Pregame: A big moment for Mickey Joseph — and perhaps a familiar running back, too

LINCOLN — Should Nebraska football beat its first ranked team in more than six years, the stage is set for interim head coach Mickey Joseph receiving lots of praise.

He and his staff has cobbled together a strong group of visiting recruits — headlined by 2024 quarterback Dylan Raiola — to see Saturday’s game against No. 17 Illinois. A sparkling midafternoon day — hazy skies and seasonal temps — guarantees a rockin’ Memorial Stadium at kickoff.

And Sports Illustrated had a writer embedded with NU’s program this week, too, indicating there’s some sense among current staff members — including Joseph — that this is a big game, and Nebraska has the potential to win it. While it might be rare for an interim coach — who’s 2-2 with wins over Indiana and Rutgers — to invite SI attention, this is the only audition Joseph will get for the job. He lacks the luxury of a four-year runway.

Nebraska enters Saturday’s game with questions and a few injury issues, as well. Among them:

» This will be the second time this season NU plays without inside linebacker Nick Henrich, and the first go-around was rough. Henrich missed the North Dakota and Georgia Southern games, and the Huskers run defense didn’t respond well. Henrich is a captain and the defense’s vocal leader, the guy who gets teammates aligned and locked in. Luke Reimer — scheduled to return this week — may be the more versatile, explosive player. Can he, Chris Kolarevic, Eteva Mauga-Clements and Ernest Hausmann run the D without Henrich?

» NU may have yet another offensive line combination on Saturday, but even if the Huskers stick with the starting bunch they used at Purdue, they have to handle an elite pass rush from the Illini, who routinely deploy five rushers at the quarterback. Nebraska’s interior linemen — guards Ethan Piper, Henry Lutovsky and perhaps Kevin Williams, if he’s healthy, plus center Trent Hixson — will face a significant challenge from Illinois’ husky, squattish defensive linemen. It makes quarterback scrambles.

» Illinois has the most diverse pro-style run game in the Big Ten, with a good blend of power and zone plays, plus quick toss pitch that mirrors the Purdue’s toss play. What about Nebraska? When Joseph said NU had to get the run game going, he wasn’t wrong, but offensive coordinator Mark Whipple, given free rein to call the game as he pleases, won’t run it just to run it. Can NU hit a jet sweep with Trey Palmer or find a role for healthiest-he’s-been Rahmir Johnson? Don’t forget Johnson today; he can be an asset in the shotgun run game.

Watch, too, how Nebraska tries to create one-and-one chances with either Johnson, Anthony Grant, Tommi Hill or some other receiver on a wheel route out of the backfield. Nebraska nearly hit Hill on such a play last week, but Thompson got sacked before he could release the ball.