Nebraska
A look at IU football’s 2024 opponents: Week 7 — Nebraska
With college football season starting to creep up, we’re running down Indiana’s schedule to preview all 12 opponents for 2024.
The Hoosiers start the second half of the season with a key game against Nebraska in Bloomington. The Cornhuskers are looking to get things going in Matt Rhule’s second year in Lincoln, just as Indiana is in Curt Cignetti’s first year. Nebraska is aiming for its first bowl game appearance and its first winning season since 2016.
- Opponent: Nebraska
- Date/Time/TV: Saturday, October 19, TBA
- Location: Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, Ind.
- 2023 record/postseason result: 5-7, 3-6 Big Ten
Returning production, offense: 72 percent (per Bill Connelly/ESPN) (32nd in the country)
Offensive outlook: Rhule’s biggest win since taking over in Lincoln was getting Dylan Raiola, ranked the No. 7 overall player in the class of 2024 and the No. 2 quarterback in the class, to flip from Georgia to Nebraska. The Cornhuskers will likely turn to the five-star to run the offense right away and they’re hoping he can take them to the next level. Per 247Sports, he threw just one interception in 250 pass attempts in his final season at Buford (Ga.) High, and he possesses a big arm that can transform an offense.
Nebraska will need Railoa to live up to the hype. The Cornhuskers had one of the worst passing offenses in the country last year, with just 135.9 yards per game to rank 129th out of 133. They also bolstered their receiving corps in the transfer portal to help turn things around. UNL added Wake Forest leading receiver Jahmal Banks (59 receptions, 653 yards, four touchdowns) and former Texas and Wyoming receiver Isaiah Neyor, who earned second-team All-Mountain West Honors in 2021 with 878 yards on 44 receptions with 12 touchdowns.
The Huskers’ rushing offense was stronger last year, ranking 39th in the nation with 176.8 yards per game. And they have three of their four leading rushers from last year back this season, in redshirt junior quarterback Heinrich Haarberg (120 carries, 477 yards, five touchdowns), sophomore running back Emmett Johnson (90 carries, 411 yards, two touchdowns), and redshirt junior running back Gabe Ervin Jr. (38 carries, 196 yards, one touchdown). Haarberg is unlikely to be that heavy a factor in the run game this year with a revamped offense.
Nebraska’s offensive line had the 49th-best run-blocking grade in PFF last season and the 75th-best passing grade in the country. And the Huskers have nearly the entire offensive line back from last year.
Returning production, defense: 64 percent (per Bill Connelly/ESPN) (50th in the country)
Defensive outlook: Nebraska leaned on a strong defense in 2023, ranking 11th in the country and fifth in the Big Ten in total defense with 303.5 yards per game allowed. The Cornhuskers run defense was especially stout, as they ranked ninth in the nation and third in the Big Ten at 92.9 yards per game allowed.
Senior Isaac Gifford led the Huskers in tackles last season at their hybrid linebacker/defensive back spot, and he’s back this year. UNL’s third and fourth-leading tacklers from 2023, linebackers Javin Wright and John Bullock, both also return in 2024. Redshirt junior defensive end Jimari Butler is back as well after leading Nebraska with 8.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks last year. He, redshirt senior defensive end Ty Robinson, and senior nose tackle Nash Hutmacher form an experienced front three.
Nebraska’s pass defense was solid, but not as strong as the run defense last season. The team has cornerback Tommi Hill back after he led the team with four interceptions last season. Hill also earned high grades from PFF, ranking 29th in the nation among cornerbacks overall, and he ranked 17th in coverage.
Special teams outlook: Nebraska had only 14 kickoff returns as a team all season last year, but Hill averaged a solid 24 yards over his six returns and could feasibly be the primary kick returner again. Main punt returner Billy Kemp IV is gone, and sophomore defensive back Ethan Nation may be poised to take over. Sophomore kicker Tristan Alvano will look to bounce back from a tough debut season, when he converted a Big Ten-worst 60 percent of his field-goal attempts. He went 27 for 27 on extra points. Senior punter Brian Buschini also returns after he finished 10th in the conference with 40.7 yards per punt last season.
Overall Outlook: Rhule’s team certainly has the potential to end Nebraska’s drought this year. Much will depend on how quickly Raiola adapts to college football, but players of that caliber can often figure it out quickly. Nebraska has a lot of key pieces back around him and strengthened the roster in some other needed areas. It would be a disappointing season in Lincoln if the Huskers don’t get to a bowl game, and if things break right, they could be one of the better teams in the Big Ten. This could be a measuring-stick type of game for Cignetti’s Hoosiers.
Previous opponent outlooks:
Florida International
Western Illinois
UCLA
Charlotte
Maryland
Northwestern
For complete coverage of IU football, GO HERE.
