When it comes down to it, there are a lot of similarities between the Nebraska football team and Illinois, the Huskers opponent Saturday in Lincoln.
Illinois will come into the game at 4-5, while the Huskers are 2-7. Yet, Nebraska football is favored by 17 points and if you look at some of the stats of both teams, you might wonder why?
Both Nebraska and Illinois are near the bottom in most defensive categories. In total defense, the Huskers are 13th in the Big Ten and Illinois is last at 14th. Both teams are both ranked near the bottom in run defense, pass defense and scoring defense.