Disappointed About the Nebraska-Indiana Result, Optimistic for the Future

"This is going to be the longest 12 minutes of my life."

My buddy Nate said this after Anthony Colandrea scored to put Nebraska up 11 points. The stadium had been the loudest it has been for an 11 a.m. kickoff in years. And now, the volume was at an 11. Nate had been telling me for three quarters that "we are NOT losing this game!" I entered the stadium Saturday morning expecting to lose, but I was starting to believe.

Ten seconds later, Indiana scored a 75-yard touchdown. Just like that, all of the air was sucked out of the stadium. Everything flipped on its head.

Despite an otherwise stellar performance by the Blackshirts, Indiana burned the Huskers on a fourth-and-three pass that went for a 44-yard, game-winning touchdown. Nebraska would possess the ball three more times. They would run 22 plays and gain a total of 84 yards. Not counting sacks, NU ran the ball five times for one yard in the final 12 minutes of the game. Their final play never had a chance.

It was an absolute gut punch of a loss.

On the long walk back to my car, I couldn't comprehend how NU had dominated nearly every statistical category (time of possession, rush yards, third down conversions, total plays, punting, and more), but still came up short. After studying the game stats, I still don’t really know.

I was disappointed about coaching decisions (I knew bad things were going to happen on fourth down when I saw NU's goal line defensive personnel at midfield), and a wasted timeout that could have helped NU have more time on their final drive. I was frustrated by mistakes, miscues, and plays that were not made.

The Huskers had a golden opportunity to make a nationally televised statement, but they could not get it done. When it mattered most, the defense gave up explosive plays, the offensive line struggled to slow down a defense that spent forty minutes on the field, and the quarterback couldn't connect with his receivers. It was a depressing end to what could have been a generational victory.

On top of it all, I was hurting for my friend. As I reached my car, I got a text from Nate: "I can't do this anymore."

Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti reacts to a call during the third quarter. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

I get it. I've used the "Lucy pulls the football away from Charlie Brown" metaphor multiple times over the years. But on days like Saturday, there is no other way to describe what it feels like to be a Nebraska fan.

And yet, I can't wait for Nebraska's next opportunity to kick the proverbial ball. This game - this miserable, crotch-kick loss of a game - has me feeling really optimistic about what Matt Rhule is building and where the 2026 team can go.

Just so we're all on the same page: There will be no moral victories handed out here. Any coach in his fourth season should not get a trophy for only losing by three points. Period.

Personally, I don't think it is fair to "expect" Nebraska to upset the seventh-ranked defending national champions.* But I think it is okay to pause, take a look back, and appreciate how far this program has come.

*On the HuskerMax composite list of pregame predictions, 52 of the 58 local media members, national pundits, and analytics sites picked Indiana to win and/or cover the 7½-point spread. Anybody who thinks this is a referendum loss has already made up their mind on Rhule.

The first time Rhule's Huskers faced a top-10 team, they lost by 38 points and needed a long touchdown run from a converted wide receiver to avoid the first home shutout in 55 years. The first time Rhule faced Cignetti, the Huskers lost 56-7.

Nick Marsh in the open — Indiana wide receiver Nick Marsh's two long touchdowns in the fourth quarter erased Nebraska's 11-point lead. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This time? Nebraska was the better team for 80% of the game. That is not a moral victory. That is a fact. Unfortunately, it is also a fact that Nebraska folded in crunch time.

Two things can be true at the same time. It's okay to be disappointed by the loss and optimistic for the future. Rhule's job is nowhere close to done, but I would hope his harshest critics can see the progress.

Things I believe

Nebraska is not good enough to waste opportunities.

A common sentiment during the week leading up to this game was that Nebraska would need to "play perfect" to have a chance to win.

While I think "perfect" is an unrealistic expectation (even the 1995 team made mistakes), the implication was that Nebraska needed to take advantage of their opportunities.

They did not.

On Nebraska's opening drive, they had first-and-goal from the nine. A Jamal Rule run was stuffed for no gain, and two passes fell incomplete. The Huskers settled for a field goal.

A drive early in the second quarter got off to a promising start - the Huskers gained 25 yards in three plays, and were close to midfield. But NU lost 17 yards on a fumble and ended up punting.

Before halftime, NU put together what could have been the drive of the game. Starting at their own 26 with 6:56 to go, the Huskers methodically moved down the field, getting into the red zone with 36 seconds left in the half. But after a false start and three incompletions*, NU settled for a 40-yard field goal attempt. Nebraska missed the kick.

*One of those incompletions to Luke Lindenmeyer came on a play that would be flagged for defensive pass interference by most officiating crews. Yes, Nebraska benefitted from uncalled DPI in the second half so it technically balanced out, but I'd still like to see obvious penalties called.

In the third quarter, another nice drive set the Huskers up with first-and-ten at the Hoosier 30. Nebraska lost yardage on their next two plays before Colandrea threw an interception / arm punt.

If Nebraska takes advantage of one of these chances, we'd be talking about a great upset victory. Instead, it's woulda, coulda, shoulda.