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Nebraska
Big Ten Report – Nebraska takes first place from Michigan, is 16-0
It was a very exciting and high-scoring Saturday in Big Ten basketball. Michigan’s flaws finally caught up to the Wolverines. Their loss to Wisconsin became a source of hope for everyone else in the Big Ten. Nebraska keeps rolling, and the Huskers now look like the top team in the conference, with star Lamar Wilkerson going off in yet another game.
Here are the scores and the rest of my analysis from Saturday night in Big Ten basketball:
No. 10 Nebraska 83-77 vs Indiana
Jamarques Lawrence and Lamar Wilkerson battled in a shootout as both players had career nights. Indiana has been hot this season, almost as hot as Nebraska. Ultimately, the Cornhuskers proved to be battle-tested once more, and Lawrence led the Cornhuskers to overcome a 16-point deficit to secure a big victory. The Cornhuskers continue to be one of the best stories in college basketball, as their win streak moves to 5 in a row in the Big Ten. They are 16-0 overall.
Wisconsin 91-88 vs No. 2 Michigan
Down goes Goliath. Just like I said in one of the last Big Ten reports, no game is a layup. Michigan almost lost its last game to Penn State. Every team the Wolverines face will give them their best, and all they have to do is upset them. The Badgers did exactly that. Nick Boyd and John Blackwell both had 20-point showings and looked like stars. The Badgers entered the second half down 14 points, and just like last game for the Wolverines, another lead was lost. Michigan missed 8 of their last 9 shots, to end the game, which was one of the biggest reasons for the loss of the lead. The Wolverines were not on their game, and for the first time this season, and it cost them big time.
No. 5 Purdue 93-85 vs Penn State
Braden Smith puts together a complete game, flashing his scoring ability and his elite decision-making. The Boilermakers took care of business and handled Penn State exactly like Michigan should have. Penn State’s hot three-point shooting start kept them in this game, but it was the Boilermakers’ insane crowd, insane defense, and stars stepping up that propelled them to an 8-point win.
UCLA 67-55 vs Maryland
Another day, another game where the Terps get outmatched. The Bruins were coming off two losses heading into this game, and they got the exact bounce-back game they needed. While the Bruins were amazing defensively, the Terps still dominated the glass. That makes for trouble for the Bruins against the competent Big Ten teams. Had the Terps been able to buy a bucket, they fairly well could have stolen this game. Instead, the Terps move to 0-5 in the Big Ten. The Terps can’t catch a break early in this season, while the Bruins get the exact break they needed to move forward.
Overview
Michigan does not learn from its last game, and they suffer their first loss of the season. The Badgers get a huge scoring outburst from their two guards, as another guard, Braden Smith, is dominant in an impressive win by Purdue over Penn State. As the Big Ten is continuing to ramp up the dominant newcomer, the Nebraska Cornhuskers are now the leader of the sole undefeated team in the conference.
What’s next
Illinois and Iowa highlight the day with a big-time matchup to start the Sunday slate. Big implications in this game, and whoever wins can really consider themselves a legitimate Big Ten contender. Northwestern and Rutgers will match up after that one, and both teams could desperately use a win to get back on track and build some type of momentum. The final game will be Ohio State and Washington squaring off. The Buckeyes will look to build some consistency before their matchup against Michigan. Bruce Thornton getting hot again would definitely help with that.
Nebraska
Nebraska Football Offers In-State Legacy Offensive Lineman
New Husker offensive line coach Geep Wade has stayed busy in his first few weeks on the recruiting trail for Nebraska football.
Nebraska extended a scholarship offer Saturday to in-state offensive lineman Barrett Kitrell. The 6-foot-4, 270-pound Class of 2027 interior lineman from Ashland confirmed the offer on social media. Iowa offered him earlier in the week, and he has other Division I offers from South Dakota State, Kansas and Iowa State.
Kitrell has visited a number of schools through his junior season, stopping at South Dakota State, Wyoming, Iowa State, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska.
God is so good! After a great conversation with coach @GeepWade I am blessed to receive my 6th D1 offer from Nebraska! @HuskerFootball @AGBluejayFball pic.twitter.com/h3ciXeG727
— Barrett Kitrell (@BarrettK54) January 10, 2026
Kitrell has family ties to Nebraska football across two generations. His father, Barry, was a fullback for the Huskers from 1984-88. His brother Bo was a Husker fullback and tight end 2014 to 2018.
In addition, Barrett’s brother Blake was a Tulsa wide receiver, while brothers Brett and Bryce played at Ohio, having been recruited by Frank Solich.
Barrett Kitrell is a three-sport athlete for Ashland-Greenwood, competing in football, basketball, and track and field for the Bluejays. He has seen varsity action in all three seasons of his football career, playing in 33 games. The Bluejays have won a playoff game each of the past three seasons, advancing to the Class C1 semifinals this past year.
Kitrell becomes the third offensive line prospect offered by Wade and the Huskers this week, joining Grinnell, Iowa, prospect Will Slagle and 2028 prospect Wyatt VanBoening from Mundelein, Illinois. VanBoening also is the son of a former Husker, Simon VanBoening, a linebacker on the Huskers’ 1997 roster.
