Daily briefing: On faking injuries, Nebraska’s bowl-less streak and a kicker bouncing back

Ivan Maisel’s “Daily Briefing” for On3:

Faked injuries still occurring

The NCAA Football Rules Committee last winter discussed ways to prevent the faking of injuries after a rash of thespian collapsing by defenders determined to slow down offensive tempo made a mockery of the NCAA Football Rule Book. Saturday, Illinois tried to use its two-minute offense to catch Michigan State, but lost 23-15 when the game ended with the Illini at the Spartans’ 25. After the game, Illinois coach Bret Bielema said Michigan State “set a record for injuries and miraculously came back. Everybody came back from all of those injuries, so that was a little frustrating, but it’s the game,” Bielema said. “That’s the way it’s played, and that’s what it is.” Steve Shaw, the national coordinator of officials, said Monday that his sense is that the faking of injuries “has not been eliminated but it is down this year.” With championships being decided this month, let’s see what happens.

Nebraska is in a group of one

Here’s a stat from the estimable Max Olson at The Athletic. Now that Kansas has won its sixth game and qualified for a bowl, that leaves one Power 5 team that hasn’t been to a bowl game in the past five years. That would be your Nebraska Cornhuskers. Given that the Huskers are 3-6 and the rest of the schedule is No. 5 Michigan, Wisconsin and at Iowa, it looks as if the streak will extend to six years. The Huskers drove 75 yards for a touchdown on their opening possession Saturday against Minnesota, then gained 192 yards the rest of the game in a 20-13 loss. One characteristic of struggling teams: Something always goes wrong. Nebraska scores a lot, the other team scores more. The defense plays well, the offense sputters. The Huskers this season are 1-4 in one-score games.

Jace Gilbert has rebounded from his bad day

Remember Jace Gilbert, the Iowa State freshman who started the season 5-of-5 on field goals, then went 1-of-4 in the Cyclones’ 14-11 loss at Kansas? Gilbert hit the right upright twice, and on his last attempt, in the final minute, hooked a game-tying attempt left. My lasting image of that game is Gilbert turning toward his bench, shoulders slumped, after that miss, his second of the fourth quarter. The good news is that in the four games since his bad day in Lawrence, Gilbert is 6-of-8. He hasn’t had an attempt in the fourth quarter in those four games. Circumstances haven’t called for it.