Well, both Husker basketball teams lost to ranked squads this weekend. The road doesn’t get any easier as the Big Ten has more ranked teams yet to be played. The men played a decent game against Illinois, but the height of the Illini and their zone defense kept the Huskers off balance. The ladies were right in it toward the end, coming within four, but then Ohio State hit the gas and distanced themselves again.
Nebraska
‘Breathtaking’: Through the Cornfields With Jesus in Nebraska Eucharistic Pilgrimage
The procession began quietly, with just the sound of footsteps crunching on gravel. The air was thick with incense, heavy with east Nebraska’s summer humidity and dust from the road.
The silence was soon broken with the sound of bells and the voices of pilgrims and processors as they sang, “O Sacrament most holy, O Sacrament divine, all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment thine,” and followed Christ in the Eucharist.
The procession — part of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage taking place across the United States — traveled from Cloisters on the Platte, an Ignatian silent retreat center near Omaha, to the Shrine of the Holy Family, a wayside chapel beloved by locals and travelers alike.
The route followed a gravel road, visible from Interstate 80, which crossed through cornfields amid the distant hum of semitrucks and cars. Travelers on the Midwestern highway would find the spectacle an unusual sight — well over 500 Catholics quietly following a priest holding the Eucharist aloft under its canopy.
The pace was quick considering the summer heat and despite stops at the occasional water bottle stations set up along the road, and the nearly five-mile procession was arduous. A voice would frequently call out loudly for the crowd to move to one side to allow a car or truck to pass.
At the end of the procession, Archbishop George Lucas of Omaha, known by his faithful flock as “our Star Wars archbishop,” joked that while he began thinking of the pilgrimage as payment for his sins, he didn’t realize “just how many there were.”
The procession was part of the Junipero Serra Route of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage, which began on the California coast more than a month ago. It is one of four national pilgrimages moving across the nation with the Eucharist, set to meet in Indianapolis in July for the National Eucharistic Congress.
It was also the meeting of two brother dioceses — parishioners from both Lincoln and Omaha gathered together for the pilgrimage. Bishop James Conley of Lincoln carried the monstrance, passing it on to Archbishop Lucas at the foot of the steep hill leading to the shrine in a ceremonial exchange marking the edge of his diocese.
“We expect heat this time of year,” Lucas told CNA after the procession. “I was just thrilled that so many people were willing to bear the heat and walk — it was over four miles.”
“It reminds us of the heroic efforts of the pilgrims that are helping us have these processions. They’re all across the country, starting from the West Coast,” he said. “I’m really grateful to them.”
One attendee, lifelong Catholic Timothy Swan, came to the pilgrimage after attending all-night adoration the night before at Risen Christ Cathedral in Lincoln. As it grew late and the initial crowd thinned, Swan recalled the cathedral becoming uncomfortably cold.
“Jesus is good,” he said. “It was great. The only thing is, I bet Jesus was cold … There were a couple of times I did go out to my car and turn on the heat. But it was a lot of fun.”
Swan has been joining parts of the Junipero Serra Route from his hometown in the northeast corner of Colorado to where he grew up in Omaha, attending events in Sterling and Fort Morgan, Colorado, as well as Lincoln and Omaha.
“People have said that this must have been similar to the time when Jesus [lived] when the people followed him in large crowds, and then the woman with the hemorrhage just wanted to touch him,” he said of the processions.
With heavy limbs and tired feet, the pilgrims made their way to the top of the hill to reach the end of the procession at the Shrine of the Holy Family, an unusual-looking building of cedar and glass that overlooks the surrounding fields and freeway, its latticed roof reaching into the clouds.
The chapel is a repose for travelers, who may find solace in prayer by stopping in the wayside chapel, as well as travelers in spirit.
Archbishop Lucas carried the monstrance along a narrow dirt path lined with wildflowers and tall grass, making a final loop around the hilltop shrine. He entered the pleasantly cool shrine followed by a small number of processors who were able to fit inside.
Built in 1993, the intricately designed hilltop chapel was the inspiration of four Catholics who each (independently) shared a dream to build a roadside chapel for travelers.
