3 things Nebraska must do in order to upset 7th-ranked Indiana

Nebraska football has a monumental task on Saturday, trying to upset the seventh-ranked Indiana Hoosiers, who have won 21 games in a row.

Indiana should probably be ranked higher than seventh. They have a top-10 scoring offense and a top-10 scoring defense. The Hoosiers are rushing for 254 yards per game. They have two backs averaging over 100 yards, and a quarterback who has thrown 15 touchdowns compared to zero interceptions.

Josh Hoover, that quarterback, also leads the Big Ten in average adjusted yards per pass (adjusted for sacks) by a wide margin. That’s a great indicator of how well a team is running, throwing, and protecting the quarterback.

So far this season, you’d be hard-pressed to find a team that’s better. Indiana has two NFL wide receivers in Charlie Becker, a 6-foot-4 slot, who is one of the best contested-catch guys I’ve seen in a long time. Nick Marsh is a first-round talent. The offensive line is loaded, too.

The defense boasts the Big Ten leader in sacks and tackles for loss. Beyond all that, Indiana is excellent on third down, in the red zone, and at not beating themselves. Indiana has one turnover in five games.

So how are the Huskers going to win this game? Here are three things they have to do to make it happen. Hint: It will not be easy.

Win in the red zone

Josh Hoover isn’t Fernando Mendoza, but he’s still incredibly good. He won’t make teams pay for mistakes quite like Mendoza. Some meat is occasionally left on the bone.

Case in point: Indiana settled for two short field goals against Northwestern. That ended up as a one-score game. If the Hoosiers scored two touchdowns, that’s another eight points.

Nebraska has to come up with some stops like that. You aren’t going to shut out this Indiana offense. Holding them under 20 might take a miracle or an act of God, like that blizzard game against Michigan State in 2018.

However, if the Huskers, who are fifth in red-zone touchdown percentage, can cash in and keep Indiana out of the end zone a couple of times, it could swing things in favor of Nebraska football.

At least the very least, it will give the Huskers a chance.

Win the turnover battle

Even if it’s 1-0, Nebraska has to be in the black when it comes to turnover ratio. Hoover hasn’t thrown an interception all season. It will be hard to keep that up. If he tries to visit Marshall Island too often, eventually he will get burned.

Nebraska has turned it over just twice this season. Indiana has turned it over once, but the Hoosiers also have just three takeaways. That’s one thing they aren’t doing at an elite level.

Win the rushing battle or get close

Both teams average over 230 rushing yards per game. Indiana has been dominant. Their run defense is allowing just 2.1 yards per attempt and 64 yards per game.

Nebraska will have to overcome that. Anthony Colandrea will help with that. He needs to be dynamic. He might even need to run for 100 yards again. 

The closer the rushing yards are, the better chance Nebraska football has of pulling off the upset.

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