Hoosiers rout Nebraska, Blackshirts give up nearly 500 yards of offense

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The Nebraska football team went on the road on Saturday and took a 56-7 beating by No. 16 Indiana at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington.

Indiana proved they could do whatever they wanted against Nebraska, racking up 495 total yards and holding Nebraska to just 304 yards.

The Hoosier’s rushing attack led the team to victory with 224 yards on the ground and 5 touchdowns.

Nebraska was the only team in the country to not allow a rushing touchdown before this week.

Justice Ellison led the group of Indiana backs with 105 yards and two touchdowns on only nine attempts.

Starting quarterback Kurtis Rourke only played one half due to injury, but finished the game with 189 yards passing and one touchdown.

Dylan Raiola completed 28 of his 44 passes with 234 yards and three interceptions.

Thomas Fidone led all Nebraska receivers with 91 yards on six catches.

Heinrich Haarberg led the Nebraska rushing attack with 32 yards on five carries. The Huskers only averaged 2.4 yards per carry throughout the day.

Nebraska will jump out of the frying pan and right back into the fire next Saturday as they travel to Columbus to take on No. 4 Ohio State.

First Quarter

The Hoosiers made a statement on their opening drive. Justice Ellison finished off the drive with a 5-yard touchdown rush to give the Hoosiers a 7-0 lead.

That is the first rushing touchdown Nebraska has given up on the season.

Mistakes on special teams backed Nebraska up deep in their own territory. The Indiana defense made a stand and forced Nebraska to punt out of their own end zone.

That gave the Hoosiers great field position for their second drive of the game.

But the Blackshirts got the stop they needed on fourth down.

Nebraska was able to drive the ball down the field, but a fumble by Dante Dowdell on fourth down gave the ball back to the Hoosiers.

Second Quarter

The Hoosiers started to attack through the air in the second quarter. Their first drive in the quarter ended with a 7-yard touchdown pass from Kurtis Rourke to Myles Price, giving the Hoosiers a 14-0 lead.

Nebraska finally got the answer they were looking for. The Huskers were aided by a few penalties and ended their drive with a 7-yard touchdown rush from Jacory Barney Jr., making the score 14-7.

But the Hoosiers stayed cooking on offense. Another long drive from Indiana ended in a 1-yard touchdown rush from Ty Son Lawton, extending Indiana’s lead to 21-7.

Towards the end of the first half the Hoosiers got going again. Indiana topped off a 4-play, 74-yard drive with a 31-yard rush from Ellison, making the score 28-7 at the break.

Dylan Raiola finished the first half completing 14 of his 21 passes for 104 yards.

Nebraska only rushed for 29 yards with Dowdell leading the group with 12 yards.

The Blackshirts have allowed 341 total yards with Rourke racking up 189 yards through the air.

The Hoosiers rushed for 154 yards and 3 touchdowns.

The most yards Nebraska has given up all season was 380 to Illinois.

Third Quarter

Nebraska started the second half with a long drive that ended in an interception on fourth down in the red zone.

The Hoosiers took the interception all the way to Nebraska’s 19-yard line.

They only needed three plays to get a 2-yard touchdown pass from Taven Jackson to Miles Cross, making the score 35-7.

Another interception thrown by Raiola helped add to Indiana’s score. Jackson threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Sarratt to give Indiana a 42-7 lead.

Fourth Quarter

Indiana started the fourth quarter with a four-play, 43-yard drive that ended in a 10-yard touchdown rush from Kaelon Black, extending the Hoosier’s lead to 49-7.

The Hoosiers added to the beating late in the fourth quarter with a 1-yard touchdown rush from Green, making the score 56-7.

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ORIGINAL ARTICLE: The Nebraska football team is on the road for the second time this season to take on an undefeated and No.16-ranked Indiana team.

The Huskers will kick off at 11 a.m. CT on Fox at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington. Channel 8 will also air its hour-long pregame show at 10 a.m. on ABC.

Nebraska is coming off of their bye week and stands at 5-1 on the season. The Hoosiers are also coming off their bye week and are sitting at a perfect 6-0 mark.

Indiana leads the all-time series between the two teams 10-9-3, but Nebraska leads the series in games played in Bloomington 3-2-1.

This is only the second time Nebraska has traveled to Bloomington since joining the Big Ten.

The last time Nebraska was bowl eligible was in 2016. Their sixth win that season came on the road against Indiana.

Indiana need-to-knows

Indiana comes into the game at a perfect 6-0 mark, including a 3-0 record in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers are one of only 11 unbeaten teams remaining in the FBS.

The Hoosiers house one of the nation’s most potent offenses while scoring 47.5 points per game.

Indiana is one of two teams in the FBS who have not trailed for a single second all season. If Nebraska can take an early lead it puts Indiana in a position they haven’t been in all season.

The Hoosiers also lead the Big Ten in passing offense with more than 315 yards through the air per game. Having Tommi Hill back in the lineup will be a huge boost for Nebraska.

To go with the air attack, Indiana also racks up 200 yards per game on the ground led by Justice Ellison.

On the defensive side of the ball, Indiana ranks top 10 nationally in total defense, making the Hoosiers a tough team to attack.

Today’s numbers

1: Nebraska is the only team in the country that has not allowed a rushing touchdown in 2024. Dating back to last season, Nebraska has not allowed a rushing touchdown in 11 of its past 13 games.

4: Nebraska has committed just four turnovers in six games in 2024. That ranks as the 11th fewest in the country. The Huskers are +6 in the turnover margin this season after finishing last year at -17.

20: Nebraska has won five of its first six games, matching the win total from last season. Nebraska is just one of 20 teams in the FBS who have matched or exceeded its win total from the previous season. Indiana is also in that group.

Score predictions

Nate Johnson: Nebraska wins, 23-17

Jake Homan: Nebraska wins, 24-21

Mark Fischer: Nebraska wins, 21-10