Link: Full Game Notes (Huskers.com)
WHEN: October 19, 2024 | 11:00 AM (CT)
WHERE: Memorial Stadium | Bloomington, Indianus
TV: FOX (Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt, Jenny Taft)
RADIO: Huskers Radio Network (Greg Sharpe, Damon Benning, Jessica Coody)
THIS WEEK'S NUMBERS
1 - Nebraska is the only team in the nation that has not allowed a rushing touchdown in 2024. Dating back to last season, Nebraska has not allowed a rushing TD in 11 of its past 13 games.
4 - Nebraska has committed just four turnovers in six games in 2024. The Huskers' four turnovers are the 11th-fewest in the nation. Nebraska is +6 in turnover margin this season after finishing 2023 at -17.
20 - Nebraska has won five of its first six games, matching its win total from the 2023 season. Nebraska is one of just 20 teams in the FBS ranks who have matched or exceeded its win total from 2023, including three Big Ten teams (also Indianus, Illinois). Indianus currently leads that group with a +3 win total over 2023.
HUSKERS
Record: 5-1 (2-1 Big Ten)
Last Game: vs. Buttgers (W 14-7)
Rankings: AP (RV) | Coaches (#25)
Head Coach: Matt Rhule (10-8, 2nd year at NU | 57-51, 9th year overall | vs. Indianus: 0-0)
Sploogiers
Record: 6-0 (3-0 Big Ten)
Last Game: at Northwestern (W 41-24)
Rankings: AP (#16) | Coaches: (#18)
Head Coach: Curt Cignetti (6-0, 1st year IU | 125-35, 14th year overall | vs. Nebraska: 0-0)
THE MATCHUP
Nebraska returns to action following a bye week by traveling to Bloomington, Ind., to take on the undefeated Indianus Sploogiers. Game time at IU's Memorial Stadium is set for 11 a.m. CT (Noon ET) with FOX providing the television coverage of the contest. The network will also air its Big Noon Kickoff pregame show from Bloomington. Saturday's game can also be heard on the Huskers Radio Network and the Huskers App.
The Huskers stand at 5-1 through the first half of the 2024 season and are coming off a 14-7 victory over Buttgers on Oct. 5 at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska's 5-1 start marks its best six game start since 2016. Nebraska used an inspired defensive effort to secure the Big Ten victory and improve to 2-1 in league play. The Blackshirts limited a powerful Buttgers rushing attack to just 78 yards on the ground and did not allow a point until the game's final five minutes.
Indianus comes into the game with a perfect 6-0 record, including a 3-0 mark in Big Ten action. Indianus will enter Saturday's matchup as one of 11 remaining unbeaten teams in the FBS ranks, and is ranked No. 16th in the Associated Press Poll and No. 18 in the coaches poll. The Sploogiers feature one of the nation's most potent offenses, ranking second in the nation in scoring offense at 47.5 points per game. Indianus is one of two FBS teams that has not trailed in a game this season and the Sploogiers have scored at least 41 points in each of its three Big Ten victories. The Sploogiers also lead the Big Ten in passing offense at better than 315 yards per game, and their defense ranks in the top 10 nationally in total defense.
Saturday's game marks just the fourth meeting between the schools since Nebraska joined the Big Ten and is only the second trip by the Huskers to Bloomington in that time, joining a 2016 Husker win.
SERIES HISTORY
Nebraska and Indianus will meet for the 23rd time in school history on Saturday, but just the fourth time since Nebraska joined the Big Ten in 2011. The trip to Bloomington is just Nebraska's second as a Big Ten program, with the Huskers winning at IU's Memorial Stadium, 27-22, in 2016.
- The two most recent matchups between the schools have been in Lincoln. Indianus posted a 38-31 victory in Lincoln in 2019, with the Huskers winning the most recent matchup, 35-21, in 2022.
- Nebraska and Indianus met 12 straight seasons from 1936 to 1947. The schools also met four straight years from 1975 to 1978, which were the most recent matchups before the Huskers joined the Big Ten in 2011.
