Nebraska came up short in a 20-17 loss to Indiana, but the box score and the flow of the game told a bigger story: the Huskers were right there with the defending national champions.
That’s what makes this one sting. Indiana led for only 7:13 all afternoon and still walked out with the win, while Nebraska spent much of the game dictating the pace.
The result ended Nebraska’s first game of the 2026 season and pushed the Cornhuskers’ drought against AP-ranked opponents past 3,600 days, with that streak set to continue for at least another week. Still, the gap looked smaller than it has in a long time.
Anthony Colandrea was a huge part of that. Nebraska brought him in with the idea that a mobile quarterback could open up the offense in 2026, and he delivered on that promise against Indiana’s fourth-ranked defense.
The senior completed 25 of 43 passes for 263 yards, rushed for 47 yards and scored a touchdown on 17 carries. Five sacks knocked him back enough to keep him from leading the Big Red in rushing for a third straight week, but for long stretches he gave Nebraska exactly what it needed: a quarterback who could create.
He wasn’t able to finish the job, though. Colandrea kept drives alive with his legs, extended plays in the pocket and helped Nebraska stay on the front foot, but he couldn’t produce the final drive that would have changed the outcome. Even so, he’s giving Matt Rhule something Nebraska hasn’t always had at quarterback: a player who can make the offense work against anybody left on the schedule.
That’s part of why this team feels different. Not perfect, not finished, but dangerous.
Nebraska matched up with what might be the most disciplined roster in college football and, in a lot of ways, looked like the better team. Indiana’s run game, one of the best in the country by yards per carry, was held to 3.0 yards per rush.
The Hoosiers’ fourth-ranked defense gave up nearly 400 yards of offense. Nebraska did enough in those areas to win most Saturdays.
But this was not most Saturdays. Good teams find a way.
Great teams do it anyway. Nebraska still has work to do before anyone can call it great, but after 60 minutes against Indiana, there’s a strong case that the Huskers belong in the top 25 conversation.
Special teams may be the piece that keeps getting in the way. First-year coordinator Brett Maher has not seen that unit settle in yet, and Saturday added another painful chapter. Kyle Cunanan missed a 40-yard field goal in the second quarter, and while Nebraska had chances to overcome it, that miss loomed larger once the final score settled at 20-17.
Cunanan is now 3-for-6 on field goals this season after going 16-for-19 last year. Through the first five games, those misses had not directly swung a result.
In Week 6, they did. Indiana’s Nico Radicic made both of his kicks, and Nebraska couldn’t keep pace in a game decided by three points.
That’s the part Nebraska has to sort out. The Huskers were good enough in plenty of other areas to win this one.
They just weren’t clean enough where it mattered most. And until that changes, close games like this one can keep slipping away.
In Other News...
Nebraska Has A Dylan Raiola Reunion Brewing With One Big Catch
The Ducks are heading into their matchup with Nebraska with a little more quarterback uncertainty than they would like, as Dante Moore remains in concussion protocol. If Moore cant go, Dylan Raiola would be the next man up, giving Oregon a familiar option with enough experience to handle a game of this size. It also would come with an extra layer of interest, since Raiola transferred from Nebraska and now could find himself on the opposite sideline from the program he once called home.
Raiolas recent play has been uneven, which is part of what makes this situation so intriguing for Oregon. He followed a strong showing against USC with a rough outing in the loss to UCLA, leaving the Ducks to weigh both his upside and the volatility that has shown up in his latest appearances. If he does get the nod, the game would carry obvious personal meaning for him, even before you get to the larger stakes of Oregon trying to keep its offense on track. [Read more 🡒]
Oregons Bear Alexander Controversy Just Put Dan Lanning Under Pressure
Dan Lanning spent part of Oregons game against UCLA dealing with more than just the scoreboard, as defensive lineman Bear Alexander became the center of a nasty sequence that drew immediate scrutiny. Video showed Alexander punching UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava while Iamaleava was on the ground, and the play helped contribute to a knee injury that is expected to end the quarterbacks season.
UCLA coach Bob Chesney called the incident egregious and regrettable, and the aftermath now puts Lanning in a difficult public spot as Oregon moves forward. He said Alexander will not be disciplined, viewing the punch as an effort to dislodge the ball, while Alexander has reportedly expressed remorse and said he did not intend to cause harm. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Suddenly Looks Vulnerable As Nebraska Sees Its Opening
Nebraskas narrow loss to Indiana left the Cornhuskers with little margin for error, but it also changed the way the next stretch looks in the Big Ten race. A trip to Oregon now carries a little more intrigue than it did a week ago, because the Ducks have suddenly shown some cracks after their loss to UCLA, a team that has taken a clear step forward under new coach Bob Chesney.
Oregons defeat came with the added context of missing its starting quarterback, which only complicates the picture as the conference standings start to sort themselves out. Indiana is still unbeaten but looks beatable, Ohio State keeps rolling, and the Ducks are no longer sitting in quite the same tier of certainty, which gives Nebraska at least a reason to believe it can turn a tough road trip into something more meaningful for both the Big Ten and the College Football Playoff conversation. [Read more 🡒]