Nebraska football blown out by Indiana: Report Card

Nebraska’s lack of production from its running backs has been masked by wins. But as Indiana ripped off chunk runs and Nebraska got swung down in the backfield, the difference was jarring. All fumbles are costly, but Dante Dowdell coughing up the ball as NU sought an answer to the Hoosiers’ perfect opening drive was trouble. Emmett Johnson had the run of the day for 11 yards on a third-down run that caught the Hoosiers by surprise.

More often than not, Dylan Raiola had ample time to survey the downfield scene, but he looked disjointed for the second game in a row. Raiola was forced to dish passes to the sidelines instead of connecting with receivers vertically. Raiola added three interceptions to his ledger, too, including a back-breaker on NU’s first drive of the second half. Raiola’s a straight-laced competitor, but his frustration boiled over in the fourth quarter when he mixed it up with a few Hoosiers who were feeling pretty good about themselves after sacking the freshman on fourth down.

In a game of surprises, this was one. Indiana averaged over 8.4 yards on its first 23 carries of the game. What? The Hoosiers sliced and diced with precision blocking, and the likes of Justice Ellison and Ty Son Lawton ran roughshod. That streak of NU not allowing a rushing touchdown this season is over, by the way.

Kurtis Rourke can throw the back-shoulder ball. And the fade. And the slant. The Indiana quarterback had his entire menu of throws on display for the Fox cameras as he shredded up the Blackshirt secondary. Rarely were there coverage busts by Nebraska, but Rourke and his fleet of pass-catchers were a full step ahead of the Huskers, even with Tommi Hill back on the field.

Jacory Barney caught a kickoff at the Nebraska 1-yard-line instead of letting the ball soar out of bounds, which would have set the Huskers up at the 35. Instead, NU looked down the barrel of a 99-yard field, which felt more like 180 yards on this day. Kwinten Ives had a sweet kick return but was wrestled down by the kicker on what probably should have been a touchdown. It was that kind of day in Bloomington for the visitors.

Nebraska might kick itself for not taking the ball when it won the opening coin toss. Instead, Matt Rhule allowed the Hoosiers the honor, and they surged down the field in the blink of an eye. NU committed six penalties, including another one on the head coach for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Nothing really worked for the Nebraska offense except for another strong day from Jacory Barney, who scored the Huskers’ lone touchdown on a hand-off. The option run with Heinrich Haarberg was a good look. But NU might want to work away from run plays out of the shotgun — they aren’t working.

Wait, I thought the Ohio State game was next week? That’s who the Hoosiers looked like Saturday, marching up and down the field like the Buckeyes do so often. Fifty-six points? That’s 56 punches to the gut to a fan base starving for a win in a big game.