LINCOLN - Nebraska finds themselves in the hunt for the Big Ten west and is preparing for a big midseason matchup with #17 Illinois on Saturday. 

Nebraska enters off the bye week and Interim Head Coach Mickey Joseph says Nebraska's second bye of the year was an opportunity for the team to get healthy and rested for the second half of the season. 

"We had to get them healthy," Joseph said. "To understand what Casey said in his presser after the game, he needed some rest, so what we try to do is be smart with them in the bye week, we get them out there, but also take the pads off them and take the hitting of them."

Mickey Joseph also noted that linebacker Nick Henrich will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury. Nebraska is yet again a bit thin at linebacker and they play a primarily run-first team in Illinois led by Chase Brown whose already eclipsed 1,000 yards and averages 5.5 yards per carry. Linebacker Garrett Nelson knows the task at hand. 

"We have to be physical up front," Nelson said. "We have to be able to knock back these big guys and make lanes for the middle linebackers to get through and get TFL's. So the biggest thing will be how physical we are and stopping the run."

On the offensive side, the Huskers will be looking to move the football against an Illini defense allowing just 8.9 points per game. Casey Thompson broke down the success of the Illini defense. 

"They do a good job of playing man and zone coverage," Thompson said. "Most of their interceptions have come from playing really good man coverage. They have goo ball skills and make good plays on the football."

Additionally, the Nebraska offensive line is banged up and struggling, having already allowed 20 sacks in the first seven games. Joseph said the bye week was a time for the group to get healthy. 

"We're beat up up front," Joseph said. "We're down a couple of starters. I feel good about them and the bye week they had and feel good about their practice this morning... They're still giving us effort and still practicing really really hard."

Saturday's tilt kicks off at 2:30 in the afternoon.