No. 7/5 IU football won their first road contest of 2026 with a 47-15 victory over Rutgers last Saturday in Piscataway, New Jersey. The victory improved the Hoosiers record to 5-0 on the season.
Indiana has now started 5-0 in each of Curt Cignetti’s first three seasons as head coach. The Hoosiers’ 21-game winning streak is the longest active streak in the country.
IU will be on the road once again this week, as on Saturday, the Hoosiers will head to Lincoln, Nebraska, to face the Cornhuskers, who are also 5-0 on the season. Kickoff is scheduled for noon Eastern (11 a.m. Central) and will be televised on FOX.
Here are some notes, numbers and key matchups to know before the game kicks off at Memorial Stadium.
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NOTES
- Indiana leads the all time series over Nebraska, 11-9-3. This includes a 56-7 victory over the Cornhuskers in Bloomington back in 2024, the most recent time the two teams have played each other. The last time they faced off in Lincoln was in 2022, a 35-21 victory for the Cornhuskers.
- Both teams enter the matchup with a record of 5-0. IU and Nebraska are among the group of 15 remaining undefeated teams in the FBS. They are also two of the three remaining unbeaten teams in the Big Ten, with No. 21 UCLA sitting at 4-0.
- Saturday’s matchup is Indiana’s second of just four road contests for the 2026 season. This will also be the first and only instance of the season IU will play back-to-back away games. The Hoosiers will be at Michigan on Oct. 24 and Washington on Nov. 21 to round out their road schedule.
- IU will play a game outside of the Eastern Time Zone for the first of two times this season. They will play Washington in the Pacific Time Zone in late-November.
- Indiana is coming off a victory over Rutgers in which they did not commit a single penalty nor turned the ball over once. It was the first time the Hoosiers accomplished both feats in the same game since at least 1972.
- IU’s 21-game winning streak is now the longest winning streak in the FBS since Georgia won 29 straight between 2021 and 2023. The Hoosiers are also two victories away from matching Ohio State’s 23-game winning streak between 2013 and 2014.
NUMBERS
- 3 – The Hoosiers and Cornhuskers have combined for just three turnovers this season. Both teams are outstanding at protecting the football, with IU tied for the national lead at just one giveaway.
- 10 – Tobi Osunsanmi’s blocked punt against Rutgers gives IU 10 blocked kicks since the start of the 2024 season, the most in the FBS over that span.
- 15 – Both IU and Nebraska rank in the top 15 nationally in both scoring offense and scoring defense. The Hoosiers rank eighth in scoring offense (44.2 ppg) and fifth in scoring defense (10.8 ppg) while the Cornhuskers rank ninth in scoring offense (43.6 ppg) and 15th in scoring defense (14.2 ppg).
- 100 – Four Hoosiers had at least 100 yards from scrimmage in the Rutgers victory. IU became the first Big Team since at least 1995 with two 100-yard rushers and two 100-yard receivers in a conference game.
- 329 – Indiana rushed for 329 yards against Rutgers, marking the eighth time under Cignetti the Hoosiers have gained at least 300 yards on the ground.
- 411 – Nebraska has sold out 411 consecutive home games at Memorial Stadium, by far the longest streak in the country. The streak dates all the way back to 1962.
KEY MATCHUPS
- Anthony Colandrea vs. IU defense – Nebraska’s signal-caller is a true dual-threat who can shine with his arm talent and extend plays with his legs. In their victory over Maryland last week, Colandrea threw for 238 yards and three touchdowns while adding 108 rushing yards on 10 carries. Indiana’s pass rush will have to get after Colandrea and force him to make plays in the pocket.
- Josh Hoover vs. Nebraska secondary – IU’s first-year quarterback has been remarkably efficient through five games, posting a completion percentage of 71% while throwing 15 touchdown passes to zero interceptions. After facing two bottom-half Big Ten pass defenses, Hoover will face the fifth-best pass defense in the conference on Saturday, as Nebraska has only given up 165.2 yards per game through the air.
- IU run game vs. Nebraska front seven – The Hoosiers have racked up over 600 rushing yards across their first two Big Ten contests. Indiana has also had a 200-yard rusher in each of the last two games after Turbo Richard rushed for 204 yards against Rutgers. The Cornhuskers’ run defense ranks sixth in the Big Ten, allowing just over 100 yards per game. Wind could be a factor in this game, which could place added emphasis on the ground attack.
- Hoosiers vs. crowd noise – For the first time this season, IU will face deafening noise when it has the football. Indiana will likely need to execute using a silent count, and they’ll need to maintain their poise in a raucous road environment.
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