An eye-catching archway of interwoven trusses forms its structure, while within its glass walls, a unique water element meant to reference baptism is built into the flooring.
The entrance to the shrine is marked by a cracked path with a pebbled waterway just under the surface. Small pools of water mark each pew, while a larger pool sits beneath the altar.
The Holy Family’s image is etched in the largest window above the altar so subtly the image almost merges with the sky on a partly cloudy day like this one. As they reflect or pray, the glass walls offer visitors broad vistas of green fields stretching out in every direction.
All was quiet except for the sound of trickling water flowing underneath the holy place, along with the murmur of song heard as the bishop brought the monstrance forward, blessing the processors with a final Benediction.
To those outside the chapel, Christ was still visible, seen through the glass walls. With the sunlight reflecting on the golden monstrance, the pilgrims inside and outside the shrine knelt before Jesus for an hour of adoration.
One young woman inside the chapel bowed low before the altar, touching her face to the cool stone floor in reverence.
Just beyond the altar, the line of pilgrims and processors could be seen outside, waiting to enter into the small shrine.
One or two at a time, the processors left, taking a dirt path that led to a shuttle driven by a jovial driver, which took them back to their parking spots to make the ride home for the evening.
Jonah Tran, 22, is a young adult leader in his local chapter of the Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Lincoln, Nebraska. He said the end of the procession was “breathtaking.”
“Being from Lincoln my whole life, I’ve been to this church many times before, but the only times I’ve gone have been just on my own personal trips, so just seeing it by myself,” he said.
“But now actually being here, seeing hundreds of people come here together and going into the church … It’s breathtaking, going in, seeing the church actually filled this time,” he said.
“It’s amazing to see, especially being in Nebraska,” Tran said of the procession. “Being able to see individuals like myself who are Vietnamese, having this all in common — but [that it’s] not only within the Vietnamese community, [we’re seeing] how diverse things can be, but yet we’re all here for the same belief.”
“The thing that I noticed is that the average age of the group today was young,” Lucas said after the procession. “And so, as a person who’s not so young anymore, that makes me feel really good and very hopeful for the future.”
“It just reminds me how many friends the Lord has here and how close he wants to be to all of us,” he said.
Now that football has ended and it is too early to start gardening, I need a TV series or two to fill my “spare” time. I have a wide range of interests, so give me your recommendations in the comments!
Illinois vs Nebraska basketball: Keaton Wagler, Illini pull away from the Huskers
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LINCOLN, Neb — Revenge!
In a crucial conference matchup with potential Big Ten title implications, it was the visiting Illini that came out on top over the gritty Huskers. With the win, Illinois moves into a tie for first place in the Big Ten.
For the first time in program history Illinois has beaten top-5 teams on the road in back-to-back games. The 78-69 Illinois win over Nebraska at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Sunday afternoon marks Illinois’ 11th straight win. The win streak fittingly started immediately after Nebraska upset Illinois in Champaign in mid-December.
“I think we’ve got some toughness,” said Illinois head coach Brad Underwood after the win. “I think we’ve got some connectivity…I think this team has tremendous problem-solving ability. I think our basketball IQ is pretty high. I think our toughness is growing. I think we’ve got a little of that, but I think we’ve got still some room to improve.”
Flawless ball movement on the offensive end was critical for the Illini given the team’s shots were not falling all night. A stifling Illinois defensive effort in the second half particularly frustrated Nebraska’s stars as well.
Freshman Keaton Wagler continued his unbelievable stretch of basketball for Illinois (19-3, 10-1 Big Ten), looking completely unfazed for 40 minutes. The star guard was able to consistently break down the Nebraska (20-2, 9-2 Big Ten) defense, whether man or zone, en route to a 28 point, five rebound, five assist game.
The first half featured both teams working their way through slow-paced, methodical offensive possessions. That was until Nebraska erupted and went on a 14-2 run over the final 3:08 of the half, giving them a 39-33 lead at the break.
“I think we’re resilient,” Underwood said. “I think we’re holding our poise. I think our purpose has been growing. I think our connectivity has been growing.”
