Nebraska was 12 minutes away from ending its 30-game losing streak against top-25 opponents as the Cornhuskers had the defending champions on the ropes. Matt Rhule was on the verge of his first victory in Lincoln.
Then it happened again: the Huskers let a big win slip through their fingers down the stretch. No. 7 Indiana rallied to score 14 points in 4:48 to win the game, 20-17.
As a result of this missed opportunity, Nebraska’s losing streak against top 25 opponents reached 31 games. The Huskers haven’t beaten a top-seven opponent since beating Michigan State in 2015. Rhule is still looking for that iconic win that shows real progress in Lincoln.
It would have been the program’s biggest win since beating Oklahoma in 2001 – when the Sooners were the defending national champions. How long has it been since Nebraska had a major victory? An entire generation of Husker fans grew up and graduated without seeing a single one.
The Cornhuskers were poised to change that Saturday afternoon, but they ended up with a familiar result. Costly mistakes here and there made the difference, as the Huskers failed to execute with the game on the line.
Late in the first half, Nebraska got the ball back with 6:42 left. He was able to drain that time on a 16-play, 52-yard drive, but stopped on the fringes of the red zone. Kicker Kyle Cunanan missed his 40-yard attempt and the Huskers came up empty.
That miss ultimately made the difference on the scoreboard, but the Huskers made a series of mistakes that produced another heartbreaking loss.
Immediately after taking a 17-6 lead, the Nebraska defense let Hoosiers receiver Nick Marsh get behind them for a 75-yard touchdown. Moments later, on a critical fourth down, the Huskers lost Marsh again as he found himself wide open for what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown.
Meanwhile, the offense went ice cold after taking an 11-point lead as Nebraska mustered just 60 yards on 19 plays before its final possession.
The Huskers will have to wait for a big win, but those opportunities don’t come around often, and Nebraska never seems to finish when they get one.
A ten-year wait continues
The last time Nebraska beat a ranked opponent was a little over 10 years ago on September 17, 2016.
The Huskers beat No. 22 Oregon in a thriller, 35-32, with Tommy Armstrong Jr. playing the role of hero. We don’t need to delve into how good this particular Ducks team is, because when you win these games as infrequently as Nebraska does, any top-25 win is a good one.
That winless streak against top-25 opponents spans four coaches, dating back to the end of the Mike Riley era. Scott Frost – the favorite son who was supposed to return the Huskers to glory – couldn’t stop it. Mickey Joseph couldn’t end it on an interim basis. Matt Rhule couldn’t end it.
At this point, the Huskers’ struggles against top 25 teams seem almost supernatural. It’s as if the program is metaphysically incapable of finishing in big games. Maybe someone should try burning sage at midfield at Memorial Stadium.
Nebraska should have several more chances to end the drought this season. A road trip to Oregon is on deck and the Huskers will face Ohio State and Iowa in the final two weeks of the season.
Can Nebraska shake off this ranked monkey, or will the losing streak extend into 2027?
Another heartbreak for Rhule
Not only does Nebraska have a long-standing top-25 problem, but so does its coach. Rhule hasn’t had much success against ranked opponents lately, dating back to his days at Baylor.
In his 134 games as coach, Rhule had two wins against top 25 teams. Both came while he was at Temple, and the last one came 10 years ago against No. 20 Navy.
Rhule’s record against top 25 teams
- Temple: 2-5
- Baylor: 0-11
- Nebraska: 0-10
- Total: 2-26
Another issue that has plagued Rhule of late is losing close games – and it reared its ugly head against Indiana. Rhule is now 2-9 in games decided by four points or fewer at Nebraska, and the Huskers have lost eight straight home games decided by three points or fewer.
For some reason, when the going gets tough in big games, Matt Rhule’s teams fail more often than not. If the Rhule and Huskers are ever going to reach another level, that needs to change sooner rather than later.
Gn sports
