RB Corbin on a hot streak for Illini
Illinois has momentum as it heads into Saturday’s game at Nebraska, which is starting to show improvement under first-year coach Scott Frost.
The Illini (4-5, 2-4 Big Ten) are coming off a 55-31 home win over Minnesota that ended a three-game skid.
“Records aside, we’re trending in the right direction, and we’ve been that way for a while,” said third-year Illinois coach Lovie Smith.
“It’s good to get a win. As I talk about the process, that’s what we’re going through. Eventually, you get over the hump, and you start winning consistently. That’s what we’re going to do, try not to look in the past too much. It’s just about the future for us, and the future is very bright.”
Running back Reggie Corbin was the star of the win over Minnesota. He rushed 13 times for a season-high 213 yards, with touchdown runs of 72 and 77 yards. That was his fourth 100-yard rushing effort in the past five games.
Corbin’s 213 rushing yards was the eighth most in a game in Illinois history, passing Red Grange’s 212 rushing yards against Michigan back in 1924.
Illinois scored on four explosive plays that covered at least 67 yards, three on the ground. But the offense had balance.
“It makes it a little bit easier because now they have to guard everyone, they have to be aware of everyone so you can’t just do one thing try to load the box or anything like that so I was happy because it made our job easier,” Corbin said.
He was chosen the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week.
“Whenever you’re the Big Ten player of the week, it kind of says a lot with all the good offensive players in the conference,” Smith said. “In order for that to happen, the offensive line has to do a great job, and they did.”
Corbin leads the nation with four runs of at least 70 yards and he is tied for first with most 60-yard runs (five) and 50-yard runs (seven).
Nebraska (2-7, 1-5 Big Ten) had won two games in a row before just missing a huge upset at Ohio State last week, losing 36-31.
