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Nebraska Football: 3 takeaways from disappointing loss to Illinois

By Connor Muldowney

LINCOLN, NE - NOVEMBER 29: Head coach Scott Frost of the Nebraska Cornhuskers walks off the field after the loss against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Memorial Stadium on November 29, 2019 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
LINCOLN, NE - NOVEMBER 29: Head coach Scott Frost of the Nebraska Cornhuskers walks off the field after the loss against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Memorial Stadium on November 29, 2019 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images) /
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Nov 27, 2020; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Adrian Martinez (2) in action against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2020; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Adrian Martinez (2) in action against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Adrian Martinez was a mixed bag

We saw the good and bad of Adrian Martinez on Saturday afternoon in Champaign. He showed inaccuracy but his explosiveness was back as he got into the best shape of his playing career.

Unfortunately, his legs couldn’t save the Cornhuskers against Illinois.

Martinez was under an intense microscope as this game got underway as everyone was wondering if he was good enough to lead the Cornhuskers back to relevance and if he was the right choice for Scott Frost as Luke McCaffrey transferred this offseason. It seemed like the spotlight may have gotten to him although he got more comfortable throughout the game.

Nebraska’s offensive line wasn’t great as the run game was a non-factor and Martinez was forced to take over with his arm and legs and he still finished with 111 rushing yards and 232 passing yards with two total touchdowns. That’s not too bad, right?

Well, he only completed 50 percent of his throws and made some questionable decisions all afternoon long. Did he look better than I expected? Slightly, but he’s not there yet.

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