Written by Amanda Pavelka (@amandapavelka3)

Coming off a 34-28 victory in College Park, the 5-2 Indiana football squad looks to squeeze out another big road win. The battle for a bowl bid begins with their first opportunity in Lincoln on Saturday. Nebraska is a tough road matchup, and IU’s chance of victory lies heavily in the following.

Quarterback Status

A healthy Michael Penix will make all the difference for Hoosier offense Saturday. To IU’s relief, Nebraska’s starting quarterback Adrian Martinez is also questionable, and it is hard to tell if he will play coming off their open week. With both starting quarterbacks’ playing status uncertain, it’s hard to tell how Saturday’s game will go. What the Hoosiers do have to their advantage is a solid backup quarterback in Peyton Ramsey and if he plays with the poise he did against Maryland last week, IU’s offense should be fine.

Handling Husker Nation

When it comes to loyalty, the 90,000 fans that have filled Memorial Stadium stands to sell-out 372 consecutive home games top the list for the best in college football. The Memorial Stadium of Lincoln, Nebraska, that is—where the Hoosiers will face a different sea of red on Saturday.

Tradition runs deep in Cornhusker land— the Huskers run through a fan-packed tunnel ending with a horseshoe they touch for good luck, then out to the field surrounded by 90,000 screaming fans. Those fans are eager to fill the sky with the release of tens of thousands of red balloons when Nebraska scores their first touchdown.

Handling the Huskers and their overwhelming fans on Saturday is going to be just as much of a mental game as it is physical. Quieting a sell-out crowd is easier said than done, but if the Hoosiers beat the Huskers to celebration in the end zone, it would be a good start.

Wear Down Defense Early

The Huskers announced they’ll wear their black alternate jerseys on Saturday. It’s a motivation tool Nebraska head Coach Scott Frost is using in a pivotal, postseason-deciding game for them— one to ramp up defense. In his eyes, if they are going to wear the black and white jerseys, like the Blackshirts defense wears to practice, they need to play up to Blackshirt standard. Nebraska defense has given up over 30 points in four of their games this season— against Colorado, Illinois, Ohio State, and their last game, a 34-7 loss to Minnesota. The quicker Indiana can establish dominance and outrun defense, the less momentum they feed Nebraska.

The Huddle

Indiana’s Keys to Handling the Huskers

Hoosier Huddle