Nebraska's run defense was outstanding.

Indiana has a great running game, led by Turbo Richard - a great back with an even better name. Backup Lee Beebe Jr. is no slouch either. With a gusty wind blowing through Memorial Stadium, it seemed likely that Indiana would run it early and often - especially when it was announced that defensive tackle Riley Van Poppel would miss the game with an injury.

The Hoosiers tried to run, but the Blackshirts turned them away. Indiana's two backs ran the ball 17 times for 41 yards. Richard's longest run went for four yards. It was an impressive performance from the Blackshirt run defense.

If the Huskers can get that level of performance from their run defense, the second half of the season could be really good.

I don't trust any field goal attempt over 39 yards.

Just before halftime, Kyle Cunanan missed a 40-yard field goal attempt with the wind at his back. The miss dropped him to 4 of 8 on the season. He is 1 of 5 beyond 39 yards, hitting a 40-yarder against North Dakota.

In the first 18 games of his Husker career, Cunanan is a perfect 17 for 17 inside of 39 yards. That's the good news. From 40 or more, he's just 3 of 10 at Nebraska.

I haven't studied the misses close enough to determine if there are issues with the snap or hold. Maybe there are challenges with kicking in game conditions - a guy in my row said that he saw Cunanan make 11 of 12 during warmups, including one from sixty yards. I don't know what the issue(s) are.

All I know is if the Huskers need to get to the opponent's 20 for a first down, don’t be surprised when Nebraska goes for it on fourth down.

Things I don't know

Should Nebraska have punted instead of going for it on fourth-and-nine?

The situation: 4:47 left in the game. Nebraska, trailing by three, has fourth-and-nine from their own 44. Rhule's options are a) go for it, or b) punt and try to play field position.

The argument for punting is that Archie Wilson should pin the Hoosiers inside the 20 (or better), the Blackshirts could get a quick stop, and - with Indiana punting into the wind - NU would get the ball back near midfield for one final drive.

Instead, Colandrea's fourth-down throw landed well beyond Kwazi Gilmer. The defense did get a three-and-out, but Indiana's punt from the Nebraska 38 was fair-caught by Barney at the five.*

*A bonus question: Should Barney have let the ball bounce instead of fair-catching it? If the ball bounces into the end zone, NU gets it at the 20. If the Hoosiers down it at one - an admittedly likely outcome - the only thing that changes is the game winning drive would need to travel 99 yards, instead of 95.

I'd let it bounce and take my chances.

Should NU have punted or were they right to go for it? I think this is one of those situations where the correct answer is dictated by what happens next. The Huskers were pinned at the five, so obviously going for it was a bad call.

But if Indiana fields the punt and runs out the clock - a definite possibility given their offense - we'd be talking about how Rhule should have gone for it on fourth-and-nine.

Did Curt Cignetti bait Matt Rhule into burning a timeout?

After Indiana's 75-yard response in the fourth quarter, the Hoosiers lined up to go for two. The score was 17-12, so a successful conversion would have meant Indiana could tie the game with a field goal.

Seeing the importance of the moment, Rhule called a timeout to make sure his defense was ready. After the timeout, Indiana came out and kicked the PAT, cutting the Husker lead to 17-13.

Nebraska was missing that timeout late in the game. The defense got a stop, but the Hoosiers drained the play clock before calling timeout and punting it to Nebraska for their fateful final drive. The outcome probably doesn't change, but an extra 35 seconds could have allowed NU to get into range for a tying field goal.

Did Cignetti bait Rhule into wasting a timeout?

As someone who writes about college football, I know I'm supposed to paint Cignetti as a master of 4-D chess. So, maybe he did sucker Rhule into using a timeout, knowing it would come home to roost in the fourth quarter. Stranger things have happened.

But there are two things I know for sure:

On Saturday, Cignetti changed his mind multiple times after a timeout. Heck, all three of Indiana's first-half timeouts were used to think over what to do on fourth down. Every time, they went with the more conservative option. I'm guessing Cignetti chose to kick the PAT because he (correctly) believed in his team's ability to score points.
Matt Rhule has never needed anybody's help when it comes to wasting timeouts.

Are we going to get one of the all-time narrative games in Oregon?

As you know, Nebraska's next game is against the Oregon Ducks. And as you likely know, Dylan Raiola - Nebraska's starting quarterback in 2024 and 2025 - has been behind center for most of Oregon's last two games.

Rhule vs Raiola: The Reckoning.

The narratives and talking points will be coming fast and furious this week. The odds are high that every Nebraska player and coach interviewed this week will be asked about Dylan.

Any national publication that comes sniffing around this game is absolutely going to try to play up a "revenge" factor, or try to frame the game as a referendum on who loses the game. As is often the case when the national folks parachute in for a quick column, the takes will be hot and the facts will be limited. Remember when Dylan said that Oregon has trees and Nebraska has corn?!?

