Hoosiers Welcome #10 Huskers For Homecoming

Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

For the first time since 1978, the Nebraska Cornhuskers will be playing football in Bloomington. The Huskers come into this game at #10 in the country after starting the 2016 season 5-0 and Indiana head coach Kevin Wilson knows his team, playing their third straight ranked opponent, is in for a tough test.

“Nebraska does not turn the ball over, they do not give up big plays, and they have great balance on offense. So, again, they’ll be a really tough challenge,” Wilson said on Monday.

The Hoosiers enter this contest at 3-2 after losing a hard-fought battle in Columbus against the #2 Ohio State Buckeyes. A victory on Saturday would have major implications, not only for this season, but historically. IU has not knocked off a top ten opponent at home since 1965 and they have not beaten two ranked teams at home since 1950. Those historical factors re interesting but they will have no bearing on Saturday’s game. Rather, the players, those injured and those on the field, will decide the outcome. Indiana has been without All-American right guard Dan Feeney (concussion) for the past three games and they are hoping to have him back on Saturday as they go against a Nebraska defense that has surrendered only 17.6 points per game. The Hoosiers have also been without running back Cole Gest (ankle) and defensive lineman Jacob Robinson (concussion) and their status for Saturday is unknown. Nebraska has injury concerns of their own as star wide receiver Jordan Westerkamp, starting tight end Cethan Carter and back-up running back Devine Ozigbo are all considered doubtful for Saturday’s contest. It’s not all bad news on the injury front though, quarterback Tommy Armstrong, Nebraska’s offensive leader, is out of his walking boot and ready to play.

“I think that Tommy is simply a big part of what we do overall, running and passing.” Nebraska head coach Mike Riley said. “We have been making good choices about how to use him and where he can be most effective with our team. So we will certainly keep all of that in mind as we go forward. We look at what’s best for the game plan and what’s best to beat this team.”

IU’s defensive coordinator, Tom Allen, agreed that Armstrong will present a challenge. “Any time a quarterback can run it and throw it effectively, it creates a challenge for any defense. Tommy Armstrong makes Nebraska go and he has a tremendously strong arm. Last week’s prep of J.T. Barrett will help, but he creates some different challenges as well.”

The Cornhuskers have gotten off to this unbeaten start by taking care of business against a relatively soft schedule (wins against Fresno State, Wyoming, Oregon, Northwestern and Illinois) with a balanced offensive attack and a much-improved defense. Kevin Wilson thought there were some similarities to Ohio State and he has been impressed by the Cornhuskers during his preparation for Saturday’s contest.

“We have not faced these guys but you see them from afar, probably don’t know them as well as Ohio State, but there are similar traits offensively with line play, running game, a great quarterback that can make a lot of plays and speed on the perimeter. Defensively, solid, 160 running, 190 passing, 360 yards a game. They’re not giving up big plays…just like Ohio State, they’re 36 minutes of time of possession. They keep the ball from you and they do great on offense which helps their defense. They are plus-four on the turnover ratio.”

One potential area for IU to exploit is the rush defense as Nebraska has given up 150 rushing yards per game. Senior offensive lineman Jacob Bailey was disappointed with the lack of run game against Ohio State but he believes the Hoosiers will be ready for a better performance this Saturday.

“They are big, fast and play with a bunch of pride. This will be a great challenge and we look forward to an opportunity to redeem ourselves,” Bailey said. “They will get our best shot.”

This is a massive week for Indiana football. Homecoming festivities will be going on all week. BTN’s new “BTN Tailgate” will be broadcasting live from Bloomington. The Hoosiers will be sporting new “candy stripe” uniforms and playing in front of a national television audience on ABC. Nebraska is a blue-blood college football program with a proud tradition and a massive fan-base that should be well-represented inside of Memorial Stadium. Most importantly, IU has a chance to knock off a second ranked team, and a top ten one at that, to move to 4-2 and get within two victories of another postseason appearance.