Nebraska @ Illinois

Nebraska defeated Illinois 28-11 at the University of Illinois in Champaign on February 13, 2026. The Cornhuskers collected enough bonus points and key decisions to pull away in a matchup of Big Ten rivals.

Illinois picked up two heavy team points in bonus fashion when #13 Spencer Moore pinned Kael Lauridsen for a fall and #1 Lucas Byrd rolled to a 17-2 technical fall. Those explosive results kept Illinois competitive on the scoreboard, but they were not enough to overcome Nebraska’s depth.

Nebraska answered with match-changing bonus wins of its own. #3 Brock Hardy struck for a 20-4 technical fall to swing maximum points, and marquee heavy AJ Ferrari, ranked #4, added an 11-1 major decision at 285 for another four-team points. Those bonus victories, combined with tight wins in the upper middleweights from Nebraska’s ranked corps, created the separation that decided the dual.

A string of bonus-point finishes by Nebraska proved to be the turning point: Illinois’ two bonus wins were matched and then surpassed as Nebraska accumulated majors and tech falls late in the lineup. With Nebraska also securing a handful of narrow decisions in the middle, the Cornhuskers closed out a 17-point victory in Champaign.