Is Nebraska Football’s Offense a Liability Against Indiana?

Nebraska has had a successful start to the 2024 football season. 

The Huskers are 5-1 and are one of the upper-tier teams in the conference halfway through the season. Part of the reason for the early success is the Huskers’ defense. The Blackshirts have given up only 68 points this season. The only team in the Big Ten conference that has given up fewer points is Ohio State, which has given up 66. That is an impressive stat at the midway point of the year.

However, the Huskers’ offense has not been nearly as successful. Nebraska has scored 168 points this year. That offensive output ranks closer to the bottom of the conference. In contrast, Ohio State has scored 261 points. Even Iowa, a program that is not known for offense by any means, has 175 points. Sure, the Huskers are not UCLA, who has scored just 87 points and is off to an 0-4 start in conference. But the offensive production needs to improve, and it needs to improve immediately.

The biggest reason that the Huskers need to figure out their offensive woes is that their next opponent will make them pay if they cannot put up points. Indiana is 6-0 this year and has one of the best offenses in the country. The Hoosiers are first in the Big Ten in scoring with 285 total points. The Hoosiers’ attack is led by quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who has 1,752 passing yards with 14 touchdowns and just two interceptions. 

Rourke also has a stable of wide receivers to distribute the ball to. The Hoosiers have four wide receivers with more than 200 receiving yards. Their leading receiver, Elijah Sarratt, has 513 receiving yards and two touchdowns. However, the Huskers cannot simply focus on him. Fifth-leading receiver Ke’Shawn Williams has a team-high four receiving touchdowns. He is a huge threat once the Hoosiers get into the red zone.

Nebraska’s subpar offense has been enough to win games against teams like Purdue and Rutgers. But against a team like Indiana, the Huskers cannot afford to leave their defense out to dry. If the Huskers do not score in this game, they could quickly be left behind. Managing the game and leaning on your defense may not be an option for Nebraska against Indiana as it has been in the last couple of games.

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