The Path Toward Victory: Nebraska vs. Indiana

Five games. Five wins.

Nebraska football is off to its best start since 2016, but the Huskers are about to find out just how far they've come under Matt Rhule.

The defending national champions are coming to Lincoln. No. 7 Indiana Hoosiers enters Saturday's matchup with a 5-0 record and a 21-game winning streak. Curt Cignetti's squad has picked up right where it left off following last season's national championship, dominating opponents on both sides of the football.

The Hoosiers are averaging 44.2 points per game while allowing just 10.8. Their offense is producing nearly 490 yards per game, while their defense is allowing fewer than 240.

Nebraska hasn't exactly been struggling either.

The Huskers are averaging 43.6 points per game and coming off a 48-23 victory over Maryland that featured another impressive performance from quarterback Anthony Colandrea.

If the Huskers want to hand Indiana its first loss since the 2024 season, they'll have to play their best football of the year.

Here are my three keys to victory.

1. Slow Down Indiana's Two-Headed Monster

Nebraska has faced some talented running backs this season. It hasn't faced anything quite like Turbo Richard and Lee Beebe Jr. Indiana's running back tandem has been nearly unstoppable through five games, combining for 1,107 rushing yards and nine touchdowns.

Richard leads the way with 587 yards and five touchdowns on just 63 carries, averaging an absurd 9.3 yards per attempt. Beebe isn't far behind with 520 yards and four touchdowns on 89 carries.

And if Nebraska needs a reminder of what these two are capable of, look no further than Indiana's 47-15 victory over Rutgers last weekend. Richard rushed for 204 yards on 13 carries. Beebe added another 122 yards on 18 attempts. That's 326 rushing yards from two players in a single game.

Nebraska's run defense has been solid this season, allowing 100.6 rushing yards per game. But Indiana is averaging 252.6 yards on the ground, which ranks ninth nationally. The Blackshirts cannot allow Indiana to establish that kind of rushing attack Saturday.

Because the problem with Indiana isn't just the running backs. Quarterback Josh Hoover has thrown 15 touchdowns without an interception through five games. If Nebraska is forced to load the box to stop Richard and Beebe, Hoover has more than enough weapons to make the Huskers pay through the air.

Nebraska needs its defensive front to hold up against the run without consistently requiring additional defenders near the line of scrimmage.

The Huskers are allowing opponents to convert just 24.49% of their third-down attempts, the third-best in the country. But that number won't matter much if Indiana is consistently picking up five or six yards on first down.

Stop the run. Create third-and-long situations. Give Rob Aurich's defense an opportunity to get after Hoover. It all starts with Richard and Beebe.

2. Let Colandrea Be Colandrea

Anthony Colandrea has been good as advertised and everything Nebraska hoped he would be when he arrived in Lincoln. Through five games, he has thrown for 1,142 yards and 13 touchdowns while adding another 249 yards and two scores on the ground.

Last week against Maryland, Colandrea showed just how dangerous he can be when he's allowed to use his legs. He rushed for 108 yards on 10 carries, including a 51-yard run that helped Nebraska pull away in the second half. That ability to create something out of nothing could be one of Nebraska's biggest weapons Saturday.

Indiana's defense has been dominant against the run, allowing just 64.4 rushing yards per game and 2.1 yards per carry. The Hoosiers held Northwestern to 37 rushing yards before limiting Rutgers to 59 last weekend.

Nebraska struggled to run the ball between the tackles against Maryland and probably isn't going to line up and consistently run the football down Indiana's throat.

That's where Colandrea comes in. Dana Holgorsen needs to find ways to get his quarterback involved as both a passer and a runner. Whether that's designed quarterback runs or just allowing Colandrea to extend plays when protection breaks down, Nebraska needs to make Indiana account for No. 10 on every snap.

The Huskers could also get a boost from freshman running back Jamal Rule. Rule missed the Maryland game with an ankle injury, but Holgorsen indicated Tuesday that the freshman is expected back this weekend. That would give Nebraska another explosive option alongside Mekhi Nelson and Isaiah Mozee.

Still, this game is going to come down to Colandrea.

Indiana has allowed just 10.8 points per game, but Nebraska has an offense averaging 475.6 yards and 43.6 points per contest.

Something has to give.

The Huskers doesn't need Colandrea to force throws or try to make every play a highlight. They need him to continue doing what he's done through five games. Make smart decisions. Protect the football. And when the opportunity presents itself, make something happen with his legs.

If Nebraska is going to pull off the upset, Colandrea will likely have to be at his best.

3. Discipline, Discipline, Discipline

Matt Rhule talks with a referee during last week's game against Maryland. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

We've talked about Nebraska's penalties seemingly every week this season. Against Indiana, they could be the difference between winning and losing.

The Huskers are averaging 9.75 penalties and 80.5 penalty yards per game which is the 5th most in the country.

Indiana? The complete opposite. They average 3.75 penalties and 30.75 yards per contest which ranks 134th in the country.

That's a difference of nearly 50 yards per game. And it gets worse.Last weekend against Rutgers, Indiana played an entire football game without committing a penalty or turning the football over.
That's the kind of discipline Nebraska is going to have to match.

Against Maryland, Nebraska overcame 16 penalties and a nine-point deficit to eventually pull away for a comfortable victory. The Huskers won't have that luxury against the defending national champions. False starts, holding penalties and unnecessary mistakes on special teams cannot become recurring problems.

And speaking of special teams, Indiana presents another challenge. The Hoosiers have blocked 10 kicks since the beginning of the 2024 season, the most in the country during that span. Nebraska has actually made significant strides in that department this season, blocking two punts of its own.

But the Huskers need to be sharp in every phase Saturday. They can't afford to give Indiana additional possessions or favorable field position because of preventable mistakes. Play clean football, protect the ball and make the Hoosiers earn everything they get.

But even more importantly, Nebraska cannot beat themselves. Because if they spend Saturday afternoon trying to overcome its own mistakes, it going to be a long day inside Memorial Stadium.

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