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Illinois scores the first points of the 2021 college football season off a safety on a botched punt return

Related Topics: Illinois, Nebraska, Brandon Peters

Don't field a punt close to your own end zone.

That timeless rule is now probably ingrained in the head of Nebraska's Cam Taylor-Britt after he gifted Illinois the first two points of the 2021 college football season on Saturday in the Huskers' loss to Illinois.

Taylor-Britt inexplicably fielded a Blake Hayes punt while going backwards inside the Nebraska 5 in the first quarter. Taylor-Britt caught the punt, and then his momentum carried him toward the goal line. When he realized what happened — and that a tackler was heading right for him — he panicked.