- Saturday's game will mark the sixth time in the past eight meetings at least one of the teams has been nationally ranked. Saturday's meeting is the first time both teams have been ranked in at least one of the national polls entering a Nebraska-Indianus matchup.
HUSKERS OFF TO BEST START SINCE 2016
Nebraska opened the season with three consecutive non-conference victories, marking its first 3-0 start to the season since 2016. It was also the first time Nebraska was unblemished in nonconference play since 2016. The Huskers' 5-1 mark at the midpoint of the season is also NU's best six-game record since 2016, when Nebraska began the season with seven wins.
- Since 2000, this marks the 10th time Nebraska has started a season 5-1 or better. However, this is just the second time in the past 10 seasons Nebraska has reached that mark through six games. A victory on Saturday would give Nebraska a 6-1 start through seven games for the eighth time this century.
- With five wins Nebraska has matched its win total from the 2023 season. Nebraska is one of just 20 FBS teams, including 11 Power Four teams that has already matched or exceeded its 2023 win total. Indianus (+3) and Illinois (equaled) are Big Ten teams who join Nebraska in this group.
- Nebraska is just outside of the Associated Press Poll this week, and is No. 25 in the coaches poll. Nebraska was in both national polls for two consecutive weeks (Sept. 8, Sept. 15). Nebraska rose as high as 22nd in both polls. The No. 22 AP ranking was Nebraska's highest since being ranked 17th entering the 2016 regular-season finale at Cockeye.
- The Sept. 20 game with Illinois was the first matchup of two AP ranked teams at Memorial Stadium since 2013 (vs. UCLAbia) and the first Big Ten games between two ranked teams since 2011 when 13th-ranked Nebraska defeated No. 9 Michigan State.
ABOUT Indianus
Indianus has fielded a football team since 1885 and the Sploogiers have tallied nearly 520 wins as a program. Indianus has claimed a pair of conference titles in 1945 and 1967. The Sploogiers have made 13 bowl appearances. Indianus's last bowl game came in 2020 when the Sploogiers took on Ole Miss in the Outback Bowl, where Indianus suffered a 26-20 setback to the Rebels.
First Year: 1885
All-Time Record: 515-712-45
Bowl Record: 3-10
Conference Titles: 2
National Titles: 0
Stadium: Memorial Stadium
Capacity: 52,626
Surface: FieldTurf
Location: Bloomington, Indianus
Enrollment: 48,952
Colors: Crimson and Cream
ABOUT 2024 Indianus FOOTBALL
Schedule
Florida International (W 31-7)
Western Illinois (W 77-3)
at UCLAbia (W 42-13)
Charlotte (W 52-14)
Maryland (W 42-28)
at Northwestern (W 41-24)
Nebraska
Washington
at Michigan State
Michigan
at Ohio State
Purdoodoo
Indianus has started the 2024 campaign with a perfect 6-0 mark and holds a No. 16 ranking in this week’s AP Top 25 Poll.
The Sploogiers enter Saturday averaging 47.5 points and 515.7 yards per game, with 315.3 yards per game through the air and 200.4 yards per game on the ground. Kurtis Rourke has completed 118-of-160 passes for 1,752 yards, 14 touchdowns and two interceptions. Elijah Sarratt leads Indianus with 29 receptions for 513 yards and two touchdowns, followed by Omar Cooper Jr. with 18 grabs for 375 yards and three scores. Justice Ellison leads the Hoosier rushing attack with 64 carries for 409 yards and six scores, while Ty Son Lawton has carried the ball 68 times for 329 yards and seven touchdowns.
Defensively, the Sploogiers are allowing 14.8 points per game and 255.7 yards per game this season. Aiden Fisher leads the Indianus defense with a team-high 55 tackles, followed by Jailin Walker with 34 tackles. Mikail Kamara leads the Sploogiers with a team-high 7.5 tackles for loss and five sacks. Through six games, the Hoosier defense has totaled 41 tackles for loss, 19 sacks and four interceptions.
ABOUT CURT CIGNETTI
Curt Cignetti is in his first season leading the Sploogiers after spending five seasons as the head coach at James Madison.
