>>Ilini Hang Tough, Can't Overcome Powerful Cornhuskers

 

Terrell Newby ran for 113 of his 140 yards and scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, and No. 15 Nebraska got a scare from Illinois before winning 31-16 on Saturday.

Newby touched the ball on 18 of Nebraska's last 21 plays from scrimmage and the Cornhuskers (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) won going away after being down 16-10. They also avenged a 14-13 loss last year in Champaign.

 

Illinois (1-3, 0-1) got off only 10 offensive plays after taking its six-point lead with 7:40 left in the third quarter. The Illini have lost 14 straight and 23 of 24 against Top 25 opponents.

 

Nebraska, favored by three touchdowns, fell behind after turning over the ball on back-to-back possessions. But the Illini had to settle for field goals after each takeaway, allowing the Huskers to stay close.

 

The Huskers went 18 plays in 10:42 to take a one-point lead early in the fourth. Nebraska was able to keep the drive alive because of two huge penalties on the Illini. Chunky Clements had Tommy Armstrong Jr. stopped for a loss on a third-and-12, but he was called for a horse-collar tackle, and Darius Mosley was flagged for pass interference on a fourth-and-4.

 

The biggest play, though, was when Newby picked up a first down by inches on a fourth-and-1 at the Illinois 4. The spot stood after a video review, and Newby scored on the next play.

 

The Illini went three-and-out on their next series, and then Armstrong led an 11-play drive that ended with a 6-yard pass to Trey Foster for a 24-16 lead with 4:32 left.

 

The Huskers' last TD came when Newby busted through the line and went 63 yards to the end zone.

 

Armstrong was 16 of 23 for 220 yards, and Jordan Westerkamp caught four balls for 65 yards.

 

Reggie Corbin led the Illini with 72 yards on nine carries, and Wes Lunt was 13 for 22 for 133 yards.

 

>>Southeast Missouri Tops Eastern Illinois

 

As heard on WHOW, Jesse Hosket threw for two touchdowns and ran in a third to lift Southeast Missouri State past Eastern Illinois 21-14 on Saturday.

 

Hosket punched in the first touchdown from the 1 to cap a seven-play, 51-yard opening drive for the Redhawks (2-3, 2-0 Ohio Valley). He then found Adrian Davis for a 62-yard TD on the next possession to make it 14-0.

 

But Eastern Illinois (3-2, 1-1) stormed back, getting an 18-yard touchdown run from Christopher Anderson late in the first quarter and then a fumble recovery by Pono Choy, who returned it 22 yards to tie the game early in the second half.

 

Hosket, who finished 12 of 20 for 223 yards, connected with Marquette Murdock for a 45-yard touchdown on the next possession to put the Redhawks on top for good and snap a four-game losing skid to Eastern Illinois.

 

>>North Dakota State Runs Over Illinois State

 

Easton Stick was 13-of-18 passing for 256 yards and three touchdowns and North Dakota State cruised 31-10 over Illinois State on Saturday.

 

King Frazier added 76 yards rushing and Rj Urzendowski had 70 yards receiving for the Bison (4-0, 1-0 Missouri Valley), who have won their last six conference openers.

 

Illinois State held a 10-7 lead early in the second after Jake Kolbe found Anthony Fowler on an 18-yard TD pass. North Dakota State rallied with 21 straight points to close the quarter, highlighted by a 65-yard strike from Stick to Urzendowski to effectively put the game away.

 

Kolbe finished with 285 yards passing. Fowler added 119 yards receiving for the Redbirds (2-3, 0-2).

 

North Dakota State has won five consecutive games in the series, and 23 straight following a bye week.

 

>>South Dakota State Routes Western Illinois

 

Taryn Christion threw five touchdown passes and South Dakota State returned two interceptions for touchdowns in a 52-14 win over Western Illinois in the the Missouri Valley opener for both teams on Saturday.

 

Trailing 14-7, SDSU (2-2, 1-0) scored 45 straight points against the previously unbeaten Leathernecks (3-1, 0-1).

 

Christion passed for a career-high 361 yards. Four of his touchdown passes went to Dallas Goedert, who tied a 67-year-old school record for TD catches in a game.

 

Goedert had three TDs in the first two quarters to help the Jacks build a 28-14 lead. He finished with eight catches for 204 yards.

 

Western Illinois quarterback Sean McGuire tossed two touchdown passes in the first quarter as the Leathernecks took a 14-7 lead. He threw a 6-yard pass to Lance Lenoir less than three minutes into the game and a 3-yarder to Joey Borsellino with 1:52 left in the quarter.

 

McGuire and backup quarterback Trenton Norvell combined for 159 yards passing. Lenoir caught 10 passes for 84 yards.

 

>>Former Illinois QB Bailey Leads Northern Iowa Past Southern Illinois

 

Aaron Bailey passed for three touchdowns, ran for another, and Northern Iowa handled Southern Illinois 42-21 in the Missouri Valley Conference opener for both teams on Saturday.

 

Bailey finished 11 of 18 for 186 yards and no interceptions with 98 yards on the ground on 20 carries.

 

Northern Iowa (2-2) took a 14-0 first-quarter lead on a 4-yard run by Tyvis Smith and Bailey's 7-yard run. In the second quarter, Bailey connected with Daurice Fountain on touchdown passes of 20 and 18 yards, and Malcolm Washington returned an interception 43 yards just before halftime to make it 35-14 at intermission.

 

Fountain's third touchdown reception - an 8-yard catch at the start of the fourth quarter - extended the lead to 42-21. Fountain had five catches for 89 yards.

 

Josh Straughan led Southern Illinois (2-2) with 307 yards on 25-of-35 passing with three touchdowns, but also threw two interceptions.