Indiana is 7-0 after knocking out Nebraska: What that means for Hoosiers, Huskers

By Scott Dochterman, Mitch Sherman and Nick Baumgardner

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The 16th-ranked Hoosiers defeated Nebraska 56-7 at Memorial Stadium to move to 7-0 for the first time since 1967 with a methodical dismantling of the Huskers. A win that should raise the profile of IU's first-year coach Curt Cignetti and senior quarterback Kurtis Rourke.

The Hoosiers managed more than 500 yards on offense, taking a 28-7 halftime lead and bolstering their resume heading into what is expected to be a more challenging second half of the season. However, Rourke did not play in the second half because he sustained an injury to his throwing hand. Cignetti said on the Fox broadcast that they were unsure of the severity of the injury.

The Huskers fell to 5-2 and lost their 26th straight game against AP ranked opponents (dating back to 2016). They are 1-16 in Big Ten play against ranked teams and are one win away from their quest to reach bowl eligibility for the first time since 2016. Freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola threw three interceptions for the Huskers.

Here are some takeaways from the Hoosiers' win.

IU answers questions

There were plenty of questions heading into Indiana's game against Nebraska, and the Hoosiers answered them with an exclamation point. Saturday ranks as Indiana's biggest Big Ten win since a 49-0 win at Minnesota in 1945.

On four of the Hoosiers' six drives in the first half, they traveled at least 74 yards for a touchdown. Indiana managed 343 yards and made it look easy on offense. In the first half alone, the Hoosiers averaged 11.1 yards per completion and 9.6 yards per rush. They were equally dominant in both running (154 yards) and passing (189 yards). Video games look at these numbers and say these are video game numbers.

In the second half it was just a continuation. Rourke left with a hand injury, and backup Tayven Jackson then managed to complete all four attempts for 68 yards and two touchdowns in the third quarter.

Why were there doubts about Indiana's offense? After all, the Hoosiers were averaging 47.5 points per game at the start of their matchup with the Huskers. But only one of the defenses Indiana faced ranked in the top 30 (Northwestern). Additionally, none of Indiana's first six opponents had a winning record.

Well, Nebraska was statistically considered Indiana's best opponent… until it wasn't. The Huskers boasted a No. 13 defense that gave up 272.5 yards per game. Nebraska was ranked earlier this year and ranked second in votes in the latest AP poll. Indiana doesn't have to answer anything else unless the question concerns the College Football Playoff. — Dochtermann

Things are still looking up in Nebraska

The big question for Nebraska, approaching the end of October and with a trip to Ohio State next week, is: Why does it have to be so hard? Why do the Huskers as a program seemingly take a step back for every step forward?

Why are Minnesota, Illinois and Northwestern making rapid progress — progress reflected in their win numbers — while Nebraska sits idle and is treated like an FCS team against the Hoosiers? How does Indiana take a program without significant football success, bring in a coach from James Madison and a quarterback from Ohio to get off to a 7-0 start?

Indiana made it look easy against Nebraska. Meanwhile, Nebraska is still trying to run uphill. Truth be told, even when beating Rutgers and Purdue this month, it often seemed too difficult to succeed.

What's holding the Huskers back? Something ingrained in the fabric of Nebraska football is hindering its rise back to prominence. Does the overload of expectations or abundance of resources remove a necessary ingredient for Nebraska?

The Huskers appear to have made strides in recruiting and player retention, strength and conditioning, nutrition, sports science and, yes, coaching that should equate to winning. Still, everything remains so difficult.

Too heavy.

It's an issue that coach Matt Rhule and athletic director Troy Dannen must address before Nebraska can overcome the type of hurdle it faced Saturday in Bloomington. — Sherman

Indiana's QB steals the show

From a quarterback perspective, this was a pretty intriguing game, as Raiola is one of the most physically gifted – and talked about – passers in America. Indiana's Rourke is now arguably the best player in the country that many have not heard of. Unsurprisingly, Rourke stole the show (at least early on), with a blistering first half in which he completed 17 of 21 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown (with a Hail Mary interception). Rourke also injured his thumb and missed the second half. Whatever the case, Saturday was further proof that the 6-foot-2, 220-pound Indiana senior is one of the fastest and most efficient processors in the country.

The former Ohio quarterback entered the game against Nebraska leading the country in third-and-long conversion rate (nearly 60 percent), and his off-target rate of 8.8 percent was just behind Georgia QB Carson's Beck and ranked 10th among FBS starters. He has a great frame, enough athleticism to escape the rush and a good feel for the pressure around him. From here, Indiana's schedule becomes more concrete, as does the evaluation process for Rourke. If he can maintain his first-half production against defenses like Michigan and Ohio State, his value – assuming this injury isn't serious – will skyrocket.

On the other hand, Raiola will have better days. Indiana is a good football team, and the Huskers were probably overrated with a 5-1 record entering this game. Raiola is only 19 years old and makes a lot of high-level throws, both vertically, across the center line and on the sidelines. He's an elite athlete who doesn't lose speed off the platform, and it's obvious he models his game after his idol Patrick Mahomes. However, Saturday's dud was likely the point at which the Nebraska team, if it hasn't already, needs to discuss with its rookie that there is a fine line between aggression and carelessness. Aside from the rookies' inconsistencies in footwork and general accuracy, Raiola has been making reckless football decisions all season. On Saturday his roof collapsed for the first time. A great learning experience for a talented youngster. — Baumgardner

Nebraska's bad day

Everything that could go wrong went wrong for Nebraska on Saturday.

Special teams, plagued by mistakes this season, performed poorly again. Jacory Barney ran out of bounds at the 1-yard line on the kickoff before the Huskers' first possession. To start the second half, the Huskers made two straight kickoffs. A bad snap on a punt in the second quarter almost spelled doom.

Defensively, Nebraska didn't force a punt until the final six minutes. Indiana crushed the Huskers every time it had the ball. Nebraska couldn't stop any part of the Hoosiers' offense. They reached more than 400 yards before the end of the third quarter, becoming the first Nebraska opponent to exceed the threshold since Michigan last year. The performance under defensive coordinator Tony White was undoubtedly rated as the worst in 19 games.

The Huskers managed to score on offense. For the first time this season, they lost the turnover battle. Running back Dante Dowdell lost a fumble after his successful fourth-down conversion in the red zone as the Huskers trailed 7-0. Wide receivers couldn't get open. When they did, Raiola didn't see them. He regularly checked the backs and tight ends, eliminating the risk of explosive plays. This allowed Indiana to play more aggressively on defense. Without the threat of a running game, Nebraska can't move the ball consistently. — Sherman

Rourke needs Heisman consideration

Rourke has played so efficiently all year that it's difficult to pick out his best game statistically. But given the opponent and the stage, the senior quarterback's first half was simply outstanding. Rourke ran the show like the professional he will be.

But it's not enough to acknowledge Rourke's day – which ended early due to a hand injury. Rourke should be a legitimate Heisman Trophy contender. In seven games, he has 1,941 yards, 15 touchdowns, just three interceptions and completed 74.6 percent of his passes. But he deserves additional attention for where he does so. Indiana has lost more than any other program in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers haven't won a share of the Big Ten title since 1967, which was also the last time they started a season 7-0. This is important when evaluating prospects.

There are many worthy Heisman candidates for the award now that we are past the halfway mark of the season. But Rourke also needs strong consideration. —Dochtermann

(Photo of Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke: Rich Janzaruk / Herald-Times / USA Today via Imagn Images)