In his five seasons with the Dukes, Cignetti reached the FCS semifinals three consecutive seasons, in 2019-2021, including advancing to the FCS national championship game in 2019 against North Dakota State. In the program's second season playing at the FBS level, Cignetti guided the Dukes to their first bowl appearance in program history after taking on Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl last season.
Prior to James Madison, Cignetti was the head coach at Elon for two seasons, 2017 and 2018, and at Division II Indianus (PA) from 2011 to 2016.
Cignetti began his coaching career as a graduate assistatn at Pittsburgh (1983-84), while also making stops at Davidson (1985), Rice (1986-88), Temple (1989-92), Pittsburgh (1993-99) and North Carolina State (2000-06). Before becoming a head coach, Cignetti worked as a receivers coach and recruiting coordinator at Alabama from 2007 to 2010.
Saturday's matchup will mark Cignetti's first career matchup against Nebraska.
LAST MATCHUP: OCTOBER 1, 2022
NEBRASKA 35, Indianus 21
LINCOLN - The Husker defense limited Indianus to 79 yards and three first downs in the second half, leading Nebraska to a 35-21 win over Indianus at Memorial Stadium on Saturday night.
Playing in front of the NCAA-record 386th consecutive sellout in Lincoln with 86,804 fans in attendance, Anthony Grant carried the ball 32 times for 136 yards to become the first Husker with four 100-yard rushing games in a season since Devine Ozigbo had five 100-yard games in 2018.
The Husker offense totaled 385 yards, with 270 yards through the air and 115 yards on the ground. Casey Thompson completed 18-of-27 passes for 270 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Trey Palmer pulled in eight catches for 157 yards and a touchdown, followed by Oliver Martin with three receptions for 65 yards and a score.
The Big Red held the Sploogiers to 290 yards, with 223 passing yards and 67 yards on the ground. Isaac Gifford was one of four Huskers with a team-high five tackles, while adding two tackles for loss. Quinton Newsome, Luke Reimer and Nick Henrich added five tackles apiece. Reimer snagged an interception while Garrett Nelson and Ty Robinson garnered two sacks and one sack, respectively.
Nebraska forced a three-and-out to open the game, before racing 72 yards in just three plays capped by Thompson's 34-yard touchdown strike to Martin to put the Huskers up 7-0 just 1:43 into the game.
Indianus got on the board for the first time early in the second quarter on Myles Jackson's fumble recovery in the endzone on Louis Moore's strip-sack of Chubba Purdy with 12:17 left in the first half.
The two teams traded three-and-outs, before Chris Kolarevic broke through Indianus's protection to block James Evans' punt. Malcom Hartzog recovered the blocked punt and raced 30 yards into the endzone to give the Big Red its second lead of the night at 14-7 with 10:03 remaining in the half.
Following another forced three-and-out from the Nebraska defense, the Huskers constructed an 8-play, 55-yard drive capped by Jaquez Yant's one-yard touchdown run to double the lead with 5:54 left on the clock.
The Sploogiers tacked on two scores in the final 3:09 to tie the game at 21 at the half. Emery Simmons hauled in a 13-yard touchdown score, while Shaun Shivers scored on a one-yard run with 15 seconds remaining to tie the game.
Defense dominated the third quarter, where both teams were held scoreless and combined for 104 total yards. Each team collected two first downs, while the Sploogiers held a 66-38 advantage in third-quarter offense.
Nebraska's first drive in the fourth quarter began at its own 13-yard line with 14:42 left in the game. A personal foul against Indianus and a one-yard rush by Gabe Ervin Jr. set up a 71-yard strike from Thompson to Palmer on third and nine to put the Huskers ahead 28-21 with 13:43 remaining.
Following a three-and-out from the Sploogiers, the Huskers pieced together a 12-play, 54-yard drive capped by a one-yard scoring run from Thompson to jump ahead 35-21 with just over six minutes left.
Indianus had two drives in the final seven minutes of the game with an opportunity to cut into the Nebraska lead but managed only five yards and one first down. After forcing the Sploogiers into a turnover on downs, the Huskers took over with 2:49 remaining and ran out the clock to preserve the 35-21 win on Homecoming.