The Huskers are aiming for a massive overhaul of their offensive line, starting with replacing Donovan Raiola as the position coach. Wade, who came to Nebraska from Georgia Tech, has been retooling his line in early 2026 with transfer portal additions, bringing in Iowa State’s Brendan Black and South Carolina’s Tree Babalade. Nebraska has seen three linemen choose to exit via the portal: Brian Tapu, Houston Kaahaaina-Torres and Jason Maciejczak.
Kitrell could add athleticism to the offensive line, as he finished second in the Class B discus as a sophomore with a personal-best throw of 172’2 while finishing fourth in the shot put. Kitrell averaged four points and four rebounds per game for the Ashland-Greenwood basketball program as the Bluejays claimed the Class C1 championship in 2025.
Kitrell becomes the 16th interior offensive line offer for Nebraska’s 2027 class. The class is headlined by four-star quarterback Trae Taylor and in-state rising stars Tory Pittman III and Matt Erickson.
More From Nebraska On SI
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Nebraska
IU dominated but then ‘it was just turnovers’ to blow 16-point lead vs Nebraska
Indiana basketball starting lineups, introductions video
The Hoosiers met undefeated Nebraska on Jan. 10. Here are the starting lineups from Assembly Hall.
BLOOMINGTON — Indiana men’s basketball coach Darian DeVries thought his team played well for about 28 minutes Saturday afternoon.
In those 28 minutes, IU built up as much as a 16-point lead against undefeated Nebraska. The Hoosiers went on a 12-2 run to end the first half, then extended that lead early in the second half.
Then, the defense started crumbling. Tucker DeVries picked up two fouls in the course of 21 seconds, forcing him to the bench. The Hoosiers started turning the ball over.
And Indiana’s upset bid fell apart, as the Hoosiers dropped an 83-77 decision to the Cornhuskers (16-0, 5-0 Big Ten).
“It’s disappointing, for sure,” Darian DeVries said. “We played well for a good 25, 27, 28 minutes, whatever, and then just had a bad stretch in there, and the game flipped. That’s why the turnovers are a big piece of that. We had, (a 16-point lead) and Tucker picked up his third and fourth foul on back-to-back possessions. Then they went on a 10-0 run right after that. That was a big turning point in the game, I thought, when he picked those two up.”
It seemed like the coaching staff (and fans) didn’t agree with those fouls, either.
Tucker DeVries’ third foul came as he fell on the ground while trying to defend Berke Buyuktuncel’s shot. Buyuktuncel continued to attempt a shot after the fall, and he got tangled in DeVries’ legs, falling himself, and officials called a foul on DeVries. Both Tucker and Darian DeVries, along with the crowd of 13,000 fans, didn’t agree with that foul.
Tucker DeVries’ fourth foul, which forced him to the bench for eight minutes, came just 21 seconds after his third. On the Hoosiers’ next offensive possession, DeVries attempted to shoulder his defender to get more space, and got called for the offensive foul and the turnover.
Indiana (12-4, 3-2) turned the ball over on four of its next five possessions, Darian DeVries said, and Nebraska capitalized for a 12-2 run to tie the game.
“I just think we didn’t have the type of possessions we needed after (Tucker DeVries) went out again, and most of them, it was just turnovers,” Darian DeVries said. “We didn’t get shots at the goal. I thought there might’ve been one or two in there where I think Lamar (Wilkerson) drove it hard and tried going through contact, and we didn’t get one there, but outside of that, we just didn’t get very good possessions. Our movement wasn’t as good.”
After Nebraska went on that run, all the momentum shifted to the Cornhuskers. In ways, the Hoosiers couldn’t get out of their own head, and the mistakes kept coming.
“We’ve talked to them a lot about that next play mentality,” Darian DeVries said. “Win that next play, and not compound mistakes. I thought tonight, again, for a stretch there was a period where we let one mistake turn into two. Then, instead of digging in and really making sure we get a quality possession the next time, we compounded it with another turnover. It led to back-to-back-to-back. All of a sudden your lead is gone, and momentum is real. It shifted pretty quickly there.”
This game, especially taking into account the 16-point lead Indiana once had, was a crucial opportunity for the Hoosiers to get their first Quad 1 win of the season.
But the Hoosiers, sitting at No. 30 in the NET rankings, still have three straight Quad 1 opportunities coming up in two road tilts at Michigan State and Michigan and a home game against Iowa in the next two weeks.
Those games, much like Nebraska, will be tall tasks. But, DeVries said, if the Hoosiers can execute for a full game like they did in those 28 minutes on Saturday, they’ll have a chance at them.
“When they’re executing the way that they did the first 25 minutes, it looks really good,” DeVries said. “And they’re doing a great job, and they’re defending and getting movement and things.”
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