McMaster's Keys to the Game: Nebraska Football at No. 16 Indiana

Matt McMaster offers his three keys for the Huskers to see success in Bloomington.

The Blackshirts take the field for overtime against Illinois. / Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Matt McMaster offers his three keys for Nebraska football to see success in Bloomington against No. 16 Indiana.

Win Up Front

This game will be all about the Nebraska defensive line. This Indiana offense is potent and balanced as they can beat you both on the ground and through the air. The Big boys up front, Nash Hutmacher, Ty Robinson and company, need to have a big game for the Huskers to pull off the upset on the road.

Indiana has a two-headed monster in the backfield consisting of Ty Son Lawton and Justice Ellison. These two men set the tone for the offense. Don’t let the gaudy passing numbers fool you. Indiana is a smash-mouth football team. They run the ball 55% of the time and average 4.7 yards per rush and use the battery of Lawton and Ellison to set up their dynamic passing game.

If the Hoosiers can get their run game going, the Big Red will get more aggressive toward the line of scrimmage. Their corners will line up closer to the ball to help set edges, safeties will be closer to the box to fill gaps, and linebackers will be slower getting to their zones while focusing on stopping the run. Doing this will make the Big Red more vulnerable to play-action passes and RPOs.

This is what the Hoosiers do best.

Watching the tape, I’ve been most impressed with quarterback Kurtis Rourke’s execution of RPO plays. His eyes are downfield, focused on reading the cornerback. He shows incredible quickness and confidence when pulling the ball out from the running back and has the strength to rifle it into any spot. Out of 39 passes off of RPOs, Rourke has completed 33.

If Nebraska cannot get pressure up the middle, it will be a long day in Bloomington, Indiana.

Slow the Game Down

I can’t overstate how good this Indiana offense is. They do everything well. They run the ball effectively, protect the quarterback, they can hurt you down the field, expose you with quick passes near the line of scrimmage, and can score 40 points and still win the time-of-possession battle.

Their diverse attacks allow them to match up well against anything the defense shows them. The longer this team has the ball, the more you’re going to lose by.

This key comes down to the Husker offense.

The Big Red will have to put up around 30 points if they’re going to upset Indiana, but they also can’t get into a track race. They lose that battle, they lose that battle nine times out of ten. They need long, 10, 11, 12 play drives that take plenty of time off the clock and put seven points on the board.

I once again cannot overstate how much of a nightmare it is to go against this Curt Cignetti offense. Three and outs are simply not an option on offense. If you aren’t going to score, you at least have to be on the field long enough to let your defense catch its breath. The Big Red will need to have a serviceable run game that can grind out the clock and great play calling from OC Marcus Satterfield.

Special Teams Special Teams Special Teams

I know this is becoming a common key but it holds true in big matchups like this. Games where both sides are talented and well coached, almost always, come down to the wire.

John Hohl will have placekicking duties Saturday and the Huskers cannot afford a repeat of his 0-for-3 field goal effort against Purdue. The same goes for the punting unit, which gave up two blocks in their last contest against Rutgers. The competition is too stiff and the margins too small for mistakes in the third phase of the game to be swept under the rug.

I’m predicting this game will come down to a field goal. Whether Nebraska makes or misses that field goal will determine the outcome of this game.

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