In what was supposed to be a close game, Indiana absolutely dominated Nebraska in all phases of the game, resulting in a 56-7 Indiana victory, moving the Hoosiers to 4-0 in Big Ten play, 7-0 overall.
It was the first sellout at Memorial Stadium since 2021 and the players on the field showed out for the 52,000 plus in the stands, with both the offense and defense making key plays throughout the game.
Indiana outgained Nebraska 495-304, in what was an absolute masterclass for both the offense and defense, making Indiana look like one of the elite teams in the country.
This win should catapult Indiana into the upper-echelon of the college football rankings, as it truly was an elite performance out of Curt Cignetti's team, here's how it happened:
ELECTRIC FIRST HALF PAVES WAY FOR THE HOOSIER VICTORY
With help from the sellout crowd, the Hoosiers put on a show in the first half, truly excelling on both sides of the ball.
Rourke dominated, throwing for 189 yards and a touchdown in the first period, with several key throws being made almost perfectly. A couple throws to Sarratt were put right on the money, while he also connected with Omar Cooper Jr. a couple times for big gains.
All told, eight receivers caught a pass in the first half, with Sarratt, Cooper Jr. and Myles Cross really shining. Although the receiving corps played well, the rushing attack may have been even better.
Against a defense that didn't allow a rushing touchdown in its first six games, the Indiana running backs had three scores in the first half. In addition to that, they had several chunk plays, a couple by Justice Ellison, while Ty Son Lawton also had one.
All this resulted in a commanding 28-7 lead at the half, something that set the tone for the rest of the game and the eventual Hoosiers win.
OFFENSE LOOKED UNSTOPPABLE, DESPITE ROURKE EXITING IN THIRD
The offense had another exceptional performance, scoring over 40 points in yet another game and moving it well both in the passing and rushing game.
The passing game got out to a fast start, with Kurtis Rourke completing 11 of his first 12 throws, many of which were perfect throws that were put in spots that only his receivers could catch them.
IU passed for 280 yards for the game, a combination of Jackson and Rourke, though Rourke having 189 of those. Jackson added 91 yards through the air plus two touchdowns.
The running game was also sensational, with the IU running backs making the second ranked Nebraska run defense look silly.
Indiana rushed for 215 yards total, shattering Nebraska's average allowed of 84 yards. Justice Ellison took the bulk of the load, rushing for 105 yards and adding two key touchdowns, one going for 31 yards right before halftime.
Nebraska hadn't allowed a rushing TD in its first six games, yet allowed five against Indiana in this single game alone, showing just how impressive this IU running back room is.
This offense looked simply great, from the early rushing attack to Rourke and Jackson dicing the Husker defense, this was an all-around phenominal game from the Indiana offense.
DEFENSE SHINES, FORCES FIVE TURNOVERS
While the offense was nearly perfect throughout the game, the defense may have been even better.
The Hoosier defense forced five turnovers in the game, all three of which being important, but the fumble forced in the first half was the most critical.
With Nebraska in a 4th and 1 situation at the IU 12, Jailin Walker forced a fumble, which Jacob Magnum-Farrar recovered and stopped a potential Nebraska score.
After this, IU allowed just seven points the rest of the game and was lights out for the vast majority of the game.
Shawn Asbury II, Jamier Johnson and Rolijah Hardy had the three picks, all of which occurred in the second half and prevented Nebraska from having any chance of coming back late.
Mikail Kamara had the second fumble, both forcing it and recovering it, capping off what was just another great game for the standout Hoosier defensive lineman.
It also seemed like every tackle was being made, with Aiden Fisher, D'Angelo Ponds and Jailin Walker in particular stepping up seemingly on every single play.
Fisher had 11 tackles, while Ponds had seven and Walker had six, all impressive numbers from what was a very impressive all-around performance from the defense, which resulted in this utterly dominant IU victory.
FINAL STATS
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