Nebraska Football Has a Different Mentality Heading into Indiana Matchup

The Huskers have a different mindset since their loss to Illinois.

Oct 5, 2024; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive back Ceyair Wright (15) breaks up a pass to Rutgers Scarlet Knights wide receiver KJ Duff (8) during the fourth quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images / Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

The first three weeks of the season were deceiving for Nebraska football.

They had three relatively easy victories, all by at least three scores. It was a great way to start the season, but it was also setting the team up for unrealistic expectations. The reality of college football this season is that most games are going to be close no matter who the opponent is. That is what Nebraska learned from its loss to Illinois.

Most people were picking Nebraska to win that game, and the Huskers had plenty of chances to do it. However, they were unable to make the most important plays during the most crucial times in the game. Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule said on Monday that his team did learn from that game and applied what they learned in their two wins since the loss to the Fighting Illini.

“I think coming out of that Illinois game, we learned a lot of very valuable lessons," Rhule said. "I think we applied those versus Purdue and Rutgers in many ways. I thought we had the right attitude playing in those games. You’re watching college football this week, and every good game comes down to the last possession like it’s an NFL game. Hopefully, the last two weeks have gotten us used to that."

The Huskers certainly should know how to play in close games at this point. They will likely find themselves in another dog fight this week against Indiana, but this time they will be underdogs. That is a position that the Huskers have not found themselves in this year, but Rhule thinks it will be beneficial for his team.

"I try not to look at the lines and all that, but I’m sure we’re the underdog. This is our guys’ first time doing that. I much prefer that. I love turning on GameDay and seeing them all pick the other team. That’s good for us. It’s just who I am and who a lot of our guys are. We are who we are. I think our guys understand at this point that this is going to come down to football. We have to practice well and play well. It doesn’t matter what music we listen to before the game; it doesn’t matter what we wear. All that’s fine. We’re going to have to block and tackle. We have to make one more play."

The Huskers were unable to make one more play to win the game against Illinois, but they were able to do just enough to defeat Rutgers in a close 14–7 rock fight. Indiana's offense is potent enough that 14 points will likely not be enough to win this game. However, it will be interesting to see how Nebraska plays as an underdog for the first time this year.

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