4 Takeaways From Indiana's Comeback Win Over Nebraska On 'Big Noon Saturday'

They won’t speak of this one for long in Bloomington.

Heart rates were up. The wind whipped. And somehow, some way, No. 7 Indiana slogged to a 20-17 win over Nebraska in a game that felt more reminiscent of the Tom Osborne era in Lincoln.

The Hoosiers weren’t sharp on Saturday. The run game was non-existent. Gusty conditions befitting of the Irish coastline created problems in the passing game. 

And yet Indiana is still undefeated, still hasn’t lost to an unranked team since 2023 and still continues its march toward a repetition of last fall’s heroics.

Here are my takeaways:

1. Nebraska's Offense Started Fast, But Missed Opportunities Late

It’s been two years since a ranked Nebraska squad squared off against Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers in a game many pegged as a moment of arrival for the Huskers.

Indiana throttled Matt Rhule’s squad 56-7 that afternoon.

That wasn’t the case on Saturday.

Nebraska quarterback Anthony Colandrea looked the part of a dynamic piece that had helped the Huskers surge to a 5-0 start this season, marching the offense up and down the field with his arms and legs.

Colandrea completed four of his first five passes for 31 yards and added a pair of wiggly rushes for 28 yards on an efficient 13-play opening drive that ended with a Nebraska field goal. He was similarly dynamic on third down, picking up five conversions — three passing and two running — as the Huskers raced out to an early lead.

The former Virginia and UNLV signal-caller finished the opening half 14-of-22 for 138 yards as the Huskers ran 43 plays to the Hoosiers 16 to open the game. 

If anything, Nebraska should’ve led by more to close the half on Saturday.

The Huskers settled for a field goal on that efficient first drive, while they stalled in the red zone with one minute remaining in the half. Colandrea led a wide open Kwazi Gilmer toward the right side of the end zone, where a scrambling Amare Ferrell landed a hit just in time to push Gilmer’s foot out of bounds on a would-be touchdown.

The Huskers followed the play by watching kicker Kyle Cunanan drive a 40-yard attempt wide right. No points.

2. Indiana Struggled To Find Any Type Of Rhythm Early On

Whatever offense came easily to the Hoosiers through five weeks, Saturday's first half was painstaking.

Indiana ran just 16 plays over the first 30 minutes of Saturday’s contest, while 80 of the Hoosiers’ 115 yards to that point came on two throws from quarterback Josh Hoover.

The supercharged rushing attack of Lee Beebe Jr. and Turbo Richard was also largely stymied by a Nebraska front-seven that flashed a physicality the Huskers have desperately lacked in recent years.

To complicate matters, Cignetti and the coaching staff seemed out of sorts on a trio of short yardage situations that cost Indiana each of its first half timeouts. 

The Hoosiers started the day 1-for-4 on third down, thrice coming up just short on conversion attempts. Twice, Indiana ran the ball on third down to try and set up fourth down attempts to no avail, while each of those three failed third downs resulted in Cignetti calling timeouts to set up punts.

Under Cignetti, Indiana has executed teams to death with a mightily efficient offense, few mistakes and a run game that kept things on schedule.

The Hoosiers did none of that on Saturday as they entered the half trailing 10-3. It felt like it could’ve been far worse if not for Husker miscues down the stretch.

3. Nick Marsh Shined Bright In A Performance That Will Be Remembered For A Long Time

It’s never supposed to be that easy. How could it be that easy?

Slipping through the Nebraska defense as it sold out for a 4th-and-1 stop, Indiana wide receiver Nick March tossed his right arm skyward, waved toward Hoover and sprinted into the open field.

Snatching a toss from his quarterback and racing 44 yards to pay dirt, it was the second of Marsh’s two lengthy touchdown catches that pushed Indiana to a heart-palpitating victory over Nebraska.

That Saturday was Marsh’s coming-out party perhaps shouldn’t be surprising.

The Michigan State transfer has had his moments. There have been acrobatic catches. There have been glimpses of game-breaking ability. It came together in time to save Indiana.

First, it was a slant route that looked all too familiar to the Fernando Mendoza-to-Elijah Sarratt throw that helped Indiana salvage a victory at Iowa last year. Marsh dashed past the Nebraska defense for a 75-yard touchdown to bring the Hoosiers back within striking distance.

Then, it was the fourth down catch on which not a single Nebraska defensive back followed Indiana’s receivers off the line that Marsh deposited into the end zone for the go-ahead score.

It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t perfect. But Marsh delivered when needed. That will carry weight far beyond Saturday.

4. Indiana Rolls Into Next Weekend's Ohio State Game Undefeated, Still A Title Contender

There have been moments like this during the Cignetti era.

Iowa dragged Indiana to hell and back last fall. An Omar Cooper toe tap saved the Hoosiers at Penn State. A few late scores batted Northwestern away last week.

Consider Nebraska the latest chapter in that book.

Indiana didn’t look like its efficient self on Saturday. The run game was ineffective. The wind – with gusts that reached well into the 30-plus mile per hour range — made passing downfield increasingly difficult.

And still, Cignetti’s bunch found a way.

There will be those who watched Saturday’s game and write off the Hoosiers as national title contenders. Nebraska looks improved, sure. Indiana is not quite the death machine it was a year ago, either. Perhaps both things are true.

Indiana has had its flashes this year. The offense has seemingly clicked despite outcries about Hoover’s start to his tenure in Bloomington. The defense slowed a Nebraska offense that sliced and diced its way sideline-to-sideline to open Saturday’s affair.

The reality is we’ll really find out what Indiana is or isn’t this year when Ohio State comes to Bloomington next weekend. Surviving in Lincoln on Saturday is just a reminder — at least for the time being — Indiana fans may endure a little more anxiety than they did a year ago.