‘Cursed Program,’ ‘Rise & Fall of Nebraska Football Needs to Be Heavily Studied’ — Fans React as Indiana Rallies Past Huskers 20-17

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

For three quarters, Indiana’s offense managed two field goals against Nebraska.

Then quarterback Josh Hoover threw two touchdown passes to wide receiver Nick Marsh to lift No. 7 Indiana past Nebraska 20-17 on Saturday, and College Football Report responded by calling the Huskers a cursed program.

Indiana, the defending national champion, trailed 17-6 with about 12 minutes left before winning its 22nd straight game. The account wrote that Nebraska had now lost 32 in a row against ranked opponents.

Nebraska’s Losing Streak Against Ranked Teams Grows as Matt Rhule Takes Blame

“Nebraska is now 0-32 in their last 32 games against Ranked Opponents,” College Football Report wrote. “They haven’t beat a ranked team since 2016. CURSED PROGRAM.”

The Associated Press and CBS Sports both put the streak at 31 straight losses to Top 25 opponents. Nebraska coach Matt Rhule has lost 21 straight against Top 25 teams over seven seasons at Baylor and Nebraska, according to the AP.

“The rise & fall of Nebraska football needs to be heavily studied,” one fan wrote, answering College Football Report.

Nebraska has not beaten a top-seven opponent since Michigan State in 2015, according to CBS Sports, which wrote that a win Saturday would have been the program’s biggest since it beat Oklahoma in 2001.

BUILD THE CFP FIELD:PFN’s Free CFB Playoff Predictor

One Nebraska fan traced the slide to an old coaching decision. “The Curse of Pelini. We should’ve never fired him and he put a spell on us.”

Rhule, by contrast, put Saturday’s decisive breakdown on himself. On fourth-and-1 at the Nebraska 44, the Huskers had their goal-line defense on the field by mistake and crowded the line as if expecting a run, and Marsh caught Hoover’s floating pass with no one around him.

“We should have called a timeout,” Rhule said. “It didn’t happen. The organization is my fault.”

Another fan pushed back on the curse label. “We are in the year 2026 and no one on this team cares about the past. They almost beat the #7 team in the country while being unranked.”

Nebraska outgained Indiana 391-328 and held the ball nearly twice as long as Indiana. The Hoosiers finished with season lows of 65 rushing yards and 328 total yards, and Big Ten rushing leader Turbo Richard and Lee Beebe Jr. combined for 41 yards on 17 carries.

“That wasn’t an Indiana team sleepwalking through this and that wasn’t a Nebraska team that’s not in that class,” Rhule said. “That was two guys battling. But we’re not OK with that.”

Another fan credited Nebraska’s quarterback. “THEY PLAYED A GREAT GAME AND SO DID THEIR GREAT QB ANTHONY COLANDRIA…..THEY JUST GOT BEAT BY PERHAPS THE BEST TEAM IN THE COUNTRY!”

Nebraska quarterback Anthony Colandrea completed 25 of 43 passes for 263 yards with an interception and ran for the 39-yard touchdown that made it 17-6. Colandrea’s season has graded well at Pro Football Network, where his PFN Impact grade of 88.5 through Week 5 ranked tied for 10th of 165 graded and qualified FBS quarterbacks entering Saturday’s game.

Hoover’s day turned on two throws. He completed 12 of 22 passes for 263 yards, 187 of them to Marsh, and CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli wrote that it was statistically Hoover’s worst game at Indiana, with a strong wind sending throws off target.

EVERY QB, GRADED:PFN’s CFB QB Impact Rankings

Hoover entered Saturday’s game with a season PFN Impact grade of 90.4 through Week 5, which ranked fourth of 165 graded and qualified FBS quarterbacks.

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said Hoover made some throws and missed a couple, but called the fourth-and-1 touchdown a huge play. “And when number one option wasn’t open, he had great poise, presence. He was calm and delivered a strike.”

“I think it’s just grit and mental toughness, right?” Hoover said of the comeback.

Looking Ahead in Week 7 to Ohio State and Oregon

Hoover carries 17 touchdown passes and no interceptions into Indiana’s Week 7 game against Ohio State on Oct. 17 in Bloomington.

PFN’s College Football Playoff Meter gives Indiana a 48.3% chance to beat Ohio State and an 84.2% chance to make the playoff. A win would raise Indiana’s playoff chances to 97.1%, while a loss would drop them to 72.3%.

Nebraska visits Oregon at Autzen Stadium the same day.

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos