No. 7 Indiana erased an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat Nebraska 20-17 on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Nebraska, extending the nation’s longest active winning streak to 22 games behind two touchdown passes from Josh Hoover to Nick Marsh.
The longest active winning streak in college football survived a hostile road test on Saturday afternoon as the defending national champions were pushed to the brink by an unbeaten Nebraska squad. Playing in front of a sold-out crowd of 85,653 fans at Memorial Stadium, the Hoosiers needed a ferocious late-game rally to avoid an upset that would have ended their undefeated run.
Nebraska Controls Early Tempo Against Indiana
For the opening three quarters, the Cornhuskers controlled the tempo and dictated the physical nature of the game. Traditional blue-blood tradition was on full display in front of the iconic Sea of Red as Nebraska sought its first victory over a top-seven opponent since defeating Michigan State in 2015.
After receiving the opening kickoff, Nebraska orchestrated a methodical 13-play, 66-yard drive that consumed significant clock and ended with a 28-yard field goal by Kyle Cunanan. Though Indiana answered with a field goal on its initial possession, Nebraska immediately reclaimed momentum with a 10-play, 75-yard drive capped by wide receiver Nyziah Hunter scoring on a 10-yard end-around for his first touchdown of the season.
The Cornhuskers’ ground game and time-of-possession advantage overwhelmed the visitors early. Nebraska outgained Indiana 216-115 in the first half alone, holding the ball for more than 22 minutes while keeping the potent Indiana offense on the sideline. A late 40-yard field goal attempt by Cunanan sailed wide right before halftime, keeping the score at 10-3, but the physical tone of the contest clearly favored the home side.
Fourth-Quarter Collapse and Hoover-to-Marsh Strikes
The game appeared to break open early in the final period. Anthony Colandrea broke through the Indiana defense on a 39-yard touchdown run on third-and-5, pushing the Cornhuskers ahead 17-6 with 12:01 remaining. Memorial Stadium erupted, leaving the defending national champions facing a two-score deficit with very little margin for error.
The Hoosiers responded instantly. On the very first play from the Indiana 25-yard line, quarterback Josh Hoover found wide receiver Nick Marsh for a 75-yard touchdown strike, exploiting a coverage bust in the middle of the field to narrow the gap to 17-13. Hoover entered the matchup having thrown 107 passes without an interception, while teammate Charlie Becker had compiled 477 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on the year.
After forcing a Nebraska punt, Indiana drove deep into opponent territory. Facing a crucial fourth-and-1 from the Nebraska 44-yard line, Hoover executed a play-action fake that caught the defense selling out to stop the run. Marsh was left wide open downfield, hauling in his second long touchdown of the quarter to give the Hoosiers a 19-17 lead with 7:21 left on the clock. An extra point by Nico Radicic stretched the advantage to 20-17.
Indiana Wins to Extend Streak to 22 Games
Hoover finished the afternoon completing 12 of 22 passes for 263 yards and two touchdowns, with Marsh hauling in six catches for 187 yards and both scores. Indiana’s defense clamped down on Nebraska’s final three possessions, securing four total sacks—including a decisive fourth-quarter takedown by Tobi Osunsanmi—to preserve the victory.
The win improves Indiana to 6-0 on the season and extends its winning streak to 22 games. Following the emotional contest, Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti remarked in a televised interview, It’s a great road win.
For Nebraska, the defeat dropped the team to 5-1 and extended its winless streak against AP Top 25 opponents to 31 games, a drought spanning four coaching tenures back to 2016.