So much for an easy Indiana win. Nebraska had the defending champions on the ropes, taking a fourth-quarter lead before the Hoosiers mounted their comeback. Matt Rhule’s team ultimately fell 20-17, but the numbers tell an interesting story: the Cornhuskers outgained Indiana and dominated possession. Now, the respect is finally coming their way.
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“Nebraska did a wonderful job of keeping the ball away from them. They had, like, an 80% conversion rate on third down, and you look at Indiana. Indiana barely converted on third down. So I think the biggest—I gained a lot of respect for Nebraska after watching this game,” said former Georgia Bulldogs linebacker David Pollack on Bleacher Report.
Matt Rhule and his Nebraska Cornhuskers played like a ranked team against the defending national champions, coming agonizingly close to pulling off a stunning upset. The Huskers controlled the game for nearly 48 minutes, building an 11-point lead at 17–6 early in the fourth quarter before Indiana mounted a comeback to snatch a 20–17 victory.
But the scoreline barely tells the full story. Nebraska dominated possession for 39:33 compared to Indiana’s 20:27, ran 83 offensive plays to the Hoosiers’ 44, and converted 10 of 19 third-down attempts. Indiana, meanwhile, managed just one conversion from 10 attempts.
Despite controlling nearly every major statistical category, Matt Rhule’s team ultimately fell short. The Huskers deserve plenty of praise for their performance. However, head coach Matt Rhule appears to have made peace with the fact that Nebraska still doesn’t enjoy a positive reputation among fans and critics.
“We believe in ourselves. We think we have a really good team, and we’re trying to become a great team. And so, the opportunity to play number five—I’m sorry, I don’t know the number. I keep seeing it changing, right? But, you know, obviously, people don’t have a lot of respect for our program, right?” said Matt Rhule after the game.
“Like, for us to not, you know, get some of that national, which is fine, but, like, we’re not worried about that. I’m not trying to prove anybody wrong. Let’s just go play,” he further added.
Nebraska’s defense did enough to keep the Huskers in the fight, but one devastating fourth-and-one conversion proved to be their undoing. The Hoosiers turned the crucial play into a 44-yard touchdown, snatching victory away from Matt Rhule’s team.
Nebraska’s defensive misalignment proved costly, as the Huskers sent their goal-line unit onto the field against a three-receiver setup, leaving Hoosiers WR Nick Marsh free to sneak behind the secondary without facing any resistance.
“We should have called a timeout,” Rhule admitted, taking responsibility for the defensive confusion. “Anything that happens in the organization is my fault.”
“I am really upset, angry that we didn’t win the game,” he said. “I want to make that clear. But I am not embarrassed.”
The Huskers had multiple possessions to respond, yet they managed just 84 yards across 22 plays. The ground game particularly became ineffective late in the game, producing only one yard on five carries in the final 12 minutes, excluding sacks. By the time Nebraska attempted its final play, the outcome felt all but inevitable.
Despite the painful defeat, Matt Rhule’s Huskers can take pride in their progress. Their first clash against a top-10 team under Rhule ended in a 38-point blowout, while their previous meeting with Curt Cignetti’s team resulted in a humiliating 56-7 loss. This time, however, the Huskers put up a much stronger fight, controlling the game for nearly 80% of the contest.
Next up are the Oregon Ducks, and despite being unranked, they present a great opportunity for the Huskers. A win against Oregon could significantly boost Nebraska’s standing.