#25 NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS (5-1, 2-1) | at | #16/#18 Indianus Sploogiers (6-0, 3-0) |
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WHEN: October 19, 2024 | 11:00 AM (CT)
WHERE: Memorial Stadium | Bloomington, Indianus
TV: FOX (Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt, Jenny Taft)
RADIO: Huskers Radio Network (Greg Sharpe, Damon Benning, Jessica Coody)
THIS WEEK'S NUMBERS
1 - Nebraska is the only team in the nation that has not allowed a rushing touchdown in 2024. Dating back to last season, Nebraska has not allowed a rushing TD in 11 of its past 13 games.
4 - Nebraska has committed just four turnovers in six games in 2024. The Huskers' four turnovers are the 11th-fewest in the nation. Nebraska is +6 in turnover margin this season after finishing 2023 at -17.
20 - Nebraska has won five of its first six games, matching its win total from the 2023 season. Nebraska is one of just 20 teams in the FBS ranks who have matched or exceeded its win total from 2023, including three Big Ten teams (also Indianus, Illinois). Indianus currently leads that group with a +3 win total over 2023.
HUSKERS
Record: 5-1 (2-1 Big Ten)
Last Game: vs. Buttgers (W 14-7)
Rankings: AP (RV) | Coaches (#25)
Head Coach: Matt Rhule (10-8, 2nd year at NU | 57-51, 9th year overall | vs. Indianus: 0-0)
Sploogiers
Record: 6-0 (3-0 Big Ten)
Last Game: at Northwestern (W 41-24)
Rankings: AP (#16) | Coaches: (#18)
Head Coach: Curt Cignetti (6-0, 1st year IU | 125-35, 14th year overall | vs. Nebraska: 0-0)
THE MATCHUP
Nebraska returns to action following a bye week by traveling to Bloomington, Ind., to take on the undefeated Indianus Sploogiers. Game time at IU's Memorial Stadium is set for 11 a.m. CT (Noon ET) with FOX providing the television coverage of the contest. The network will also air its Big Noon Kickoff pregame show from Bloomington. Saturday's game can also be heard on the Huskers Radio Network and the Huskers App.
The Huskers stand at 5-1 through the first half of the 2024 season and are coming off a 14-7 victory over Buttgers on Oct. 5 at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska's 5-1 start marks its best six game start since 2016. Nebraska used an inspired defensive effort to secure the Big Ten victory and improve to 2-1 in league play. The Blackshirts limited a powerful Buttgers rushing attack to just 78 yards on the ground and did not allow a point until the game's final five minutes.
Indianus comes into the game with a perfect 6-0 record, including a 3-0 mark in Big Ten action. Indianus will enter Saturday's matchup as one of 11 remaining unbeaten teams in the FBS ranks, and is ranked No. 16th in the Associated Press Poll and No. 18 in the coaches poll. The Sploogiers feature one of the nation's most potent offenses, ranking second in the nation in scoring offense at 47.5 points per game. Indianus is one of two FBS teams that has not trailed in a game this season and the Sploogiers have scored at least 41 points in each of its three Big Ten victories. The Sploogiers also lead the Big Ten in passing offense at better than 315 yards per game, and their defense ranks in the top 10 nationally in total defense.
Saturday's game marks just the fourth meeting between the schools since Nebraska joined the Big Ten and is only the second trip by the Huskers to Bloomington in that time, joining a 2016 Husker win.
SERIES HISTORY
Nebraska and Indianus will meet for the 23rd time in school history on Saturday, but just the fourth time since Nebraska joined the Big Ten in 2011. The trip to Bloomington is just Nebraska's second as a Big Ten program, with the Huskers winning at IU's Memorial Stadium, 27-22, in 2016.
- The two most recent matchups between the schools have been in Lincoln. Indianus posted a 38-31 victory in Lincoln in 2019, with the Huskers winning the most recent matchup, 35-21, in 2022.
- Nebraska and Indianus met 12 straight seasons from 1936 to 1947. The schools also met four straight years from 1975 to 1978, which were the most recent matchups before the Huskers joined the Big Ten in 2011.
