Colandrea, Huskers Look to Bounce Back Following Halloween Nightmare

All eyes are on Anthony Colandrea to see how he will respond following his worst performance of the season.

Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Anthony Colandrea runs onto the field during the second quarter against the Washington Huskies at Memorial Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After signing an extension to return as the leader of the Husker offense for 2027, Nebraska quarterback Anthony Colandrea showcased his worst performance of the season against Washington on Halloween night.

Colandrea completed just 54% of his passes for one touchdown and three interceptions against the Huskies. That includes what would be the game-sealing pick-six with just over a minute to go in the fourth quarter.

Nebraska fans have heard a lot of talk about how much of a competitor and "gamer" Colandrea is from coaches and teammates, so now the question is clear: how will he respond against Illinois?

"It starts with me," Colandrea said in Tuesday's press conference. "I didn't play good at all. I didn't get the offense going to what the standard is, and it showed on Saturday. You can't turn the ball over three times and expect to win"

A Nebraska Cornhuskers fan reacts after a touchdown by the Washington Huskies during the fourth quarter at Memorial Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For their Friday matchup against Illinois, the game plan is simple, according to Colandrea: put points on the board.

"We just can't overthink stuff," Colandrea said. "We just have to go out there, stay on schedule, not get behind the chains, and just play together. We've shown that we can; now we just have to go out and do it."

The Huskers find themselves in a three-game skid after starting the season 5-0. Remarkably, Nebraska is the only team in the FBS that hasn't trailed entering the fourth quarter this season. Unfortunately, they are also leading the FBS in blown fourth-quarter leads.

According to offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen, the offense just needs to relax and the results will come.

"I just have to get them to relax," Holgorsen said. "They're good players. They've made those plays and they're going to make them. You just have to quit talking about the bad stuff, get back to work, and get ready for the next opportunity."

Illinois enters Friday's game on a three-game win streak after a 20-17 nail-biting win over Maryland on Halloween. However, their defense can be exposed if Nebraska can get back to its strengths while maintaining composure.

The Fighting Illini are allowing 24.3 points and over 370 yards per game this season. Despite a stagnant last three outings, the Huskers' offense is still averaging over 32 points per game and nearly 425 yards of total offense this year.

The Huskers and Colandrea will hope for a bounce-back performance as Illinois welcomes Nebraska for some Friday Night Lights. Kickoff on Nov. 6 in Champaign, Illinois, is set for 7 p.m. CT on FOX.