‘We Did Just Enough,’ ‘The Organization Is My Fault’ — Curt Cignetti, Matt Rhule Explain Indiana’s Late Comeback to Edge Nebraska 20-17

‘We Did Just Enough,’ ‘The Organization Is My Fault’ — Curt Cignetti, Matt Rhule Explain Indiana’s Late Comeback to Edge Nebraska 20-17

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‘We Did Just Enough,’ ‘The Organization Is My Fault’ — Curt Cignetti, Matt Rhule Explain Indiana’s Late Comeback to Edge Nebraska 20-17
‘We Did Just Enough,’ ‘The Organization Is My Fault’ — Curt Cignetti, Matt Rhule Explain Indiana’s Late Comeback to Edge Nebraska 20-17
‘We Did Just Enough,’ ‘The Organization Is My Fault’ — Curt Cignetti, Matt Rhule Explain Indiana’s Late Comeback to Edge Nebraska 20-17

For the first time all season, Indiana had to play from behind, and the defending national champions needed most of the afternoon to dig out. Quarterback Josh Hoover hit receiver Nick Marsh for touchdowns of 75 and 44 yards in the fourth quarter as No. 7 Indiana rallied past Nebraska 20-17 on Saturday.

The Hoosiers (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) stretched their winning streak to 22 games, a week before No. 5 Ohio State visits Bloomington.

Indiana trailed by 11 points early in the fourth quarter and was outgained 391-328, but the Hoosiers scored the game’s final 14 points.

Hoover and Marsh Lead Indiana Rally Past Nebraska

Kyle Cunanan’s 28-yard field goal capped Nebraska’s 13-play, 66-yard opening drive, and Indiana did not lead until just over seven minutes remained. “First time the Hoosiers have trailed since last year’s Big Ten title game vs. Ohio State,” Max Olson, who covers college football for ESPN, wrote.

Nebraska receiver Nyziah Hunter’s 10-yard touchdown run made it 10-3, and it stayed that way through halftime after Cunanan missed a 40-yard field goal in the final 20 seconds of the half. Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said he told his players at the break that “good teams find a way to win a game like this at the end.”

Nebraska quarterback Anthony Colandrea’s 39-yard touchdown run made it 17-6 with 12 minutes left. On the next snap, Hoover hit Marsh on a run-pass option, and Marsh outran the secondary for a 75-yard touchdown.

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Cignetti opted to kick the extra point for a 17-13 score rather than go for two, saying afterward that Indiana had shown its formation for the two-point play and he didn’t feel he had a great second option after a timeout.

After a defensive stop, Indiana faced fourth-and-1 at the Nebraska 44. With the Huskers crowding the line to stop a run, Hoover faked a handoff and found Marsh behind the secondary, and Marsh scored with no one around him for a 20-17 lead.

Cignetti said Indiana took the play from Kansas about five or six years ago. Hoover finished 12-of-22 for 263 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. In Pro Football Network’s ratings, Hoover’s PFN Impact grade of 90.4 through Week 5 ranks 4th of 165 graded and qualified FBS quarterbacks.

Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said there was confusion before the snap and that the Huskers should have called a timeout. “It didn’t happen. The organization is my fault.”

Indiana’s defense closed it out. Nebraska turned the ball over on downs with under five minutes left, and its next drive, from its own 5, ended when defensive lineman Tobi Osunsanmi sacked Colandrea on fourth down. Osunsanmi’s PFN Impact grade of 88.6 this season ranks 9th of 606 graded and qualified FBS edge defenders.

Indiana Survives Nebraska Despite Offensive Struggles

“Nebraska ran 83 plays, had the ball for two-thirds of the game and scored 17 points,” Stewart Mandel wrote.

Indiana ran 44 plays, went 1-of-10 on third down and had the ball for just over 20 minutes. Turbo Richard, who entered as the Big Ten’s rushing leader, ran eight times for 10 yards, and the Hoosiers’ 65 rushing yards and 328 total yards were season lows.

Cignetti, whose defense was on the field for nearly 40 minutes, looked ahead to the film session. “And there’s gonna be a lot of things we don’t like on tape, I’ll tell you that right now. But we did just enough.”

Marsh, who caught six passes for 187 yards, said Indiana has faced plenty of adversity this season. “I think today was more of the mental challenge.”

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Still, PFN’s College Football Playoff Meter, as of Oct. 10, 2026, gives Indiana a 34.1% chance to win the Big Ten, ahead of Ohio State’s 32.6% and Oregon’s 23.4%, along with an 83.7% chance to make the playoff.

Looking Ahead in Week 7 to Ohio State

Indiana hosts No. 5 Ohio State in next Saturday’s Week 7 game in Bloomington. The Hoosiers’ 22-game winning streak is the longest in the Big Ten since Ohio State won 23 straight in 2013-14, according to The Associated Press.

“I think Ohio State is the team to beat in the Big Ten,” one fan wrote, arguing that Indiana has struggled against Northwestern and Nebraska, which the fan called good but not great teams.

Indiana beat Northwestern 29-23 on Sept. 25. Ohio State, which entered Saturday at 4-1, lost 24-23 at Texas on Sept. 12.

PFN’s College Football Playoff Meter gives Indiana a 48.6% chance to beat Ohio State. A win would lift Indiana’s odds in the Meter to 96.7% to make the playoff and 47.3% to win the Big Ten, and a loss would drop them to 71.4% and 21.5%.

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.

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