Game Wrap and Reaction: Nebraska 35 Indiana 21

Written by Nate Comp (@NathanComp1)

Opponent: Nebraska Cornhuskers

Location: Lincoln, Nebraska

Why They Played: The Hoosiers and Cornhuskers played in a Big Ten East-West crossover matchup.  

What The Game Meant: After their first loss of the season last week, this was a chance for Indiana to stop the bleeding against a struggling Cornhusker squad that has already fired Scott Frost. The game felt key in the Hoosiers’ pursuit of bowl eligibility

Top Offensive Performers

Emery Simmons, WR, Indiana- With DJ Matthews and Cam Camper out of the game to injury and illness, respectively, Indiana needed a target in the receiving core to step up. Simmons provided that spark, hauling in 6 passes on 11 targets for 57 yards and a touchdown.

Casey Thompson, QB, Nebraska – Thompson battled through a couple of injuries throughout the game but was exactly what Nebraska needed. He finished 18-of-27 for 270 yards and 2 TDs while adding another TD on the ground.

Trey Palmer, WR, Nebraska – There was no question who Casey Thompson’s favorite target was. Trey Palmer converted multiple 3rd downs and finished with 8 receptions for 157 yards and a TD.

Top Defensive Performers

Cam Jones, LB, Indiana- Cam Jones once again led the Hoosiers in tackles with 11, including one for loss that resulted in a fumble in the endzone for an Indiana touchdown.

Bryant Fitzgerald, DB, Indiana- Takeaways are the emphasis of the Hoosier defense, and Fitzgerald caused them: he forced a fumble and caught an interception. He was second on the team with 8 tackles.

Luke Reimer, LB, Nebraska- Reimer finished with just 5 tackles, but he always seemed to be the name making a big play for the Cornhuskers. He also added an interception.

Special Team Performance

James Evans dominated the special teams story for the Hoosiers. The Indiana offense never got clicking, leading to 11 Evans punts for 443 total yards. Four were greater than 50 yards, and 3 were downed inside the 20.

Charles Campbell hit all 3 of his extra point attempts.

Connor Delp returned punts for Indiana and Jaylin Lucas returned kickoffs.

Key Stat(s)

2 of 15

The Indiana offense was only able to score 14 points (the other 7 came from the defense) and much of it can be blamed by the Hoosiers’ poor conversion rate on 3rd down. Indiana finished the game just 2 of 15 on 3rd down, which led to James Evans’ 11 punts in the game.

Turning Point

After climbing out of a 14-point deficit, Indiana opened the second half with an interception and three straight punts when Nebraska beat the Indiana secondary on third down for a 71-yard TD pass. After battling for field position much of the third quarter, this shifted momentum entirely and Indiana was not able to dig their way out of a deficit again.

I Knew it Was Over When…

A 12-play, 54-yard touchdown drive by Nebraska pushed their lead to 35-21 with 6:53 left to play in the 4th quarter. The Indiana offense had not done anything in the second half, and I knew 14 points was going to be far too large of a hole to climb out of.

Players of the Game

Trey Palmer, Nebraska – Palmer was Casey Thompson’s security blanket target all night long, and he answered the bell.

Anthony Grant, Nebraska -When Palmer wasn’t moving the ball through the air, Grant kept the Cornhuskers balanced on the ground. He finished with 32 carries for 136 yards.

What I took away from the game

Indiana entered this matchup in what felt like the swing game of the season; Nebraska had already fired their head coach and was vulnerable, while a fourth win for Indiana would set them up very well for bowl eligibility. Questions about the legitimacy of the Hoosiers were going to be answered this game; unfortunately, they were answered poorly.

The Indiana offense has serious issues. The Nebraska defense had not been able to stop anyone thus far this season, but they looked mighty capable against the Hoosiers. Playing without Bazelak’s top two targets Camper and Matthews is a bit of a justification, but Indiana’s backups should not have had such trouble against this secondary. The offensive line, especially the right side, remains an issue; Bazelak takes far too many hits and Indiana cannot establish a running game. Bazelak is not clear of blame himself, either, as he has struggled with accuracy all season long.

Dasan McCullough and Cam Jones are studs on the defensive side of the ball, but there have been few other players to prove reliability thus far. Even experienced secondary members like Tiawan Mullen and Jaylin Williams, who were expected to be the strength of this defense, have been inconsistent and even have been benched for times by Tom Allen.

Speaking of Allen, he must do a better job of preparing the team to start better. Indiana made an emphasis of faster starts this week in practice, but it did not translate to the field. Penalties and miscues, which can ultimately be tied back to the coaching staff, are a big reason why Indiana lost this game.

The road does not get easier moving forward. Michigan and Maryland travel to Bloomington in the coming weeks, and Indiana is in danger of seeing the season once again spiral out of control.