No. 16 Indiana football (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) put to rest any doubt about its status as a Big Ten contender Saturday afternoon, thrashing Nebraska (5-2, 2-2 Big Ten) and showing the Fox Big Noon Kickoff audience that the days of gridiron futility are over in Bloomington.
Spearheaded by a dominant ground game and suffocating defense, the Hoosiers hammered the Huskers 56-7 in front of Memorial Stadium’s largest crowd in 51 years.
“I noticed them,” Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti said of the fans postgame. “I could tell they were really loud.”
Nebraska freshman phenom Dylan Raiola struggled behind center in his first true road test, completing 28 of his 44 passes for 234 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions.
“He’s young, and we made some nice plays out there,” Cignetti said.
Unlike Raiola, Indiana’s quarterback play was efficient. Kurtis Rourke and Tayven Jackson combined to complete 24 of their 30 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns. Rourke left the game after the first half with a thumb injury and Jackson took his place, appearing as poised and confident as he ever has in an Indiana uniform.
Rourke’s thumb injury occurred when he hit his hand on a helmet and Cignetti said the Indiana starter was pulled from the game largely for precautionary measures. “We’ll know tomorrow, but we’re optimistic,” Cignetti said.
As was the case at the start of the season, Indiana’s offensive success began on the ground rather than through the air. The Hoosiers dog-walked Nebraska’s highly-touted rush defense, which entered the game without having allowed a rushing touchdown while holding opponents under 100 rushing yards per game this season.
Indiana racked up 215 of its 495 total yards and five of its eight touchdowns on the ground. Running back Justice Ellison led the way with 105 yards and two touchdowns – averaging 11.7 yards on just nine attempts. Ty Son Lawton and Kaelon Black picked up TDs of their own and Elijah Green joined the party late, salting away another Indiana blowout win with a fourth-quarter trip to the end zone.
Indiana narrowly missed eclipsing 500 total yards, a mark it has passed three times this season. The Hoosiers have gained at least 400 total yards in all seven games this season.
“"I know there was a national perception Nebraska had a pretty legit defense on a national scale,” Cignetti said. “Maybe this will open their eyes."
Physicality up front was key for Indiana not just on offense, but on defense as well. While the Hoosiers rushed for over 200 yards, they held the Huskers to 70 on 29 attempts, an average of under 2.5 yards per attempt.
When Indiana needed a key stop, the defense delivered.
Nebraska went 7-for-16 on third down conversions and 0-for-5 on fourth down conversions, including at the start of the second half when Shawn Asbury II intercepted Raiola and returned it deep into Nebraska territory, killing a seven-minute drive and shifting momentum in Indiana’s favor for good.
The Hoosiers went on to outscore Nebraska 28-0 in the second half and cement a statement win that will establish them among the Big Ten’s best.
However, Cignetti isn’t satisfied.
“We’ve still gotta get Washington sold out,” Cignetti said. “Keep winning, people are going to come.”
Washington is the defending national runner-up in name only. With an overhauled roster and new head coach in Jedd Fisch, they bear almost no resemblance to last year’s team that featured former IU football assistants Kalen DeBoer and Kane Wommack as well as future NFL first-round QB Michael Penix Jr.
The Huskies, who sit at 4-3 overall and 2-2 in conference play after a 40-16 loss at Iowa, will face off against Indiana at noon on Oct. 26 on Big Ten Network.
