks and 3-17 TFL, and Joshua Kalu each added seven tackles.