Indiana became bowl eligible with a late October win in Lincoln three years ago. Today they likely need an early October win there if they are to reach the coveted six-win mark in 2022.
The Cornhuskers are in a complete state of flux as they go through a coaching change, but they’ve had an extra week to get organized.
Indiana, on the other hand, is trying rebound from its first loss of the season, and hope that once again, a sold-out Memorial Stadium in Lincoln is their elixir.
Here’s everything you need to know about IU’s fifth game of the season.
INDIANA (3-1) at NEBRASKA (1-3)
- Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. Eastern, Saturday
- Location: Memorial Stadium (85,458), Lincoln, Neb.
- Television: BTN: Mark Followill (pbp), Matt Millen (analyst), Meghan McKeown (sideline)
- Stream: Fox Sports
- Radio: IU Football radio network
- Odds: Indiana is a 5.5-point underdog
- Weather at kickoff: 76 degrees, sunny, wind 10 mph, 0% chance of precipitation.
- Series: Indiana leads 10-8-3 (Indiana won 38-31 in 2019)
- The Coaches:
Tom Allen is in his sixth year as the head coach at IU. He holds a 29-33 record.
Mickey Joseph will serve as the interim head coach for the remainder of the 2022 season, following the dismissal of Scott Frost, who served as NU’s head coach since 2018.
IU Football Week Five Coverage:
- IU football: Hoosiers looking to rebound at Nebraska
- Watch: IU football coach Tom Allen with final Thursday thoughts on Nebraska
- IU football coach Tom Allen radio show: Nebraska week
- Watch: IU football coordinators Bell and Wilt recap week four, preview Nebraska
- Slow starts are a real problem for IU’s offense through four weeks
- IU football likes new fast-paced offense, seeks greater consistency and production
- Watch IU football’s Connor Bazelak: Monday morning QB — Nebraska week
- IU football notebook: Lineup changes possible, walk-on impressed coaches
- Watch: IU football coach Tom Allen Monday Q&A — Nebraska week
INJURIES
Indiana is reasonably healthy going into week five beyond the loss of right tackle Matthew Bedford for the season with a torn ACL.
Center Zach Carpenter is day-to-day. His backup Cameron Knight was also out last week.
We’ll also be keeping our eye on receiver DJ Matthews and tight end James Bomba during pre-game.
TALE OF THE TAPE
2019 HIGHLIGHTS
THE COMPLETE BIG TEN WEEK FOUR SLATE
| Away | Home | Time | Location | Links | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
12:00 P.M.
|
Madison, Wis. (Conf.) | TV: BTN Stats | |||
|
12:00 P.M.
|
Iowa City, Iowa (Conf.) | TV: Fox Stats Video | |||
|
12:00 P.M.
|
Minneapolis, Minn. (Conf.) | TV: ESPN2 Stats Radio: KFAN 100.3 FM Video | |||
|
3:30 P.M.
|
Columbus, Ohio (Conf.) | TV: Big Ten Network Stats Radio: WFAN 101.9-FM/660-AM, FOX Sports New Jersey 93.5-FM/1450-AM, SiriusXM 202, Audacy app, Scarlet Knights app Video | |||
|
3:30 P.M.
|
College Park, MD (Conf.) | TV: FS1 Stats Radio: Spartan Media Network | |||
|
3:30 P.M.
|
University Park, Pa. (Conf.) | TV: ESPN Stats Radio: Penn State Sports Network Video | |||
|
7:30 P.M.
|
Lincoln, Neb. (Conf.) | TV: BTN Stats Radio: IU Radio Network |
MICKEY JOSEPH SERVING AS INTERIM HEAD COACH
• Nebraska Director of Athletics Trev Alberts announced a change in the leadership of the Nebraska football program on Sunday, Sept. 11. Mickey Joseph will serve as the interim head coach for the remainder of the 2022 season, following the dismissal of Scott Frost, who served as NU’s head coach since 2018.
