**Nebraska Leads Illinois 17-10 at Half: Raiola, Neyor, and Dowdell Shine Amid Penalty Struggles**
At halftime, Nebraska holds a 17-10 lead over Illinois in what’s been a gritty first half of Big Ten action. The Huskers flashed moments of brilliance but were also slowed by a string of penalties that nearly derailed their momentum.
**Dowdell Running with Conviction:**
Dante Dowdell wasted no time making his presence felt. The sophomore running back pounded the Illinois defense, breaking tackles and running with conviction. His hard-nosed style has kept Nebraska’s offense on schedule and worn down the Illinois defensive front, allowing the Huskers to control the pace of the game. If he keeps this up, Nebraska will continue to dominate the ground game in the second half.
**Raiola Trusts Banks Early:**
Freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola showed poise and confidence, leaning on wide receiver Jahmal Banks in key moments. Raiola has trusted Banks with several early throws, leading to a few critical first downs and keeping the Huskers’ drives alive. The chemistry between these two is growing quickly, which is encouraging for the Huskers’ passing attack.
**Neyor Strikes First for Nebraska:**
Nebraska’s first touchdown came from a well-executed play where Raiola connected with Isaiah Neyor, who caught his first Husker touchdown of the season. Neyor, showing why he’s such a key addition, found a soft spot in the Illinois secondary and made it count, giving Nebraska early momentum.
**A Chippy O-Line:**
Nebraska’s offensive line brought plenty of physicality to the first half, but that edge may have gone a little too far at times. While they’ve provided solid protection and opened up some good running lanes, the O-line has been flagged multiple times, stalling drives with unnecessary penalties. They’re playing with passion, but those penalties are starting to add up, and they’ll need to clean it up in the second half if they want to maintain their lead.
**Penalties, Penalties, Penalties:**
The story of the first half isn’t just about Nebraska’s early success. Penalties have been a thorn in the Huskers’ side, with several drives disrupted by flags for holding, false starts, and unnecessary roughness. Coach Raiola has been visibly frustrated on the sideline, taking it personally as his offensive unit continues to shoot itself in the foot. Nebraska will need to address its discipline issues if they hope to close out this game strong.
As Nebraska heads into the second half with a 17-10 lead, they’ll need to tighten up their play, avoid more penalties, and lean on their offensive stars like Dowdell, Neyor, and Banks to bring home the win.