Josh Hoover hit Nick Marsh for two long touchdown passes and rallied No. 7 Indiana to a 20-17 Big Ten victory over Nebraska on Saturday at Lincoln, Neb.
Hoover completed 12 of 22 passes for 263 yards and two scores as the Hoosiers (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) shrugged off their first deficit of the season to extend their winning streak to 22 games heading into next week’s home showdown against Ohio State.
Marsh caught six passes for 187 yards on a day when Nebraska limited the nation’s No. 9 rushing offense to 65 yards — far below the Hoosiers’ 252.6-yard average.
Anthony Colandrea, whose 39-yard touchdown keeper gave Nebraska a 17-6 lead with 12:01 to go, finished with 255 passing yards and 47 rushing yards as the Huskers (5-1, 2-1) came up short against a Top 25 foe for the 31st consecutive time.
Nebraska held a slim 10-3 lead at halftime. The Huskers ran 43 plays in the first half compared to the Hoosiers’ 16 as they converted eight of 11 third-down situations.
Indiana opened the second half with a 10-play, 58-yard march that ended with Nico Radicic’s 35-yard field goal that cut Nebraska’s lead to 10-6.
The Huskers took a 17-6 lead on Colandrea’s 39-yard touchdown run with 12:01 to play. On third-and-5, he faked a handoff, found open space on the left and then cut back toward the right corner of the end zone.
Indiana needed one snap to respond. Hoover faked a handoff, then drilled Marsh on a skinny post at the 40. Marsh sprinted away from two defenders as the 75-yard score pulled the Hoosiers within 17-13 with 11:51 left.
Indiana then motored 80 yards for the go-ahead score. The Hoosiers lined up tight on fourth-and-1, but Hoover found Marsh uncovered on play-action for a 44-yard score and a 20-17 lead with 7:13 to play.
Nebraska turned the ball over on downs on its next two possessions, ending its hopes of a comeback.
On the game’s first possession, Nebraska’s Kyle Cunanan booted a 28-yard field goal with 8:58 remaining in the first quarter for a 3-0 lead that put Indiana behind for the first time since the 2025 Big Ten championship game.
Indiana answered with Radicic’s 42-yard field goal at the 6:24 mark of the first quarter.
Nebraska’s Nyziah Hunter followed several pulling blockers on an end-around to the left sideline for a 10-yard score and a 10-3 lead with 1:05 to go in the first.
–Field Level Media
