Homecoming weekend is one of the most anticipated times of the year for Indiana students. While football has a home game each year, there hasn't been a contest with excitement around it like this one in recent memory.
Rat poison has been something that Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti has carried with him from his days at the University of Alabama, a term used to describe the outside noise. With his team now 6-0 and an opportunity at victory over the Cornhuskers in a marquee matchup, the chance of that poison spreading grows.
This year, Nebraska comes into Bloomington with a 5-1 record as Indiana comes off its bye week. The Hoosiers entered the off week at 6-0, their best start since 1967. With two weeks to prepare for the game, the work didn’t stop for the sold-out matchup.
“It’s balls to the wall all the time,” Cignetti said Oct. 14 when talking about coming off the bye week. “You’re getting better or getting worse, never staying the same.”
The Cornhuskers are led by freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola. The highest ranked quarterback in the 2024 class is performing at a high level despite his lack of experience. The Buford, Georgia, native has thrown for 1,358 yards, nine touchdowns and just three interceptions. Raiola will by far be the Indiana secondary’s toughest test so far this season.
“He’s a really talented guy who’s got great arm talent,” Cignetti said. “I think they’ve done a tremendous job with him.”
Indiana and Nebraska are two similar teams, especially on the defensive side of the ball. While the Hoosiers have one of the best defensive lines in the Big Ten, Nebraska is statistically the best. The Cornhuskers lead the conference in sacks and tackles for loss with 20 and 42, respectively, just one ahead of Indiana in both categories.
The duo of senior Ty Robinson and sophomore James Williams have combined for eight sacks and 10 TFLs on the year, which will prove to be a tough challenge for Indiana’s offensive line.
The Hoosiers are going to need a big day out of their pair of running backs between fifth-year senior Justice Ellison and seventh-year senior Ty Son Lawton.
The duo has been one of the best in the Big Ten through six games. Their combined 13 touchdowns are more than 14 other Big Ten teams have total, propelling the Hoosiers to the conference lead with 23. Averaging 200.3 yards per game on the ground as a team, offensive coordinator Mike Shannahan should look to try to establish the running game in the early going.
However, the Cornhuskers rank third in the conference in rushing yards allowed per game with 84.2, which has them right behind Michigan and Indiana. In its meeting with Rutgers last week, Nebraska allowed just 78 yards on 19 carries from senior Kyle Monangai, who has the second-most rushing yards in the Big Ten (739).
Should it be a slow day running the football, Indiana remains the top team in the Big Ten when it comes to passing yards per game with 315.3. This production comes behind arguably the best quarterback in the conference in sixth-year senior Kurtis Rourke, who has been great for Indiana all season long. He ranks first in the conference in touchdowns (14), yards per attempt (10.9) and the highest quarterback rating in the Big Ten (192.1).
These numbers have not been achieved on his own.
The Indiana receiving room has been terrific for Rourke, combining for the second-most receiving touchdowns in the Big Ten. Junior receiver Elijah Sarratt has been the best of the group, leading the team in receptions (29) and yards (513). It’s an area where the Hoosiers could pick the Nebraska defense apart as it will be the best receiving room the Huskers have seen this season.
In the second game of Nebraska’s season, it allowed University of Colorado junior Travis Hunter to catch 10 passes for 110 yards. Should Sarratt be held at bay, there are proven players in the receiving room, and it’ll be hard for the Cornhuskers to stop them all. Sophomore Omar Cooper Jr. has been the No. 2 receiver for the Hoosiers this season with 375 yards and three touchdowns.
“That’s something that you’re trying to design plays that have answers and can free guys up versus all the different coverages,” Cignetti said. “Then it comes down to execution.”
They’ve executed the game plan well with seniors Ke’Shawn Williams and Myles Price, who will both be key pieces in the offense on Saturday. Williams leads Indiana receivers with four touchdowns on the season and Price is second on the team in receptions with 20. This will be the perfect game for Price to find himself in the end zone for the first time this season.
The game plan is simple: keep it simple. Keep Raiola at bay, continue to dominate up front and get your playmakers the football in space. It will be a sold-out crowd in the biggest game of the season so far for Indiana. Should the Hoosiers keep the win streak going, the “rat poison” is going to get louder and louder.
Follow reporters Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) and Dalton James (@DaltonMJames) and columnist Jhett Garrett (@jhettgarrett) for updates throughout the Indiana football season.
