Nebraska's quest for a sixth victory is now under urgent scrutiny after a first half in which they were overwhelmed for 343 yards and find themselves trailing by three touchdowns.
Dressed in their striking Surrender Whites, Nebraska stumbled early and returned to the locker room with a disappointing 28-7 deficit, reminiscent of a T-Rex's blunder.
The Blackshirts faced their toughest opponent since Matt Rhule took over, as they were exploited for 343 yards while the Hoosiers effortlessly marched down the field, scoring on drives of 75, 88, 75, and 74 yards.
After Indiana’s opening touchdown, the first half’s difficulties were highlighted by an unfortunate kickoff return, where Jacori Barney channeled the memory of Cam-Taylor Britt's 2021 blunder against Illinois by stepping out of bounds at the Huskers' 1-yard line. Nebraska could only muster 12 yards before punting back to Indiana, allowing the Hoosiers to invade Husker territory. Although the Blackshirts held them there temporarily, it was largely a lackluster first half for the defense.
The Huskers began moving down the field and seemed poised to tie the game until Dante Dowdell fumbled on the 12-yard line, derailing the drive. Trailing 14-0, Raiola ignited the offense, leading a no-huddle drive that culminated in a touchdown from Jacory Barney, narrowing the gap to 14-7. Unfortunately, Nebraska quickly went three-and-out in response to two more Indiana touchdowns.
To make matters worse, Rutgers' standout, Brian Buschini, managed a disappointing 25-yard punt as the half drew to a close. Malcom Hartzog did carve out a bit of solace by intercepting a Hail Mary from Kurtis Rourke just before halftime.
Can the Huskers orchestrate a miraculous turnaround in the second half? Anything is possible, and let's hope Raiola's foot is healthy and his arm is ready to fire.
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