Matt Rhule Says He Should Have Called a Timeout Before Nick Marsh’s Go-Ahead Touchdown as Nebraska Falls to Unbeaten Indiana 20-17
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Two fourth-quarter catches by receiver Nick Marsh rescued Indiana’s winning streak, which now stands at 22 games.
Marsh caught touchdown passes of 75 and 44 yards from quarterback Josh Hoover, and No. 7 Indiana rallied from 11 points down to beat Nebraska 20-17 on Saturday in Lincoln, Nebraska.
The Hoosiers (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) trailed for the first time since the 2025 Big Ten championship game. The Cornhuskers (5-1, 2-1) led for most of the afternoon before Indiana scored the final 14 points.
Nick Marsh Catches Two Late Touchdowns to Lift Indiana
Nebraska stretched its lead to 17-6 when quarterback Anthony Colandrea kept the ball and ran 39 yards for a touchdown with 12:01 left.
Indiana needed one snap to answer. Hoover faked a handoff and hit Marsh over the middle, and Marsh outran the Nebraska secondary for a 75-yard touchdown that cut the lead to 17-13 with 11:51 left.
Nebraska’s next drive ended in a punt after a roughing-the-passer penalty wiped out an Indiana interception. Facing fourth-and-1 at the Nebraska 44, Indiana kept its offense on the field, and Hoover used play-action to find Marsh uncovered for a 44-yard touchdown and a 20-17 lead with 7:13 left.
Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said after the game that he should have called a timeout before that snap. He said his defense believed Indiana was in one personnel grouping when it was in another, and the Hoosiers moved quickly to the line to run the play.
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Nebraska went for it on fourth down with under five minutes left and turned the ball over on downs.
One fan contrasted Rhule’s decision with Indiana coach Curt Cignetti’s call on fourth-and-1. “Cignetti makes the gutsy fourth down call and it pays off. Rhule makes the reckless fourth down call, and pays for it.”
Nebraska’s next possession also ended on fourth down. Starting at its own 5 with under four minutes left, the Cornhuskers drove 40 yards before Indiana defensive lineman Tobi Osunsanmi sacked Colandrea. Indiana could not run out the clock, but Nebraska got the ball back with 13 seconds left and did not score.
Marsh finished with six catches for 187 yards. Hoover completed 12 of 22 passes for 263 yards and two touchdowns.
In Pro Football Network’s season ratings entering Saturday’s game, Hoover’s PFN Impact grade of 90.4 through Week 5 ranked fourth of 165 graded and qualified quarterbacks in the FBS. Marsh’s PFN Impact grade of 85.9 through Week 5 was tied for 50th of 718 graded and qualified wide receivers in the FBS.
Nebraska Outgains Indiana but Extends Skid Against Ranked Teams
For three quarters, the numbers favored Nebraska. The Cornhuskers ran 43 plays to Indiana’s 16 in the first half and converted 8 of 11 third downs.
Nebraska finished with 391 yards to Indiana’s 328 and 25 first downs to 13, and it held the ball for 39:33. Indiana, which had averaged 252.6 rushing yards a game, ran for 65 and converted 1 of 10 third downs.
Colandrea completed 25 of 43 passes for 255 yards. He ran for 47 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries, and Indiana sacked him five times. Colandrea’s PFN Impact grade of 88.5 through Week 5, entering Saturday’s game, was tied for 10th of 165 graded and qualified quarterbacks in the FBS.
Nebraska also missed a 40-yard field goal in the first half and led only 10-6 after three quarters. Another fan pointed to that miss and two other plays. “Nebraska outplayed Indiana for most of the game, but a missed FG, a safety getting caught looking into the backfield, and a 4th down sellout when Indiana threw were the difference in the game.”
On the 75-yard touchdown, Nebraska safety Caleb Benning moved up at the snap and was beaten. On the fourth-and-1 score, Nebraska’s defense committed to stopping the run.
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The loss also extended Nebraska’s losing streak against ranked opponents to 31 games. The Cornhuskers’ last win over a ranked team was a 35-32 victory over No. 22 Oregon on Sept. 17, 2016.
Looking Ahead to Indiana vs. Ohio State and Nebraska at Oregon
PFN asked after the game how to read the result for both teams. “Is Indiana overrated, Nebraska underrated, or both?”
Indiana hosts Ohio State in next Saturday’s Week 7 game in Bloomington, and Nebraska plays at Oregon the same day.
As of Saturday, PFN’s College Football Playoff Meter gives Indiana a 48.6% chance to beat Ohio State and a 34.1% chance to win the Big Ten. The meter gives Nebraska a 19.3% chance to win at Oregon.
The meter gives Indiana an 83.7% chance to make the playoff, a figure that would rise to 96.7% with a win over the Buckeyes and fall to 71.4% with a loss.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
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