Nebraska was in the lead. Nebraska had an effective game plan. Nebraska had the defending national champions on the ropes.
Then…Nebraska hit the panic button. Rather, they hit the panic button.
Indiana’s 20-17 victory left the SMQ team considerably less interested in celebrating how close the Huskers came than wondering how they managed to throw this one away. Moral victories are great, but they are still losses. We are tired of moral victories.
Anthony Colandrea’s 39-yard touchdown run put Nebraska ahead 17-6 with 12:01 left.
The offense finally found something. Then I abandoned it.
For much of the afternoon, Nebraska played the kind of football that SMQ has been demanding for what seems like several presidential administrations.
Run the ball. Use the tight end. Give the quarterback manageable opportunities. Move the channels. That’s how you win when 30 mph winds blow at Memorial Stadium.
Jamal Rule provided the physical race. Luke Lindenmeyer provided the receiving option below. Colandrea provided the mobility that made Indiana an added threat.
It was 17-6 with 12 minutes remaining! Hope had returned to Lincoln!!
Playing two deep safeties against a dangerous passing attack with 12 minutes left in the game? No. Boom. One play and it’s 17-13.
For whatever reason, Nebraska chose this moment to no longer dance with the date that put them in the lead. Instead of running around and hanging out, our “genius” wanted to call plays that work in the American Conference but are stifled in the Big Ten. The result? Quick release punt.
Stacking the line on 4th and 1 when Indiana is in the shotgun? Of course !
Now we are lagging behind. Wow.
Fourth and nine. Seriously?
The decision to go on fourth-and-nine near midfield, down three with more than four minutes remaining, was downright mystifying.
Nebraska’s defense had spent much of the afternoon stopping Indiana. The punting presented a chance to allow the Hoosiers to gain field position and give the Huskers another possession.
Nebraska failed to convert.
Jay immediately looked for the appropriate historical comparison: Scott Frost’s onside kick in Ireland. Jay and George were there for this one. Apparently Nebraska wanted to give them a national version.
For the SMQ team, it was panic disguised as aggression.
Another bad play to nail the coffin.
The Nebraska defense stood tall and held off the Hoosiers. But the Huskers still had one more panic play up their sleeve.
Nebraska fielded Indiana’s punt…at the 5-yard line. There was no coach who said “if you’re in the 10, LET IT GO”.
Game over. The Huskers snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Again.
Indiana has adjusted. Nebraska panicked.
Through 17-6, 34% of all offensive plays involved Rule or Lindenmeyer with their hands on the ball. Bob was happily preparing an apology to the genius Dana Holgorsen.
After 17-6, that figure dropped to 15%. Including a meaningless catch from Lindenmeyer when the clock hits zero. Bob then tore up that apology. A “genius”.
The coaches had a great game plan until they got punched in the face.
Nebraska had the talent to win. The opening game plan gave this talent a chance. The players put the Huskers in position to finish.
The verdict? The technical staff failed to manage the moment. Again.
Instead, another winnable game became another discussion about progress.
The Huskers showed they could compete with Indiana. They also showed how quickly a work plan can disappear when the coaching staff panics.
The SMQ team saw this episode.
The ending always stinks.
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