Indiana football grades from surviving Nebraska's upset bid, 22nd straight win

LINCOLN, NE — Indiana football survived a scare in Lincoln on Saturday to keep its 22-game win streak intact.

The No. 5 Hoosiers (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) pulled out a 20-17 victory over Nebraska (5-1, 2-1) by erasing an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

Here's a report card for Saturday's victory:

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Josh Hoover to Nick Marsh saves IU offense

OFFENSE: C

The run game Indiana leaned on in recent weeks didn't show up.

In the first half, Turbo Richard and Lee Beebe Jr. combined for 12 yards in the first half and didn't have a carry go for longer than a 4-yard gain. The Hoosiers came into the game averaging 6.4 yards per carry (fourth in the FBS) with 17 runs of 20 or more yards.

Without that explosiveness, IU put up just three points — tied for the fewest points of Cignetti's tenure in the first half — on three first downs going into the half.

Indiana's most effective weapon on the ground turned out to be Hoover scrambling out of the pocket. In the third quarter, he had a pair of big gains that accounted for more than half of the team's production in the run game at that point.

Lacking balance, Hoover had moments in the passing game, but the Hoosiers couldn't find any kind of consistency. Only three different players caught a pass and Hoover finished the game completing fewer than 60 percent of passes for the first time this season.

Becker and Marsh were IU's most potent weapons with both talented receivers coming through in key moments. Right after Nebraska took a 17-6 lead in the fourth, Marsh made a contested catch on a deep slant and took it 75-yards for the score. The connected again a few minutes later with Nebraska leaving Marsh wide open for a 44-yard touchdown.

Marsh topped 100 yards for the second time in as many weeks with IU needing every inch of his production.

IU defense struggles to contain Anthony Colandrea

DEFENSE: C

Nebraska set the tone early with Indiana struggling to make tackles in the open field and failing to get off the field because of it.

The Cornhuskers were 8 of 11 on third down through the first two quarters, a mark that tied for the most third down conversions IU's defense has allowed in a single game during Curt Cignetti's tenure. They dominated the time of possession battle (22:19 to 7:41) because of it.

Indiana managed to make some stops in the second half, but Nebraska's own miscues played a big part in that success, like when the Cornhuskers were called for a false start as it lined up to go for it on fourth-and-short.

Early in the fourth quarter, Nebraska quarterback Anthony Colandrea ran through the heart of IU's defense on a 39-yard touchdown to put his team in control. He broke a series of tackles on the play and outran Hoosiers safety Amare Ferrell to the end zone.

It was the first time this season Indiana's defense allowed a run of 30 or more yards.

Kicker's improvement helps special teams improve

SPECIAL TEAMS: B

Nico Radicic rebounded from missing two kicks against Rutgers with a strong performance. He was 2 of 2 on field goals — he connected from 35- and 42-yards out — in windy conditions to keep IU in the game. Indiana wasn't so lucky in the punt game. Billy Gowers averaged just 36.3 yards per punt, one of those kicks came from his own end zone.

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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana football grades from surviving Nebraska's upset bid, 22nd straight win

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