• Joseph is in his first season on the Nebraska staff, previously serving as Nebraska’s associate head coach, passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach.
• Joseph has nearly three decades of coaching experience, including two seasons (2011-12) as the head coach at Langston University in Oklahoma.
• Joseph also served as associate head coach at LSU (2020-21) and Alcorn State (2013). In addition to his time at those schools, Joseph has also been an assistant coach at Wayne State (Neb.), Tulane, Alabama State, Nicholls State, Central Oklahoma, Grambling State and Louisiana Tech.
• Joseph was a quarterback at Nebraska from 1987-91. During his four seasons, Nebraska posted a 39-9-1 record.
NEBRASKA RESULTS AND LEADERS
2022 RESULTS
Aug. 27 vs. Northwestern* FOX L, 31-28
Sept. 3 North Dakota BTN W, 38-17
Sept. 10 Georgia Southern FS1 L, 45-42
Sept. 17 Oklahoma FOX L, 49-14
2022 STATISTICAL LEADERS
Through the first third of its season, Nebraska has featured a productive and balanced offense, with the Huskers averaging 451.0 yards and 30.5 points per game. Nebraska gains 193.5 rushing yards per contest, while compiling 257.5 yards per contest through the air.
Nebraska has an impressive group of newcomers pacing the offense this season. Through four games, running back Anthony Grant is at the top of the list of impact newcomers. Grant posted three straight 100-yard rushing games to open his Nebraska career, including a 189-yard effort in the victory over North Dakota. His play against the Fighting Hawks earned Grant recognition as the co-Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week. Grant began his career at Florida State where he played in 12 games in 2018. He came to Nebraska after rushing for 2,549 yards in junior college and earning the 2021 National Offensive Player of the Year.
Quarterback Casey Thompson has taken the reins of the Nebraska offense in 2022, and has produced a solid start to the season. Thompson has thrown for 995 yards and five touchdowns in 2022, including a pair of 300-yard passing games. His 355 passing yards against Northwestern were the most by a Husker in a season opener and the most by a quarterback making their Nebraska debut. Thompson has also rushed for four touchdowns in 2022. His three rushing touchdowns against Georgia Southern were a career high. Thompson came to Nebraska with 19 games played at Texas, including 10 starts. He threw for more than 2,400 yards and 30 touchdowns at Texas. Thompson was ranked by ESPN as the 15th-best newcomer for the 2022 season and is a member of the Johnny Unitas Award Watch List.
Nebraska receiver Trey Palmer has 28 receptions through four games, the most ever by a Nebraska player through four games. Both Stanley Morgan (2017) and Jordan Westerkamp (2015) had 26 receptions in their first four games of the season.
Nebraska returned its top two tacklers from last season in linebackers Luke Reimer and Nick Henrich. Reimer led Nebraska with 108 tackles, while Henrich was second with 99 tackles in 2021. Through four games, Reimer leads Nebraska with 39 tackles, including 15 against Northwestern. Henrich had nine tackles in the opener against Northwestern before missing two games with an injury. He returned with six tackles against Oklahoma. Reimer’s 39 tackles in the first four games are the most by a Husker through four games since 2010. Reimer and Henrich combined for 207 tackles in 2021. The 207 tackles rank as the sixth-highest returning total by two FBS teammates from the 2021 season.
PREDICTIONS
Indiana ventures into the great unknown on Saturday evening, facing a proud program coming off a bye week, which means much may have changed schematically.
The one thing that isn’t unknown – an imposing home crowd that will be sold out despite the rough start.
Indiana’s offensive line just hasn’t shown us enough to trust them, and another choppy effort by the Hoosiers’ offense will make the difference.
TDH: NEBRASKA 34 INDIANA 26
ESPN SP+ (Computer) Nebraska 32 Indiana 26
ESPN FPI: Indiana has a 39.3 percent chance to win
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