Jamal Rule’s return could come at the perfect time for Nebraska.
After sitting out a second straight game, the freshman running back appears on track to be back in the mix when the Huskers host Indiana this weekend. Nebraska clearly felt comfortable giving him another week to heal, and Matt Rhule’s comments after the Maryland game suggested Rule was close enough to play if absolutely necessary.
During his weekly press conference, Rhule addressed the situation without fully confirming Rule’s status. “He said he felt good to go (against Maryland), so he was going to go as needed. Just felt like with him it was worth another week.”
That lines up with how Saturday played out. Rule was listed as a “game-time decision,” but he never took the field, and Nebraska leaned on Mekhi Nelson and Isaiah Mozee for most of the work behind quarterback Anthony Colandrea. The Huskers had trouble finding much of a rushing attack from anyone else.
The timing matters because this is not just another game on the schedule. Nebraska is 5-0 for the first time since the 2016 season, and Indiana arrives unbeaten as well.
The No. 7 Hoosiers are the defending national champion, but they have shown some vulnerability, including a near miss against Northwestern a few weeks ago.
For Rhule and Nebraska, Saturday afternoon is a chance to show that the 5-0 start is more than a product of a soft schedule. It would also mark Nebraska’s first win over a Top 25 team in the Rhule era. And there is extra weight to this one after what happened the last time Nebraska met an undefeated Indiana team.
In 2024, the Huskers were 5-1 before getting blasted 56-7 by the Hoosiers. That defeat opened the door to four straight losses, and late-season fadeouts have been a familiar problem in Rhule’s tenure. That history makes this matchup feel even bigger for a program trying to prove Year 4 looks different.
Rule’s injury timeline has been tracked closely since he left early against Michigan State after just four carries. Rhule said that Monday he would stop offering his usual injury updates and instead let the Big Ten availability reports handle it. Rule showed up as doubtful on Wednesday, questionable on Thursday and Friday, and then a game-time decision on Saturday morning.
Even with the missed time, Rule has been one of Nebraska’s most productive players. Through 3+ games, he leads all freshmen running backs with 333 yards on 42 carries, a 7.9-yard average, and five touchdowns. He has also caught four passes for 82 yards and another score.
He still leads Nebraska in rushing. Nelson is second on the team with 266 yards and four touchdowns on 56 carries, though he managed just 39 yards on 14 attempts against Maryland. He did, however, score twice.
If Rule is back this weekend, Nebraska will take a much-needed boost into its biggest game of the season.
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