Illinois football running back room takes another brutal injury hit with Javari Ba…
Illinois · NebraskaIt was an impressive performance for Illinois , as they scored 24 points against Nebraska's No. 14 -ranked scoring defense. The Illini's offense was highlighted by Katin Houser's 292 passing yards and three touchdowns.
The Illini came away with a big win in Champaign , but experienced a devastating loss in the second quarter when true freshman Javari Barnett was carted off with an apparent lower-leg injury. It was an emotional scene for the Tampa, Florida, product, as Barnett was carted off the field after being caught in the middle of a pile during a quarterback run.
The freshman has become very active in Illinois' offense, recording 27 carries for 185 yards and two touchdowns. Bielema will now lean on Aidan Laughery and Jordan Anderson as his primary running backs with Barnett and Ca'Lil Valentine sidelined.
Barnett was gaining a lot of steam in Illinois' offense and quickly became a fan favorite with his violent running style and explosive ability. It is sad to see him injured, but Bielema needs to find a way to fill his void.
KEY POINTS
- Illinois football running back room takes another brutal injury hit with Javari Barnett.
- The Illinois football team pulled off a win over Nebraska in Champaign but lost a promising piece of their offense in Javari Barnett to an apparent lower leg injury.
- The Illinois football program upset the Nebraska Cornhuskers 24-13 in Champaign, recording their first four-game conference win streak since 2022.
- The extent of Barnett's injury is not publicly known as of writing this, but Illinois' running back room has become thin for the time being .