For a few minutes on Saturday, Nebraska football had the kind of scene fans have been waiting years to see.
Anthony Colandrea’s touchdown run had pushed the Huskers in front 17-6 in the fourth quarter against defending national champion Indiana, and Memorial Stadium was alive in a way that felt bigger than just one play. The crowd was roaring, people were hugging, and for a moment it looked like Nebraska might finally grab the kind of breakthrough that has been so hard to find.
Then it slipped away.
Indiana fought back and left Lincoln with a 20-17 win, sending Nebraska fans right back into the familiar mix of anger, frustration and disbelief. It was a gut punch, no question. But it also came with a strange twist: Nebraska spent much of the afternoon looking like the better team.
That’s the tension from Saturday. The final score says loss. The performance said something more complicated.
The Huskers actually finished with a 383-328 edge in total yardage, controlled the ball for nearly 40 minutes, won first downs 25-13 and held Indiana to just one third-down conversion. And still, they walked off the field empty-handed.
The self-inflicted stuff was hard to miss. Nebraska was hit by badly timed penalties, missed another field goal, made questionable decisions with game management and suffered two crushing defensive breakdowns that flipped an 11-point fourth-quarter lead into a three-point defeat.
There were chances here. Plenty of them. Nebraska just didn’t cash in enough.
Colandrea was at the center of it all. He’s not flawless - he misses throws, and he can drift into running around too much - but he also brings something Nebraska has been searching for.
He’s a gamer. He’s a leader.
And he gives the Huskers a real shot against anyone. That fourth-quarter scoring burst was the kind of moment that reminds you why college football can still hit like nothing else.
There was more to like around him, too. Jacory Barney made his presence felt, Archie Wilson stood out, and the Blackshirts continued to play above expectations.
The broader picture had encouraging pieces as well. Dana Holgorsen’s offensive plan was excellent, especially in the first half.
Rob Aurich’s defense mostly kept one of the nation’s best teams in check. And Nebraska showed it has the talent and physical edge to go toe-to-toe with elite competition.
But the warning signs were still right there. The offensive line remains a problem.
Special teams keeps giving away points. And the kinds of mistakes that have haunted this program for years haven’t completely gone anywhere.
So what was Saturday, really? Proof Nebraska is turning a corner? Or just another painful entry in the long list of games the Huskers let get away?
The schedule leaves the question open. Oregon is up next, and Washington, Illinois, Ohio State, Rutgers and Iowa are all still ahead.
Nebraska has already shown it can stand in the ring with one of the best teams in the country. Now it has to turn that into wins.
Beat the teams you're supposed to beat. Steal one you’re not supposed to. Stack up nine wins, maybe more, and give Husker fans something real to celebrate in November.
Saturday gave Nebraska a glimpse of what this team can be. What comes next will show what it actually is.
In Other News...
Curt Cignetti Revealed Where Indianas Winning Touchdown Came From
Indianas 20-17 win over Nebraska turned on a 44-yard touchdown from Josh Hoover to Nick Marsh, a strike that gave the Hoosiers the edge in a tight game that never really let either side relax. Afterward, Curt Cignetti pointed to an outside source for the design behind the decisive play, crediting the offensive creativity Kansas showed during Andy Kotelnickis time running that attack.
Cignetti said the concept came from that Kansas era and specifically from a fourth-and-1 idea that had become one of the calling cards of Kotelnickis record-setting offense. For Indiana, it was a reminder that big moments can come from borrowed ideas as much as bold execution, and the larger question now is how often the Hoosiers can keep turning that kind of creativity into game-changing touchdowns. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Faces The Game That Could Change Everything Nationally
Indianas unbeaten run has set up a November-style spotlight in Bloomington a little earlier than expected, with Memorial Stadium now getting the kind of stage that can reshape a season in a hurry. The Hoosiers enter at 6-0 and ranked inside the top five, and the visit from Ohio State brings a familiar heavyweight into a building that has not often hosted a game with this much national pull.
Ohio State arrives with one loss and a top-five ranking of its own, which is what makes this matchup feel less like a milestone and more like a measuring stick. Between the history of the programs, the coaching matchup, the betting line and a full game day buildup around Bloomington, Indiana gets a chance to prove the opening surge is more than a hot start and maybe more than that if it can handle the moment. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Showed Real Promise In One Area Fans Still Cant Ignore
Indianas exhibition win over Butler at Hinkle Fieldhouse offered a useful early look at what this group can already do well. The Hoosiers controlled the boards, with Aiden Sherrell pulling down nine rebounds, and they also showed some promising perimeter touch in a 96-68 victory that gave plenty of reasons for optimism before the games start counting.
Still, the same outing also reminded everyone of a familiar concern. Multiple players found themselves in foul trouble, and that kind of issue can quickly limit rotations and disrupt rhythm once the competition tightens, even as Indianas shooting from deep and contributions from Darren Harris and Markus Burton point to a team with more offensive balance than it has had in recent years. [Read more 🡒]