Lovie Smith made no excuses after Nebraska embarrassed his second Illini football team 28-6 on its own field.  He said everyone on the team is subject to scrutiny, and that includes himself.

Illinois outscored Nebraska 45-26 in the second half to win 79-59. The Illini improved to 8-10 overall this season and 3-2 in Big Ten conference play.

Illinois is preparing for a home game against Purdue, after losing 31-16 on the road over the weekend to Nebraska.

The 27 straight victories set a new Big Ten Conference record.  After topping Nebraska Thursday, The Illini (46-6-1) will play Maryland Thursday in the Big Tournament.