When Nebraska quarterback Anthony Colandrea dashed in for a 39-yard touchdown run with 12:01 left in the fourth quarter against No. 7 Indiana – it looked like a few streaks would end.
The Hoosiers had a 21-game win streak as the defending national champions. The Huskers had a 31-game losing streak against AP Top 25 opponents. Turns out, they both continued.
It’s the same-old answer with a familiar theme from last season. Josh Hoover had a pair of fourth-quarter TD passes, and Indiana coach Curt Cignetti made a few shrewd coaching decisions in the Hoosiers’ 20-17 victory at Memorial Stadium. Indiana (6-0) marches on to a showdown with No. 4 Ohio State in Week 7. The Huskers (5-1) had another painful missed opportunity on the Big Noon Kickoff stage.
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Josh Hoover channels Fernando Mendoza in fourth quarter
Nebraska dominated the first half in building a 10-3 half-time lead. Indiana had seven rushes for 12 yards in the first half, and quarterback Josh Hoover was 5 of 9 for 103 yards.
Then, Hoover pulled a Mendoza in the fourth quarter. Fernando Mendoza – the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner who led Indiana’s 16-0 national title run – made the winning-time plays in road victories against Iowa, Penn State and Oregon last season.
Hoover answered Colandrea’s run with a 75-yard TD pass to Nick Marsh in one play to cut the lead to 17-13.
Over the middle and @IndianaFootball answers right back with a TD of their own! https://t.co/PtKVdZl5Zf
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 10, 2026
On a fourth-and-1 on the next drive, Hoover hit a wide-open Marsh on a play-action pass for a 44-yard TD and the go-ahead TD. Hoover finished the fourth quarter 3 of 5 passing for 122 yards and two TDs. It was a clutch performance in yet another road stop where the Hoosiers took the best shot from a Big Ten opponent.
THE HOOSIERS HAVE THE LEAD IN THE 4TH! Hoover finds Nick Marsh for six! @IndianaFootball https://t.co/0Owzu06spV
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 10, 2026
Hoover finished 12 of 22 for 263 yards and has still yet to throw an interception. Marsh had six catches for 187 yards, and that was enough when the running game managed just 22 carries for 65 yards.
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Curt Cignetti’s coaching decisions pay off
Credit Cignetti for not panicking on the road. He called two timeouts on fourth-and-short situations in the first half before opting to punt in a game impacted by winds that ranged from 20 to 40 mph. After Marsh’s first touchdown, Cignetti opted not to go for two – a decision not to chase points made right when Nebraska punted on the next possession.
Indiana also leaned on its defense. Stephen Daley had two of the Hoosiers’ five sacks, and Indiana piled up eight tackles for loss.
A key defensive play also prevented Nebraska from taking a double-digit lead at the half. Colandrea’s pass to Jacory Barney Jr. with 39 seconds remaining resulted in an incompletion when Indiana defensive back Amare Ferrell pushed the receiver out of the end zone. Nebraska kicker Kyle Cunanan missed a 40-yard field goal on the next play.
Instead of 17-3 or even 13-3 – Indiana trailed by seven points.
It’s a huge victory for the defending national champions when looking at the rest of the schedule. It’s not just the Buckeyes – who will likely be favored in that top-10 showdown next week. Indiana still visits Michigan (Oct. 24) and has a home game with No. 19 USC (Nov. 14). The Hoosiers will be heavily favored in every other game, and that should lead to a third consecutive playoff appearance under Cignetti.
Nebraska’s top 25 heartache continues
What else can you say? Fourth-year coach Matt Rhule has built an improved program in incremental fashion, but he’s now 0-10 against top 25 opponents. That’s the part of that inglorious streak the program carries, and the Huskers travel to No. 13 Oregon next week and still have a date with Ohio State (Nov. 21).
Colandrea had a great first half. The Huskers were 8 of 11 on third down, and Colandrea was 14 of 22 for 138 yards with seven carries for 20 yards. Nyziah Hunter scored on a 10-yard run with 1:01 left in the first quarter.
But in the fourth quarter, Colandrea was 8 of 16 for 93 yards. The Hoosiers’ pass rush landed more, and now Nebraska must lament another opportunity gone wrong in the fourth quarter.
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