Big Ten Daily: Illinois Upsets Nebraska in 2021 College Football Season Opener

Illinois defeated Nebraska 30-22 to open the 2021 season, a Michigan State commit will be out for his senior season of high school due to injury and former Maryland running back Ty Johnson was impressive in the New York Jets' preseason finale. Here's the latest from around the Big Ten.

Author:
D.J. Fezler
Publish date:
Aug 28, 2021 6:32 PM EDT

After all the build-up to the start of the 2021 college football season, Illinois and Nebraska clashed to kick it all off Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois.

The Fighting Illini lost starting quarterback Brandon Peters early in the first quarter after he was slammed to the turf. He was forced to watch from the sideline in a sling as backup Artur Sitkowski, a transfer from Rutgers, took the helm.

Illinois and first-year coach Bret Bielema were able to stave off a late comeback from Nebraska in a 30-22 victory. The Cornhuskers and coach Scott Frost were doomed by costly mistakes missed opportunities on the road.

The season's first points were scored by Illinois as Nebraska punt returner Cam Britt-Taylor fielded the ball at the two-yard line. He ran backward and was tackled in the end zone to give the Fighting Illini a 2-0 lead.

However, on the very next possession, Peters was injured and knocked out of the game. In his place, Sitkowski was an efficient 12-of-15 while throwing for 124 yards and two touchdowns.

Nebraska scored its first points of the game when running back Markese Stepp pounded his way across the goal line for a two-yard score. But quarterback Adrian Martinez failed to take advantage of later opportunities in the first half.

As the Cornhuskers were driving down the field, Martinez missed a wide-open receiver in the end zone, and they had to settle for a field goal.

With the game tied 9-9 near the end of the first half, Martinez dropped back to pass and fumbled the ball while being sacked. Illinois linebacker Calvin Hart scooped the ball up and ran to the end zone for a 41-yard score.

Illinois had a 16-9 lead at halftime, but the game was far from over. On the opening possession of the third quarter, the Fighting Illini drained eight minutes off the clock and scored on a two-yard touchdown pass.

While Martinez made plays with his legs to keep the game close, his inability to keep the chains moving through the air made the deficit too much to overcome. He was sacked five times during the game while completing just 16 of his 32 passes for 232 yards and one touchdown.

Martinez was Nebraska's leading rusher, carrying the ball 17 times for 111 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown scramble in the third quarter. But it wasn't enough to make the comeback.

Everything that could have gone wrong for Frost and the Cornhuskers did on Saturday. The punt return mishap, missed throws and a costly turnover culminated in an Illinois victory to open up Big Ten play.

Former Maryland RB Impressive in Jets Preseason Finale

Former Maryland running back Ty Johnson put together an impressive performance in the New York Jets' final preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Johnson, who's slated to be the No. 2 back behind Tevin Coleman, recorded 13 carries for 53 yards and a touchdown. He also logged two catches for 18 yards. The Jets and Eagles ended the game in a tie.

His lone score came just as time expired in the third quarter when he barrelled his way into the end zone from the three yards out.

So far in his career, Johnson has rushed for 527 yards and a touchdown. He was a sixth-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions.

The Former Terrapin recorded 4,196 all-purpose yards in college, which ranks third in program history. As a sophomore, he set a Maryland record with 9.1 yards per carry.

Maryland opens the season on Saturday, Sept. 4 against West Virginia. The game starts at 3:30 p.m. ET. As of Saturday morning, Maryland is a 3.5-point underdog according to sports gambling website Fanduel.com. The over/under is 56.5 points.

Michigan State Football Commit Out for High School Season

Shannon Blair, a 2022 three-star athlete from Knoxville West High School in Tennessee and a Michigan State commit, tore his ACL on Friday night during the opening game of his senior season.

Blair is a 6-foot-1, 170-pound prospect and is the 27th ranked recruit in the state of Tennessee, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. Before committing to the Spartans, he held 12 total offers. His other offers included Memphis, Purdue, Virginia, and Duke.

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