Nebraska is staring at a familiar number this week - 7.5 points - and one former Husker thinks that line is begging to be flipped.
Will Compton went on ESPN’s Get Up and made a loud, unapologetic case for Nebraska to knock off No. 7 Indiana in Lincoln, calling for the Huskers to “shock the world” against a team that is in the middle of the best run in program history. Indiana arrives with a 21-game winning streak and a national title defense, but Compton said he sees the kind of setup that can break a streak of its own.
“September 17, 2016 was the last time Nebraska has won a ranked game,” Compton said. “I’m so fired up for this game.
I know this fanbase has waited a decade to feel in a spot like this with the defending national champions coming to town. All the respect in the world to Curt Cignetti.
They have a very good offense, they have a very good defense. “I love Anthony Colandrea, I love Jamal Rule, I love our receivers, I love our offensive line.
(Dwayne) McDougle, (Owen) Chambliss, (Andrew) Marshall, Williams (Nwaneri). I love the Huskers.
You know I love the Huskers in this spot. “I’m ready to shock the world on Saturday and I hope everybody’s tuned in to see it happen,” Compton declared at the end of his speech.
Compton’s Bussin’ With The Boys co-host Taylor Lewan pushed the prediction even further. He said Cignetti is “going down” and added, “Big Netti will be no more.”
Lewan also backed Nebraska quarterback Anthony Colandrea, saying, “Will Compton doesn’t want to say it, I will say it: Curt Cignetti is going down,” Lewan said. “Big Netti will be no more.
I’m just letting you know right now Colandrea has the mojo, he’s got the aura and the juice to get things done.”
The challenge in front of Nebraska is steep. The Huskers have lost 31 straight games to ranked opponents, a skid that reaches back to 2016 and stands as the second-longest in the country. Still, Lewan pointed to the bigger picture around the program and its supporters, noting the over 400 consecutive sellouts at a 90,000-seat stadium and arguing that the long wait for a breakthrough could finally end here.
“I want to give a massive shoutout to this Nebraska fanbase,” Lewan said. “They have, for all the trials and tribulations that they’ve been through, the stats of not winning a top-25 game since 2016, and for them to have over 400 consecutive sellouts in that stadium of 90,000 people, there’s always going to be trends.
There’s always going to be patterns of ‘this team can’t get over the hump.’ “To me this team finally gets over the hump and this fanbase is finally rewarded for sticking with their team through all of the down years that have took place.”
For Nebraska, the chance to end both a long drought against ranked teams and Indiana’s undefeated run comes with the kind of spotlight Compton clearly wants.
In Other News...
Nebraska Faces A Big Defensive Line Worry Before Indiana
Nebraskas defensive front has a new concern heading into the Indiana game, with tackle Riley Van Poppel landing on the questionable list. He is part of a Husker injury report that also saw tight end Carter Nelson and linebacker Gage Stenger move up to questionable, while several other Nebraska players remain unavailable as the matchup approaches.
Indianas report carries its own uncertainty, with wide receiver LeBron Bond listed as questionable after missing previous games. The Hoosiers also expect to have cornerback A.J. Harris and defensive end David Ndukwe back in the mix after earlier injuries, leaving both teams with some late-week personnel questions to monitor before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas First Test Will Reveal Plenty About This New-Look Team
Fridays exhibition against Saint Louis will be Nebraskas first real chance to show what this new-look group can do under game conditions. College basketballs preseason tuneups are often more about feel than results, but they still offer a useful snapshot, especially for a team trying to sort out its rotation and see how new pieces fit together before the games start counting.
The Cornhuskers are part of a loaded October 9 exhibition slate that also includes North Carolina meeting USC and Richmond visiting Virginia, giving fans an early look at several programs with fresh faces and new directions. For Nebraska, the focus is less on the final score than on how the roster responds, how the coaching staff deploys it, and what the first test reveals about the teams early identity. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Just Showed Why The Big Ten Keeps Chasing This Team
Nebraska kept rolling in Big Ten play with a straight-sets win over Indiana, and the numbers told the story of a team that looked sharp on both sides of the net. Harper Murray led the way with 11 kills, one ace, seven digs and two blocks, while Teraya Sigler added 10 kills and two blocks as Nebraska hit .379 overall and controlled the match from the outset.
The most interesting part came late, when Nebraska went to a new front-row lineup and tightened up its blocking even more. For a team that already brings the kind of firepower and depth that make conference opponents chase it all season, that kind of flexibility only adds to the problem for everyone else trying to catch up. [Read more 🡒]