Nebraska travels to Bloomington on Saturday to take on the surprisingly surging Indiana football team for Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff game. The Hoosiers are currently 6-0 and ranked #16 in the AP poll and #18 in the coaches poll. They rank 6th nationally in total defense, 4th in total offense, 11th in scoring defense, 2nd in scoring offense, and are in the top 25 in a whole host of other categories. At one of the losing-est programs in the history of college football, first year head coach Curt Cignetti has infused Indiana football with a belief and an energy that has arguably never been seen before in Bloomington. This will be Nebraska’s biggest challenge of the season so far.
On behalf of the Common Fan podcast, here are three keys to victory for the Huskers, and two keys to victory for all the fellow Common Fans.
Nebraska’s Keys to Victory
Start Well. In my humble opinion, this is not the same thing as starting fast. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love the Huskers to jump out to a 14-0 lead. But more than anything, they can’t get in a hole early. The game will be Indiana’s first sellout since 2021. The team is 6-0 for the first time since 1967. Hoosier Common Fans are going to be frothing at the mouth, looking for Husker blood. Nebraska needs to play their game. Even if they don’t score right away, get some first downs on offense. Make some stops on defense. Avoid mistakes on special teams. Play the field position game. Take some air out of the balloon, so to speak. The Hoosiers have a high powered offense. Nebraska will need to do everything it can to stop Indiana from starting fast and getting that crowd even more juiced up.
Disrupt the Passing Game. Indiana’s offense has been really good. They average over 47 points per game and have won each contest by double digits. The Nebraska defense is the strength of this team, and they’re going to have to lead the way if the Huskers are going to get out of Bloomington with a win. I’d love to think the Blackshirts can get after Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke in a similar fashion to what they did to Colorado and Shedeur Sanders. The Buffaloes were never able to get comfortable on offense; they struggled all night to get into a rhythm. Nebraska will be by far the best defense Indiana has seen. The matchup between Nebraska’s defense and Indiana’s offense will likely determine the outcome of the game.
I’m envisioning the scene in the movie “Miracle” when Team USA Head Coach Herb Brooks (played brilliantly by Kurt Russell) keeps saying, “Play your game. Play your game.” The Huskers need to play their game, and that starts with playing dominant defense.
Play Four Quarters. Nebraska has yet to put together four consecutive quarters of consistent, high quality football. At times this season, the team has looked outstanding. The first half against Colorado and the second half against Purdue both come to mind. Other times, the Big Red has looked lost, especially on offense. Some of that is to be expected, with a true freshman quarterback and so many new contributors on the offensive side of the ball. Whether or not this team can start putting four solid quarters together will go a long way in determining how the second half of the season plays out. Is this a five or six win team, or do they have the potential for much more? The Indiana game would be a really good time to start playing four quarters of good football.
Common Fan Keys to Victory
Get Back in the Saddle. Did the bye week treat you well? Did you get some chores done, spend time with family, maybe even go to a wedding? I hope you took care of any and all business, because we need all the Common Fans back in action starting Saturday. Nebraska has a second bye week this year, which doesn’t always happen, so that means a second bye week for fans too. There’s really no excuse not to lay it all on the line before getting another break. This three game stretch before the next bye will be critical, as the Huskers are at Indiana, at Ohio State, and home against UCLA. Winning a minimum of one of these three is a must; getting two out of three would be huge for the program.
Study Up on the Hoosiers. Be honest, did you know who UTEP’s quarterback was going into their game with Nebraska? Or Northern Iowa’s Head Coach? It’s OK if the answer to either of those is no. Some games move the needle more than others. But this week is no time to be unprepared, Common Fans. This is the biggest game the Huskers have played yet, and will be one of the most important games of the season. Make sure you’re read-up and prepared on all things Indiana football (can’t believe I’m saying that). Check out my interview with Sammy Jacobs of Hoosier Huddle, as well as the latest episode of the Common Fan podcast featuring long time sports writer Mitch Sherman.
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