Postgame Video: HC Beckman | DC Banks
LINCOLN, Neb. - Ameer Abdullah ran for 208 yards and three touchdowns, Imani Cross added a career-high 109 yards and a TD, and No. 21 Nebraska beat Illinois 45-14 on Saturday night.
Illinois (3-2, 0-1) started Reilly O'Toole at quarterback in place of Wes Lunt. O'Toole was 17 for 38 for 261 yards and two touchdowns and was intercepted three times, twice by Daniel Davie.
Illinois turned a couple big plays into first-half touchdowns. Josh Ferguson left safety Corey Cooper on his heels with a slick move on a 41-yard run that marked the fourth time in five games that Nebraska has allowed a touchdown on its first defensive series. Geronimo Allison used his 5-inch height advantage to grab a deep ball over cornerback Josh Mitchell, then turned and ran the rest of the way for a 58-yard TD.
Allison, a junior-college transfer, finished with five receptions and 118 yards - his second-straight game with more than 100 yards receiving.
Those two drives accounted for 145 yards. The Illini totaled 161 yards on their other 11 possessions against Nebraska's No. 1 defense.
"The game comes down to not stopping the run and not having enough consistency on the offensive side of the ball," Illinois coach Tim Beckman said.
It was Abdullah's third 200-yard rushing game of the season and fourth of his career, second-most in program history behind 1983 Heisman Trophy winner Mike Rozier's seven.
"The way we're playing, we're running the ball, the offense is running fast and we're enjoying ourselves," quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. said. "I know Ameer was enjoying himself."
Abdullah went over 100 yards nine minutes into the game and scored the Huskers' first three touchdowns on runs of 12, 8 and 2 yards. Abdullah broke four runs of 20 yards or longer, had three others longer than 10 and left after his 22nd carry after he went over 200 for the second straight year against the Illini.
"We knew from coming into this week that they wanted to run the ball. Outside zone, inside zone, they wanted to run the ball," linebacker T.J. Neal Jr. said. "They're a running team. And they had an aggressive offensive line that made it hard to get to the running back."
Armstrong was 10 of 21 for 166 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. He attempted only three passes through the first quarter and a half, each one incomplete. On the fourth, he hit Kenny Bell in stride on a fly pattern for a 63-yard touchdown that made it 28-7.
The Fighting Illini forced two Nebraska turnovers early in the game on back-to-back drives. T.J. Neal intercepted an Armstrong pass and Mason Monheim poked a ball out of the hands of Cross that was recovered by Eaton Spence.
Illinois' offensive line had more than it could handle dealing with defensive end Randy Gregory, who had 2 1/2 sacks and three quarterback hurries - not to mention a bone-jarring block on Malik Turner to help facilitate Nate Gerry's 53-yard interception return that set up a short scoring drive.
