The University of Illinois beat the University of Nebraska 30-22 on Saturday to kick off the 2021 college football season under a new coach and with fans packed into the stands for the first time since 2019. 

The Big Ten conference win did not come without a price for Illinois.

Illinois had their backup quarterback at the helm after starting quarterback Brandon Peters left the game holding his left (non-throwing) shoulder. He was injured after being sacked hard near the end of the first quarter. Peters was 3 of 4 passing for 35 yards. He did not return and was replaced by Artur Sitkowski, a sophomore transfer from Rutgers.

Peters’ injury status was not clear following Saturday’s game.

Sitkowski engineered several long-scoring drives using a balanced attack under first-year coach Bret Bielema. He was 12 of 15 passing for 124 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions.

The Illinois rushing attack was led by Mike Epstein, who rushed for 75 yards on 16 carries, including a 45-yard run in the first quarter.

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Huskers quarterback Adrian Martinez was impressive, racking up 232 passing yards on 16 completions. He had one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdown. Martinez was Nebraska’s leading rusher, with 111 yards on 17 carries with one touchdown.

Gabe Ervin Jr. carried the ball 12 times for 19 yards and Markese Stepp had three carries for 10 yards and a touchdown for the Huskers.

Illinois scored on a defensive gem late in the first half when Keith Randolph Jr. sacked Martinez and knocked the ball loose near midfield. Calvin Hart Jr. scooped it up and scampered 41 yards for an Illini touchdown with less than a minute in the half.

Hart Jr. was injured late in the game and was helped off the field with what appeared to be a left leg injury.

Illinois led 16-9 at the break.

The early changes Bielema has brought to the Illinois program paid off handsomely in a key early conference win. Despite losing its starting quarterback, the offense looked smooth all afternoon and the defense held when it needed to. This was a win in more ways than just on the scoreboard for Bielema and his coaching staff.

Martinez played exceptionally well and provided nearly all of the Huskers’ bright spots on offense. With coach Scott Frost on the hot seat already, Saturday could prove a costly loss.

(With AP inputs)