The stats don’t tell all, but sometimes they offer clues. Spray some cologne on that stat sheet.
It’s got its share of high numbers on it, and it’s like golf in this case. You don’t want a 122 on your card, which both teams rank nationally in turnover margin after each going minus 6 in the first five games.
But after the Nebraska-Illinois game on Friday, some side is going to flip that number in the ‘W’ column over to a 3 and there will be a feeling of optimism heading through the weekend because of it.
Here are some Illinois numbers to know. In many cases, they are numbers Nebraska wants to make the Illini hold onto for one more week.
72.0. In addition to turnovers, penalties been a real problem for the Illini. That number is their average yardage per game in flags, which ranks 119th. Nebraska is averaging 50.0 yards in penalties per game (50.0).
Now, sometimes really good teams rack up high penalty yards. It doesn’t tell all. In this case it tells something, though. Our friends at the Illini Inquirer have pointed out Illinois has allowed opponents 17 first downs off penalties after allowing 26 on flags all of last season.
29. That’s how many points Illinois has been outscored by in the first quarter of games: 39-10.
Nebraska, meanwhile, has been outscored 17-7 in the first frame and 37-14 in the second. That 28-0 halftime lead by Michigan last week certainly dented NU here. The Huskers’ only quarter they are winning at the moment is the third (28-17), while also losing the fourth (48-45).
Whichever side grabs the lead early on Friday will have pushed back against their early-season numbers.