Storylines, matchups to watch (and a score prediction) for Huskers vs. Hoosiers

The game begins at 11 a.m. and can be streamed on Fox.

1. Ground game: Indiana is not a team which is easy to run the ball against, with the nation’s sixth-best run defense standing as proof of it. But in order for Nebraska to move the ball, it can’t eliminate the ground game and become a one-dimensional offense. Steady gains, even short ones, are a necessity.

2. Control the ball: Putting the ball in Indiana’s hands for most of the game is a sure-fire way to fall behind. If Nebraska can put together long, steady drives, it’ll go a long way towards slowing down the Hoosiers’ high-scoring offense.

3. Big play wideouts: From Jaylen Lloyd to Isaiah Neyor and Jacory Barney, Nebraska has a number of wide receivers who are capable of breaking off a big play at any time. As long as NU gets one of them on Saturday, its offense should be humming.

4. Start fast: It’s not been a problem for Nebraska thus far, but it’s not the type of game the Huskers can fall behind in. Putting at least seven points on the board in the first quarter should help NU keep a steady pace.

1. Rush the passer: When Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke has time to go to work, he tends to make opposing defenses regret it. Rourke is a top-notch passer, and the less time he has to throw, the better the Nebraska secondary will play.

2. Bend, don’t break: Allowing the big play or quick touchdown drives is what Nebraska must avoid on defense. Even if Indiana racks up yardage, Nebraska must bend instead of breaking, perhaps turning touchdown opportunities into field goals.

3. A turnover (or two): The Husker defense has done well on the turnover front through its first six games, but Indiana is a team which rarely turns the ball over. Even just one can help flip momentum and turn a game on its head, especially depending when it occurs in the contest.

4. Everything earned: Nebraska must clean up the self-inflicted penalties and miscues to make Indiana earn every yard and point it gets. The Hoosiers are good enough to do just that — so the Huskers can’t give them any free ones.

0: Minutes spent trailing by Indiana across its first six games.

5.1: Yards per carry averaged by Indiana as a team.

8: Years since Nebraska last won six games in a season.

RB | No. 23 | So.: Nebraska’s leading rusher on the season, Dowdell has ran for 50 or more yards in all but one game so far. Dowdell’s workload may vary by the week, but when the Huskers need tough yards and first-down carries, he’s the one who answers the call.

DL | No. 90 | So.: Of all the Huskers’ talented defensive linemen, it’s Williams who stands out as the unit’s top pass rusher. Third downs are Williams’ bread and butter, and he’ll have plenty of opportunities to impact the game against Indiana.

Indiana pass game against Nebraska defense

Rourke fits Indiana’s offensive scheme like a glove, and it’s why the quarterback has thrown for 1,752 yards and 14 touchdowns already this season. The Hoosiers are incredibly averaging 11 yards per attempt, a sign of an offense which both completes passes at a high rate and for plenty of yards. The Husker secondary will be under pressure all game long and will need to step up accordingly.

It’s not a mismatch of talent, but of experience which could be a deciding factor. Rourke, a sixth-year senior, has multiple years of starting experience and has attempted over 1,100 passes as a college quarterback; Raiola is still a true freshmen regardless of how well he’s played to date. It’s no surprise the Indiana quarterback has found himself as a distant member of the Heisman Trophy conversation given his jaw-dropping statistics this season, and Rourke is the more mobile of the two quarterbacks. Both quarterback’s teams use their talents differently, and that contrast will be fun to watch.

While Nebraska enters the matchup as an underdog, the Huskers have a clear path to victory, one which involves yet another stellar outing from the Blackshirts. No one has been able to slow down the Indiana offense yet, while Nebraska has a talented group and challenging scheme which tend to give opponents trouble. The Nebraska offense and Raiola may need to keep pace with the high-scoring Hoosiers, but an ideal game for the Huskers will be to keep scoring in the 20s. If Nebraska takes care of the ball, leans on its defense and gets a strong showing from Raiola, the Huskers could earn a big Top 25 win in the national spotlight.