Wes Lunt Injury: Updates on Illinois QB's Status and Return

As the Illinois Fighting Illini prepare to take on the No. 21 Nebraska Cornhuskers on Saturday night, they'll have to factor in the absence of starting quarterback Wes Lunt.

According to Sean Callahan of HuskerOnline.com, Lunt is dealing with a lingering injury he picked up earlier in the week:

Matt Daniels of The News-Gazette in Champaign, Illinois, reported that senior Reilly O'Toole will start in Lunt's place:

Adding a bit of confusion to the situation was the fact that Lunt was in full uniform and warming up with the other QBs before the game, per Jon Nyatawa of the Omaha World-Herald:

The sophomore entered Saturday with 1,237 yards passing for 11 touchdowns and three interceptions. He ranked second among Big Ten quarterbacks in yards, first in touchdowns and fifth in QB rating (154.1).

The Illini were major underdogs before Lunt went down, and without him, they're facing an even steeper mountain to climb.

Illinois will need the signal-caller back quickly because the team plays No. 19 Wisconsin in two weeks' time.