The Huskers, who received four made three-pointers from both Pryce Sandfort and Braden Frager, shot an impressive 11-for-20 from beyond the arc in the opening half. The Ivisic twins, Tomislav and Zvonimir, combined for 17 points and nine rebounds to lead the way for the Illini.
A Wagler-led 14-5 run completely changed the feel of the game early in the second half. Another 10-0 run in the final 10 minutes took the life out of the building. Illinois seemingly had an answer for every shot Nebraska made in the final 15 minutes of the contest.
Wagler came out of the halftime break firing on all cylinders. 23 of his 28 points came in the second half — a half in which Illinois outscored Nebraska 45-30.
“I didn’t think he [Wagler] forced anything,” said Underwood. “He just settled in in the second half. Again, just took what the defense gave him. When he was open, he seemed to make it. When he wasn’t, he got fouled. Any time you get fouled 12 times, it’s a pretty good sign.”
- Keaton Wagler (ILL) — 28 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists
- Tomislav Ivisic (ILL) — 12 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists
- Braden Frager (NEB) — 20 points, 6-for-12 3PT
An absurd pass from Tomislav Ivisic.
A beautiful find from Mirkovic leads to a powerful slam from Ivisic.
Illinois and Northwestern meet for a second time in three weeks. This time around, Illinois gets to host the in-state rival Wildcats. It’s an “Orange Out” at the State Farm Center at 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday.
Saturday’s Big Ten slate includes the USC Trojans (16-6, 5-6 Big Ten) facing the Nebraska Cornhuskers (20-1, 9-1 Big Ten) at 4 p.m. ET on BTN.
Buy tickets for USC vs. Nebraska
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USC vs. Nebraska game information
- Date: Saturday, February 28, 2026
- Time: 4 p.m. ET
- How to watch on TV: Big Ten Network
- Location: Los Angeles, California
- Venue: Galen Center
Watch college basketball on Fubo!
USC leaders
- So far this season, Chad Baker-Mazara puts up 18.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per contest. At the other end, he posts 0.8 steals and 1.3 blocked shots.
- Offensively, Ezra Ausar averages 16.1 points and six rebounds per contest.
- Jacob Cofie puts up 9.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists per contest. Defensively, he puts up 1.0 steal and 1.7 blocked shots.
- On a per-game basis, Jerry Easter II is posting 5.0 points, 1.4 assists and 3.5 rebounds.
- Jordan Marsh is posting 7.3 points, 2.2 assists and 1.8 rebounds per game this season.
Nebraska leaders
- On the hardwood, Pryce Sandfort puts up 17.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. At the other end, he averages 1.1 steals and 0.3 blocked shots.
- Sam Hoiberg puts up 9.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists per contest. On the defense, he delivers 2.0 steals and 0.1 blocked shots.
- Rienk Mast averages 14.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per contest, shooting 46.5% from the floor and 33.7% from beyond the arc with 1.8 made 3-pointers per contest this season.
- From an offensive standpoint, Berke Buyuktuncel is averaging 7.4 points, 2.3 assists and 6.1 rebounds per contest.
- So far this season, Jamarques Lawrence is averaging 10.8 points, 3.7 assists and 2.5 rebounds per contest.
USC vs. Nebraska stats breakdown
- The Trojans shoot 47.1% from the field, 7.7% higher than the Cornhuskers concede defensively.
- USC is 11-6 against the spread and 16-2 overall when shooting higher than 39.4% from the field.
- The Cornhuskers’ 47.5% shooting percentage from the field is 6.1% higher than the Trojans have given up.
- This season Nebraska is 13-6 against the spread and 18-1 overall when shooting better than 41.4% from the field.
- The Trojans average 34.1 rebounds, 0.5 more than the Cornhuskers’ average.
- The Trojans are the 95th-ranked rebounding team in the country, and the Cornhuskers are 112th.
- The Trojans score 16.1 more points than the Cornhuskers give up (65.4).
- The Cornhuskers post 5.2 more points per game (80.5) than the Trojans concede (75.3).
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