Nebraska quarterback Anthony Colandrea dashed in for a 39-yard touchdown run with 12:01 left in the fourth quarter against No. 7 Indiana, and honestly, it felt like two massive streaks were about to get wrecked. The Hoosiers, defending national champs, were riding a 21-game win streak. The Huskers had been stuck in a brutal 31-game losing streak against AP Top 25 opponents. You know what? They both kept going. This is the same-old, familiar story, but boy, it never gets old for Indiana. Josh Hoover dropped a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown passes, and Indiana coach Curt Cignetti made some seriously smart calls that sealed a huge 20-17 victory at Memorial Stadium. Indiana is 6-0 and keeps marching on.
Hoover’s Fourth Quarter: A Mendoza Masterclass
Let’s be real, the first half was ROUGH. Nebraska was running all over them, building a 10-3 halftime lead. Indiana’s run game managed a measly 12 yards on seven carries, and Hoover was 5 of 9 for 103 yards. It looked grim. Then, like a switch flipped, Hoover pulled a total Fernando Mendoza in the fourth quarter. If you forgot, Fernando Mendoza was the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner who led Indiana’s 16-0 national title run, making winning-time plays against giants like Iowa, Penn State, and Oregon. After Colandrea’s run put Nebraska up 17-10, Hoover answered IMMEDIATELY. One play. A 75-yard bomb to Nick Marsh, cutting the lead to 17-13. Are you kidding me?!
The next drive, it was 4th-and-1, and what does Hoover do? Hits a wide-open Marsh again on a play-action pass for a 44-yard touchdown. Go-ahead score! That’s how you do it. In the fourth quarter alone, Hoover was 3 of 5 passing for 122 yards and those two clutch touchdowns. He finished the game 12 of 22 for 263 yards, and get this: still hasn’t thrown an interception all season. Marsh was an absolute monster, snagging six catches for 187 yards. That was enough to overcome a ground game that only churned out 65 yards on 22 carries. This was a stone-cold clutch performance on the road, taking everything a Big Ten opponent could throw at them.
Cignetti’s Calm, Cool, and Collected Calls
Coach Cignetti did not panic one bit on the road. In the first half, facing some crazy 20 to 40 mph winds, he called two timeouts on 4th-and-short situations, ultimately opting to punt. Smart move. After Marsh’s first touchdown, he made the call not to go for two, trusting his defense and not chasing points. And he was right! Nebraska punted on their next possession. It’s those kind of shrewd decisions that keep a defending national champion rolling. And let’s not forget the defense, because they showed up big time. Stephen Daley snagged two of the Hoosiers’ five sacks, and the unit racked up eight tackles for loss. When the offense struggles early, your defense has to step up, and they absolutely did.
What’s Next for the Undefeated Hoosiers
Indiana just keeps finding ways to win, extending that incredible 21-game streak. The Huskers, meanwhile, had another painful missed opportunity on the Big Noon Kickoff stage, dropping to 5-1. For the 6-0 Hoosiers, it doesn’t get any easier. They march right into Week 7 for a monster showdown with No. 4 Ohio State. Get ready, folks, because that’s gonna be a game you won’t want to miss.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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