Nebraska football suffered a heartbreaking 20-17 loss to Curt Cignetti and the Indiana Hoosiers in a game the Huskers had every opportunity to win. On this episode of the Carriker Chronicles, Adam Carriker gives his gut reaction to the loss, breaks down what went wrong and discusses what it means for Matt Rhule and the Huskers moving forward.
For much of the game, Nebraska looked like the better football team. The Huskers came out strong, controlled the first half and made big plays on both sides of the ball. Anthony Colandrea, Jamal Rule, Nyziah Hunter and the Nebraska offense showed plenty of promise against a tough Indiana defense. Nebraska went toe-to-toe with one of the top teams in the Big Ten and proved it could compete at a high level.
Unfortunately, the Huskers couldn’t finish the job.
Indiana hung around, made adjustments and took control in the fourth quarter. Nebraska’s offensive line struggled with pass protection late, the play calling wasn’t as effective and the Huskers had trouble finishing drives against Indiana’s red zone defense. Penalties, missed opportunities and the kicking situation also played a role in the disappointing finish.
Carriker discusses why Nebraska appeared to be the better team for three quarters but still couldn’t come away with the victory. He looks at the second-half statistics, time of possession and the difference between how the two teams performed down the stretch.
Despite the loss, Carriker believes there are plenty of positives to take away from this performance. He talks about why this might be the best Nebraska team Matt Rhule has put on the field and why the Huskers have to learn how to put opponents away when they have the chance. Playing well against a good team is one thing. Finding a way to win is another.
Carriker also explains why he didn’t originally pick Nebraska to win, discusses Matt Rhule standing up for his players and shares his thoughts on the importance of everyone sticking together through a tough loss.
With Oregon up next, the big question becomes how Nebraska responds. Can the Huskers put this heartbreaking defeat behind them, bounce back and avoid heading into the bye week with a 5-2 record?
Carriker breaks it all down, shares his thoughts on Nebraska’s ability to bounce back from this loss and wraps up asking the fans some questions.
Follow the Carriker Chronicles for more Nebraska football coverage, analysis and reactions throughout the season!
- 0:00 Intro: Nebraska’s Heartbreaking Loss to Indiana
- 0:35 Breaking Down the Loss
- 1:00 Nebraska Dominates the First Half
- 1:42 Big Plays That Changed the Game
- 2:21 Indiana Takes Over in the Fourth Quarter
- 3:25 Nebraska’s Pass Protection Struggles
- 4:15 Questionable Fourth-Quarter Play Calling
- 5:15 Giving Indiana Credit
- 6:36 Nebraska Was the Better Team for Three Quarters
- 7:31 Nebraska’s Best Performance Yet?
- 8:20 Here We Go Again: Frustration Sets In
- 9:30 Matt Rhule Fights for His Team
- 10:50 How Does Nebraska Respond Against Oregon?
- 11:49 Positives From the Game & Kicking Concerns
- 14:33 Breaking Down the Second-Half Stats
- 15:03 How Indiana Found a Way to Win
- 15:59 Costly Nebraska Penalties
- 17:08 Time of Possession Breakdown
- 18:15 Is This Matt Rhule’s Best Nebraska Team?
- 19:54 Nebraska Must Learn to Finish Games
- 21:20 Why Adam Didn’t Pick Nebraska to Win
- 22:44 Can Nebraska Bounce Back Against Oregon?
- 25:00 Coaches, Players & Fans: We’re in This Together
- 26:16 Keep Moving Forward: The Rocky Mentality
- 27:00 Nebraska Played Better Than the Final Score
- 28:22 Fan Questions & Answers
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