Game Day Primer: Indiana at Nebraska
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Image: Amanda Pavelka, Hoosier Huddle
Written by T.J. Inman (@TJJHoosierHuddle)
Game 8 Primer – Nebraska
What: Indiana (5-2) at Nebraska (4-3)
Where: Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska
When: Saturday, October 26, 2019 at 3:30 pm
How to Watch: The game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network. You can also listen to the game on the IU Radio Network with the legendary Don Fischer on the call.
Series History: Indiana and Nebraska have only met once in the Big Ten but they have actually clashed 20 times over the course of the series. Nebraska won the first three but Indiana won seven-straight from 1941 to 1947 and then two more in the 1950s. The series picked back up in 1975 as Tom Osborne’s Huskers demolished the Hoosiers four straight times, including a 69-17 beating in 1978. Nebraska won the lone Big Ten matchup in 2016. This will be Indiana’s first trip to Lincoln since 1977.
What’s at Stake: The Indiana Hoosiers got a gigantic road victory at Maryland last weekend and moved to 5-2 on the season. IU is now one win from bowl eligibility and they could be on the cusp of much more. The Hoosiers now travel to Nebraska, one of the most historic programs in college football, with a legitimate chance to move to 6-2 and possibly earn a spot in the Top 25 Coaches Poll. Indiana has real momentum and a victory at Nebraska would add fuel to that fire. Nebraska needs this victory to salve some wounds that have opened over the past three games. They were pounded by Minnesota and Ohio State and barely beat Northwestern. With games still remaining against Wisconsin and Iowa, the Huskers need this game to get to a winning season.
What to Watch For
1. Who’s Playing?
Nebraska is going to be without running back Maurice Washington and maybe even dynamic freshman playmaker Wan’Dale Robinson. We know that for sure. Quarterback Adrian Martinez is considered questionable as he continues to recover from a high ankle sprain. Indiana could be without budding star Michael Penix Jr. after he left last Saturday’s contest with an injury. Indiana head coach Tom Allen said Thursday that it’l be a game-time decision on Penix, but he has been practicing. Starting center Hunter Littlejohn is also trying to come back from an ankle injury and it is unclear if he will be playing. The myriad of injuries to impact players makes evaluating this contest very difficult but roster depth is definitely going to be a factor.
2. Battling Expectations and the Atmosphere
Most of IU’s current roster has played in intense atmospheres before. After all, the Hoosiers have played at Michigan and Penn State and Ohio State. However, Nebraska will be a different kind of experience. It is full of tradition and Nebraska football is akin to a religion in Lincoln and the Husker faithful are desperate for some positive signs that Scott Frost has Big Red on the right track. Indiana will need to avoid falling behind early and letting the crowd take them out of the contest. They will also need to do something they have rarely done recently, play with a weight of expectation. The Hoosiers are 5-2 for the first time in more than a decade but they must continue to approach this one game at a time.
3. Keep the Offense Rolling
Let’s review what Nebraska has actually done this season. Get past the name, get past the Scott Frost hype and just evaluate the actual Huskers team that has performed this season. They have more than 400 yards in three games and have been held below 300 in three games. South Alabama had 314 yards and outgained them in the opener. They should have won at Colorado but blew a halftime lead and surrendered 464 yards. They were thoroughly dominant against Northern Illinois but still gave up 350 yards. The offense rolled against Illinois but turnovers kept the Illini in the game. Ohio State did to the Huskers what they have done to everyone so we won’t factor that one in. The Northwestern game was a real slog but they escaped with a 13-10 victory and then Minnesota rowed right past them with no resistance, 34-7. The Gophers had 450 yards to Nebraska’s 299 and they led 34-0 after three quarters. If Martinez does not play, the Huskers offense is going to have a difficult time sustaining drives as JD Spielman becomes their only explosive threat. Nebraska has been prone to turnovers and the Indiana defense won the Maryland game with back-to-back takeaways at the end of the contest. On the other side of the ball, Minnesota showed you can bully this defense and others have been very successful through the air. Indiana, whether it’s Penix or Ramsey at quarterback, should have an advantage matching their receivers against Nebraska’s secondary and the Hoosiers take care of the ball, they should be able to find success.
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