Illinois 30, Nebraska 22: Nothing to get upset about for Illini, Bielema in opener

It was every bit what the Illini needed in Game 1 of the Bret Bielema era. It was a fine place to start, more than just any old building block, as the Illini seek to end a streak of losing seasons at nine.

CHAMPAIGN — Week Zero? Indeed, it was.

Weak zeros? Maybe not the Illini. Maybe not anymore.

Illinois’ 30-22 upset of Nebraska Saturday in the opening game of the college football season was no masterpiece. It probably didn’t keep a national audience on FOX on the edge of its collective seat for anywhere close to 60 minutes. It certainly was a nightmarish start to the season for embattled coach Scott Frost and the Huskers, who fell to 12-21 under the school’s last national title-winning quarterback.

But it was every bit what the Illini needed in Game 1 of the Bret Bielema era.

“The lessons learned today were just worth their weight in gold,” Bielema said about his first game as a head coach since he was fired on the field after Arkansas’ 2017 finale. “You can’t script this any better for a head coach to have a learning experience for our players and our coaches.”

Brandon Peters might not co-sign that sentiment. The “super senior” starting quarterback — who opted back in for an extra season available due to the pandemic — exited the game for good in the first quarter with an apparent injury to his left shoulder.

But that opened the door for Artur Sitkowski, a former highly touted recruit who fizzled out at Rutgers, got on board with Bielema and had his moments in his Illini debut — none bigger than a perfect 45-yard completion to Deuce Spann that set up the touchdown that put the Illini in front 30-9 in the third quarter.

And no moment turned the game like the second-quarter debacle for the Huskers involving Sitkowski and linebacker Caleb Tannor. The Huskers had answered an early Illinois safety by reeling off nine points and knocking out Peters — and sacking Sitkowski on his first drop-back — and appeared to intercept Sitkowski on the Illini’s next series. But Tannor was flagged for both roughing the quarterback and taunting, 30 yards of precious laundry in all, and the Illini soon scored their first touchdown of the season to tie the game.

“Just bang-bang, you know? Football happens. Just bang-bang-bang,” Sitkowski said of the interaction with Tannor. “I had to get up, regroup myself and focus on the next play. …

“I was ready to go, man. I was fired up. I was real fired up. When you get hit like that, you know you’re alive.”

This is as good a time as any to point out that Sitkowski, well, it kind of rhymes with Grabowski, doesn’t it? Somehow his name, his burly 6-5 frame and where he’s now playing the game all seems to go together.

But there were lots of Illinois players to point to after a division win against the Huskers, who were favored by seven points.

In the final minute of the first half, Keith Randolph Jr. strip-sacked Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez from behind and linebacker Calvin Hart Jr. scooped the ball and raced 41 yards for a go-ahead score. In all, five different Illinois players sacked Martinez, an elusive fourth-year starter who ran for a 75-yard touchdown and threw for 212 yards and a score.

“The only guy that really could beat us, we thought, was [Martinez],” Bielema said.

The Illini won the special-teams battle thanks to punter Blake Hayes. Wideout Isaiah Williams made an impact in his first game after a position switch from quarterback. The Illini had a nearly 10-minute advantage in time of possession and managed to outrush the only school in the Big Ten that averaged at least 200 yards on the ground in each of the last three seasons.

“This wasn’t a surprise,” said Alex Palczewski, one of the key pieces of a deeply experienced offensive line. “We expected this. We worked our tails off.”

Even surrendering 14 points of a 30-9 lead was good for the long-term cause, too, Bielema figured. It’s all about those teachable moments.

“Nothing is going to come easy for this group,” Bielema said. “They played their hearts out, rallied around a second-string quarterback. Any time your quarterback gets knocked out, that’s a big deal.”

It was a fine place to start, more than just any old building block, as the Illini seek to end a streak of losing seasons at nine and — finally? maybe? — turn a corner under Bielema, the school’s seventh coach since the last one with a winning overall record, John Mackovic.

“You can have only one opportunity to win your opener as a head coach,” Bielema said.

He was asked if those were tears on his face after his comeback game.

“Nope,” he said. “I was just sweating.”

Sweat it good. Whatever it takes.