Curt Cignetti keeps stacking up firsts at Indiana, and Saturday’s 20-17 escape at Nebraska gave him another one.
The Hoosiers came out of Lincoln at 6-0, but they had to claw for it. Indiana spent most of the afternoon getting pushed around and trailed 17-6 early in the fourth quarter before flipping the game with two big plays from Nick Marsh and a series of key defensive stops late.
That comeback mattered beyond just the final score. Indiana’s win streak now sits at 22 games, and Cignetti’s record in Bloomington is up to 33-2. For a program that has already undergone the greatest turnaround in college sports history, this was another entry in a growing list of remarkable moments under Cignetti.
The numbers behind the rally tell the story. ESPN Insights noted that Indiana had been 1-120 when trailing by double-digits in the fourth quarter since 2004. The Hoosiers also became the first team to stretch a winning streak to 20 or more games by overcoming a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit since Texas in the 2006 Rose Bowl.
Indiana comes back to win it!
The Hoosiers are the first team to extend a win streak to 20+ games by overcoming a double-digit 4th-quarter deficit since Texas in the 2006 Rose Bowl against USC. https://t.co/q5X83ZIxwC pic.twitter.com/M0lgPeaQNf
- ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) October 10, 2026
Before kickoff, Cignetti told FOX’s Jenny Taft that his team needed to make the winning plays when the moment demanded it. That’s exactly what Indiana did, while Nebraska couldn’t finish the job even after giving itself chances to close things out.
Now the focus shifts immediately to Ohio State. Indiana and the Buckeyes meet next week in Bloomington in a Top-10 showdown, with the Hoosiers ranked No. 7 and Ohio State at No. 5.
The recent history between the two programs gives the game plenty of juice. Indiana’s loss in Columbus in 2024 is still Cignetti’s only Big Ten defeat at the helm, and he is now 21-1 in conference play.
That includes Indiana’s 13-10 win over Ohio State in last December’s Big Ten Championship Game, a result the Buckeyes will be eager to answer when they arrive in Bloomington. Kickoff is set for Noon ET.
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Josh Hoover Answered Indianas Biggest Late-Game Question
For much of the afternoon against Nebraska, Indiana had to live with the discomfort that comes from a one-score game in bad weather. Josh Hoover was throwing into a strong wind, and the accuracy issues showed up early, but the Hoosiers still found enough offense to stay in front and protect a 20-17 win that never felt safe.
Hoover became the difference late, delivering two touchdown passes to Nick Marsh when the game tightened and Indiana needed answers most. Nebraska ran more plays and controlled long stretches of the action, but the Huskers did not turn that volume into enough points, leaving the Hoosiers to walk away with a win that said as much about poise as it did about production. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Gets A Huge Break Before Undefeated Test At Nebraska
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Indiana Faces A Huge Road Test That Could Expose One Weakness
Indiana heads to Lincoln for a Big Ten showdown that could tell us a lot about where this team really stands. Both the Hoosiers and Nebraska are unbeaten in league play, but the contrast in styles makes this one especially interesting: Indiana has been cleaner with penalties and more balanced on offense, getting meaningful production from several players instead of leaning on one obvious source.
Nebraska brings a different kind of stress test, with quarterback Anthony Colandrea driving an offense that can hurt defenses through the air and on the ground. Add in the forecast for strong winds, and the game could turn into a tricky afternoon for passing and kicking alike. For Indiana, the challenge is not just keeping pace in a hostile road environment - it's showing that one of its quieter strengths can survive when conditions get messy. [Read more 🡒]