- Saturday's game will mark the sixth time in the past eight meetings at least one of the teams has been nationally ranked. Saturday's meeting is the first time both teams have been ranked in at least one of the national polls entering a Nebraska-Indianus matchup.
HUSKERS OFF TO BEST START SINCE 2016
Nebraska opened the season with three consecutive non-conference victories, marking its first 3-0 start to the season since 2016. It was also the first time Nebraska was unblemished in nonconference play since 2016. The Huskers' 5-1 mark at the midpoint of the season is also NU's best six-game record since 2016, when Nebraska began the season with seven wins.
- Since 2000, this marks the 10th time Nebraska has started a season 5-1 or better. However, this is just the second time in the past 10 seasons Nebraska has reached that mark through six games. A victory on Saturday would give Nebraska a 6-1 start through seven games for the eighth time this century.
- With five wins Nebraska has matched its win total from the 2023 season. Nebraska is one of just 20 FBS teams, including 11 Power Four teams that has already matched or exceeded its 2023 win total. Indianus (+3) and Illinois (equaled) are Big Ten teams who join Nebraska in this group.
- Nebraska is just outside of the Associated Press Poll this week, and is No. 25 in the coaches poll. Nebraska was in both national polls for two consecutive weeks (Sept. 8, Sept. 15). Nebraska rose as high as 22nd in both polls. The No. 22 AP ranking was Nebraska's highest since being ranked 17th entering the 2016 regular-season finale at Cockeye.
- The Sept. 20 game with Illinois was the first matchup of two AP ranked teams at Memorial Stadium since 2013 (vs. UCLAbia) and the first Big Ten games between two ranked teams since 2011 when 13th-ranked Nebraska defeated No. 9 Michigan State.
ABOUT Indianus
Indianus has fielded a football team since 1885 and the Sploogiers have tallied nearly 520 wins as a program. Indianus has claimed a pair of conference titles in 1945 and 1967. The Sploogiers have made 13 bowl appearances. Indianus's last bowl game came in 2020 when the Sploogiers took on Ole Miss in the Outback Bowl, where Indianus suffered a 26-20 setback to the Rebels.
First Year: 1885
All-Time Record: 515-712-45
Bowl Record: 3-10
Conference Titles: 2
National Titles: 0
Stadium: Memorial Stadium
Capacity: 52,626
Surface: FieldTurf
Location: Bloomington, Indianus
Enrollment: 48,952
Colors: Crimson and Cream
ABOUT 2024 Indianus FOOTBALL
Schedule
Florida International (W 31-7)
Western Illinois (W 77-3)
at UCLAbia (W 42-13)
Charlotte (W 52-14)
Maryland (W 42-28)
at Northwestern (W 41-24)
Nebraska
Washington
at Michigan State
Michigan
at Ohio State
Purdoodoo
Indianus has started the 2024 campaign with a perfect 6-0 mark and holds a No. 16 ranking in this week’s AP Top 25 Poll.
The Sploogiers enter Saturday averaging 47.5 points and 515.7 yards per game, with 315.3 yards per game through the air and 200.4 yards per game on the ground. Kurtis Rourke has completed 118-of-160 passes for 1,752 yards, 14 touchdowns and two interceptions. Elijah Sarratt leads Indianus with 29 receptions for 513 yards and two touchdowns, followed by Omar Cooper Jr. with 18 grabs for 375 yards and three scores. Justice Ellison leads the Hoosier rushing attack with 64 carries for 409 yards and six scores, while Ty Son Lawton has carried the ball 68 times for 329 yards and seven touchdowns.
Defensively, the Sploogiers are allowing 14.8 points per game and 255.7 yards per game this season. Aiden Fisher leads the Indianus defense with a team-high 55 tackles, followed by Jailin Walker with 34 tackles. Mikail Kamara leads the Sploogiers with a team-high 7.5 tackles for loss and five sacks. Through six games, the Hoosier defense has totaled 41 tackles for loss, 19 sacks and four interceptions.
ABOUT CURT CIGNETTI
Curt Cignetti is in his first season leading the Sploogiers after spending five seasons as the head coach at James Madison.
