Nebraska Stuns No. 13 Illinois 83–80: Jamarques Lawrence Game-Winner + Pryce Sandfort 32 | Husker Football Staff Hires + Vegas Bowl vs Utah | Bleav in Nebraska

Husker Nation… if you’re still undefeated after a road win like THAT, you’re not a cute story anymore

In this episode of Bleav in Nebraska (headlines from Dec 12–15), we hit three big storylines:

Husker Heat Check — Statement win at No. 13 Illinois
Nebraska goes into Champaign and pulls off an 83–80 road gut-check, capped by a last-second game-winning three from Jamarques Lawrence. We break down how the Huskers survived multiple Illinois runs, what that finish says about Nebraska’s late-game execution, and whether this team is built to win ugly in Big Ten play — or if they’re simply scorching hot right now.
And we’ve got to talk about it: Pryce Sandfort drops a career-high 32 in a game that felt like a “season-defining” moment.

Nebraska Football — New staff is official + bowl prep tone
It’s official: Nebraska announces Rob Aurich as defensive coordinator and Geep Wade as offensive line coach. We discuss what kind of identity Matt Rhule is trying to build with these moves — and the one thing we need to see in the bowl game that signals this program is leveling up.

Vegas Bowl storyline — Utah’s ‘last ride’ angle
Nebraska vs Utah already mattered… but now it comes with a massive emotional storyline: Kyle Whittingham stepping down after the Las Vegas Bowl. That means Nebraska gets a chance to crash a farewell moment and make a loud statement heading into the next phase of the Rhule era.

Wrap + what’s next
Subscribe, rate, and review ️ — and don’t miss our next episode: bowl matchups + what this hoops start really means for March expectations.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.