Curt Cignetti knows what Anthony Colandrea can do when a defense loses track of him.
That lesson dates back to 2023, when Cignetti was still at James Madison and Virginia’s then-true freshman quarterback put together a monster afternoon in Week 2. Colandrea completed 20 of 26 passes for 377 yards and two touchdowns, but James Madison still escaped with a 36-35 win in a game that became the Dukes’ closest call during an 11-2 season.
Colandrea didn’t fade after that. He turned in a historic first season as Virginia’s starter, setting the Cavaliers’ single-season freshman records for completions and passing yards. Since then, he has kept stacking experience, and Indiana will see the polished version Saturday at noon when it faces Nebraska.
“He’s had a lot of success throughout his career,” Cignetti said about Colandrea.
Now a senior, Colandrea arrived at Nebraska in January of 2026 and has wasted no time making the Cornhuskers dangerous. Through five games, Nebraska is unbeaten, and Colandrea has thrown for 1,142 yards with 13 passing touchdowns, a total tied for ninth-most in the country. He’s also completing 65.7% of his passes.
The numbers only tell part of the story. Cignetti pointed to Colandrea’s feel for the game and his ability to improvise when plays break down.
“He’s savvy, first of all,” Cignetti said. “And I think he sees the field real well, and very mobile and elusive too. So, if there’s nothing there, he has the ability to create plays with his arm and his legs.”
That dual-threat element has shown up everywhere for Nebraska. The Cornhuskers are averaging 231 rushing yards per game, which ranks third in the Big Ten, and Colandrea is a major part of that production. He’s Nebraska’s third-leading rusher with 249 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, including 108 rushing yards last weekend against Maryland.
Indiana’s defense has been sturdy through five games, but mobile quarterbacks have still caused problems at times. In Week 1 against North Texas, the Hoosiers missed 13 tackles while Mean Green quarterback Tayven Jackson kept slipping away from pressure. In Week 4 against Northwestern, Wildcats senior quarterback Aidan Chiles broke free from multiple Hoosier defenders on his way to a 7-yard rushing touchdown.
“We’ve played guys that are mobile, can throw it,” Cignetti said. “A guy that can spin it pretty good and process and get it where it’s gotta be accurately, as quickly as possible, on time, on rhythm. And can also extend plays and make plays with his legs - that’s a real weapon for the offense.”
The answer for Indiana, Cignetti said, starts up front. Nebraska’s quarterback is the kind of player who can turn a clean pocket into a broken play and a broken play into a first down, so the Hoosiers’ defensive line will need to stay disciplined and apply pressure.
Cignetti also came away impressed with Indiana’s defensive effort in last weekend’s win over Rutgers, when the Hoosiers limited the Scarlet Knights to 59 rushing yards. He said that kind of performance will need to show up again against Colandrea and Nebraska.
“So, we’ll have to do a great job of caging this guy and putting pressure on him,” Cignetti said.
In Other News...
Indiana Just Became Nebraskas Biggest Unbeaten Test Yet
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Now comes Indiana, another undefeated team at 5-0, and the next test feels like one Nebraska cannot afford to take lightly. With several Big Ten games this week carrying College Football Playoff implications, this meeting has quickly turned into more than just another early-season checkpoint for either side. [Read more 🡒]
Curt Cignetti Still Found One Problem In Indianas Blowout Win
Indianas 47-15 win over Rutgers looked comfortable from the start and the numbers backed it up, with the Hoosiers piling up 593 yards while holding the Scarlet Knights to 254. The offense moved the ball efficiently on the ground and through the air, and for much of the afternoon it felt like a game that was decided well before the final whistle.
Curt Cignetti still found room for correction once he got to the second half. The head coach pointed to the way Indiana gave up two Rutgers touchdowns after building such a large lead, a reminder that even a one-sided Big Ten win did not come with a spotless finish. For a team trying to stack clean performances, those late lapses were the part that stood out most. [Read more 🡒]
Indianas Eligibility Fight Isnt Over For Key 2022 Hoosiers
A Monroe County Court ruling has kept a batch of class of 2022 athletes on the field and court for now, including Indiana football players Stephen Daley and Kellan Wyatt and basketball player Sam Alexis. The judge denied the NCAAs request for an emergency stay of a preliminary injunction that allows those athletes to remain eligible for competition during the 2026-27 athletic year, preserving the status quo while the legal fight plays out.
The NCAA has already appealed the injunction and is pressing for a stay from the appellate court, which would make the athletes ineligible until that appeal is decided. For Indiana, the case matters because it directly affects a few of its current and future roster pieces, and the next key deadline arrives Oct. 8, when the student-athletes must respond to the emergency motion. [Read more 🡒]