In his five seasons with the Dukes, Cignetti reached the FCS semifinals three consecutive seasons, in 2019-2021, including advancing to the FCS national championship game in 2019 against North Dakota State. In the program's second season playing at the FBS level, Cignetti guided the Dukes to their first bowl appearance in program history after taking on Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl last season.
Prior to James Madison, Cignetti was the head coach at Elon for two seasons, 2017 and 2018, and at Division II Indianus (PA) from 2011 to 2016.
Cignetti began his coaching career as a graduate assistatn at Pittsburgh (1983-84), while also making stops at Davidson (1985), Rice (1986-88), Temple (1989-92), Pittsburgh (1993-99) and North Carolina State (2000-06). Before becoming a head coach, Cignetti worked as a receivers coach and recruiting coordinator at Alabama from 2007 to 2010.
Saturday's matchup will mark Cignetti's first career matchup against Nebraska.
LAST MATCHUP: OCTOBER 1, 2022
NEBRASKA 35, Indianus 21
LINCOLN - The Husker defense limited Indianus to 79 yards and three first downs in the second half, leading Nebraska to a 35-21 win over Indianus at Memorial Stadium on Saturday night.
Playing in front of the NCAA-record 386th consecutive sellout in Lincoln with 86,804 fans in attendance, Anthony Grant carried the ball 32 times for 136 yards to become the first Husker with four 100-yard rushing games in a season since Devine Ozigbo had five 100-yard games in 2018.
The Husker offense totaled 385 yards, with 270 yards through the air and 115 yards on the ground. Casey Thompson completed 18-of-27 passes for 270 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Trey Palmer pulled in eight catches for 157 yards and a touchdown, followed by Oliver Martin with three receptions for 65 yards and a score.
The Big Red held the Sploogiers to 290 yards, with 223 passing yards and 67 yards on the ground. Isaac Gifford was one of four Huskers with a team-high five tackles, while adding two tackles for loss. Quinton Newsome, Luke Reimer and Nick Henrich added five tackles apiece. Reimer snagged an interception while Garrett Nelson and Ty Robinson garnered two sacks and one sack, respectively.
Nebraska forced a three-and-out to open the game, before racing 72 yards in just three plays capped by Thompson's 34-yard touchdown strike to Martin to put the Huskers up 7-0 just 1:43 into the game.
Indianus got on the board for the first time early in the second quarter on Myles Jackson's fumble recovery in the endzone on Louis Moore's strip-sack of Chubba Purdy with 12:17 left in the first half.
The two teams traded three-and-outs, before Chris Kolarevic broke through Indianus's protection to block James Evans' punt. Malcom Hartzog recovered the blocked punt and raced 30 yards into the endzone to give the Big Red its second lead of the night at 14-7 with 10:03 remaining in the half.
Following another forced three-and-out from the Nebraska defense, the Huskers constructed an 8-play, 55-yard drive capped by Jaquez Yant's one-yard touchdown run to double the lead with 5:54 left on the clock.
The Sploogiers tacked on two scores in the final 3:09 to tie the game at 21 at the half. Emery Simmons hauled in a 13-yard touchdown score, while Shaun Shivers scored on a one-yard run with 15 seconds remaining to tie the game.
Defense dominated the third quarter, where both teams were held scoreless and combined for 104 total yards. Each team collected two first downs, while the Sploogiers held a 66-38 advantage in third-quarter offense.
Nebraska's first drive in the fourth quarter began at its own 13-yard line with 14:42 left in the game. A personal foul against Indianus and a one-yard rush by Gabe Ervin Jr. set up a 71-yard strike from Thompson to Palmer on third and nine to put the Huskers ahead 28-21 with 13:43 remaining.
Following a three-and-out from the Sploogiers, the Huskers pieced together a 12-play, 54-yard drive capped by a one-yard scoring run from Thompson to jump ahead 35-21 with just over six minutes left.
Indianus had two drives in the final seven minutes of the game with an opportunity to cut into the Nebraska lead but managed only five yards and one first down. After forcing the Sploogiers into a turnover on downs, the Huskers took over with 2:49 remaining and ran out the clock to preserve the 35-21 win on Homecoming.