There's just one thing… as I type this, nobody knows who is going to start for Oregon on Saturday. Dante Moore missed Oregon's game against UCLA after taking a brutal hit against USC. There is talk he may not be back any time soon. Raiola started against UCLA, but was benched after going 6-19 with two interceptions and a fumble. Third-string QB Brock Thomas finished the game and nearly tied the game.

I wouldn't be surprised if Oregon head coach Dan Lanning waits as long as possible to name his starter. If we're lucky, we'll get a dramatic shot of Husker All-American Dominic Raiola sitting in the stands wearing a half-green, half-red t-shirt that says "OREGASKA" as Dylan trots onto the field. Maybe Uncle Donnie will be sitting next to him in a red and green shirt that reads "NEBRON." The game will be filled with taunts, obscene gestures, and big hits. Afterwards, Husker players and coaches will tell us how they REALLY feel.

Or… here's how the week will go: Nebraska coaches and players will give bland, generic answers that sound slightly rehearsed. A national columnist is going to go trolling for cheap clicks with absurd statements about Rhule. Regardless of who starts - or plays - at quarterback for Oregon, Nebraska's defense will try to execute what Rob Aurich calls and keep Oregon from scoring.

After the game, polite - if slightly insincere - comments will be made about the other side, and then the best part of The Reckoning happens: Husker fans can file Raiola away next to another polarizing former quarterback who currently coaches in Orlando: somebody we're aware of, but who is no longer our problem.

Huskerigami Update

A “Huskerigami” is a final score combination (win or lose) that has never happened in the 130+ year history of Nebraska football.

Final score: 20-17

Is that a Huskerigami? No. It has happened six times before. The first time was a 1972 loss at UCLA that snapped a 32-game unbeaten streak. It is also one of the latest kickoff times for a game played in the continental United States (10:05 p.m. Central). The most recent was a Husker win in the 2025 season opener versus Cincinnati.

5 Things I loved

Anthony Colandrea. He made big throws with his arm and big plays with his feet. His 39-yard scamper - complete with a point to Will Compton on the sidelines - was a thing of beauty. Yeah, he wasn't perfect - more on that in a second - but he played one heck of a game.
Jacory Barney Jr. Indiana made a concerted effort to not let Kwazi Gilmer beat them. This created opportunities for Barney, who had nine catches for 108 yards, one of his best receiving days as a Husker.
Owen Chambliss. The linebacker had another strong day with five tackles, including one for loss.
Archie Wilson. A career-best 57.3-yard average on three kicks, including a 68-yard bomb. A penalty erased a punt that was downed at the 7. Forced to re-kick, Wilson hit a perfect lob wedge that was downed at the one.
Husker fans. Games at 11 a.m. in Lincoln are notoriously sleepy. But Husker fans brought the noise and energy all day long. There was an above average contingent of Hoosier fans in the building, but any noise they made was drowned out by the Sea of Red. This game is one the short list for best atmospheres for an 11 a.m. game, alongside 2006 Texas, 2001 Oklahoma, and 1994 Colorado. A hat tip - and throat lozenge - to those of you who finished your day at John Cook Arena creating an epic blackout environment for Husker volleyball.

Honorable mention: Luke Lindenmeyer, Vincent Shavers Jr., Defensive line, Jamal Rule, Nyziah Hunter, Anthony Jones Jr., Emmett Johnson hyping the crowd before the fourth quarter, Nebraska volleyball, Matt Leinart's serving, the student with "I'm A Sign" painted on his chest being held up by his buddies in the Big Noon crowd, and Wynton Marsalis playing with the Cornhusker Marching Band.

5 Areas for improvement

Safeties. I am not saying that the explosive plays the defense allowed were solely the fault of the safeties. I will say that on those game-changing plays, the last line of defense was nowhere to be found. Losing Jamir Conn early in the second half was a huge blow.
Staying in the moment. On Tuesday, Dana Holgorsen shared how his QB can sometimes get too excited, which impacts his play. You could see it against Maryland a week ago, and I think it also appeared on some of Colandrea's fourth-quarter throws (although the gusty winds weren't helping). Late in the game, Colandrea threw a home run ball into double coverage on third-and-ten when he had Barney on a simple crossing route that probably gains 20 yards. Take a breath and take what's there.
Offensive line. Colandrea was sacked five times, and often had to scramble to find time to throw. Meanwhile, Nebraska struggled to find consistent success on the ground - especially in the second half. With the amount of time Indiana's defense spent on the field (in the 90-degree heat), the line should have been exerting its will on the Hoosier defense. Instead, NU rushed for 50 yards on 18 carries in the second half, 39 of which came on Colandrea's touchdown run.
Kyle Cunanan. Even on a windy day, a 40-yard field goal needs to be automatic.
Mark Ingram. In September, Eddie George came to Lincoln without the 1995 Heisman Trophy he stole from Tommie Frazier. On Saturday, Mark Ingram was in Lincoln with the Big Noon Kickoff show, but he did not bring the Heisman he stole from Ndamukong Suh in 2009. I'm looking forward to the family of Yale's Larry Kelley coming to town without the 1936 Heisman that he stole from Sam Francis.

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