Thunder on the Turf: Week 8's Most Anticipated College Football Battles
By Justin Perez
12:00 PM ET. 5-1. FOX. Saturday, October 19th. nebraska vs indiana. 6-0. 488. 482. Indiana -6.5
All-Time Series: Indiana leads 10-9-3 Last Matchup: Nebraska won 35-21 (2022) Location: Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana
No.16 Indiana hosts Nebraska for the first time since 2016. This matchup between the new-look Hoosiers and improving Cornhuskers promises to be one of the best games in the Big Ten all season. Both teams are coming off of bye weeks. Nebraska defeated Rutgers in a 14-7 slugfest two weeks ago. Meanwhile, Indiana defeated Northwestern 41-24 in their last outing. The Cornhuskers look to gain closure in the conference standings by taking down a 3-0 Hoosiers team in a three-way tie for first place.
Players To Watch
indiana's kurtis rourke. . . 482. Kurtis Rourke. Kurtis Rourke. player. . Quarterback. 1
Indiana has one of the most potent offenses in the country. The Hoosiers put up tons of points and have been doing that all year. The main reason for that has been their new signal caller. Kurtis Rourke, a senior transfer from Ohio, is showing the world how great he's been during his college career. The former MAC Offensive Player of the Year has given new life to a Hoosier aerial attack that ranked 84th in the nation last year. Rourke has thrown for 1,752 yards, 14 touchdowns, and only two interceptions. He's completed 73.8% of his passes.
. Nebraska's Dylan Raiola. Dylan Raiola. Dylan Raiola. 2. Quarterback. . player. 488.
It's only natural to have the attention of both gunslingers in this contest. Dylan Raiola has been one of the main cogs in Nebraska's football program coming back to life. The true freshman has been nothing short of amazing so far. Through six games, the 19-year-old has tossed for 1,358 yards, nine touchdowns, and just three interceptions. He's been highly efficient, evidenced by his completion percentage of 66.9%.
3. . Mikail Kamara. indiana mikail kamara. . 482. Mikail Kamara. player. Defensive Lineman.
Indiana is second in the Big Ten in sacks. The biggest reason for the Hoosier's great pass rush is because of the play of defensive lineman Mikail Kamara. Kamara joined head coach Curt Cignetti in the move from James Madison to Bloomington. It has turned out to be a blessing as the junior leads the conference in sacks with five. He has accumulated three more TFLs to go along with 20 tackles, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. He will be a major key in whether Indiana gets to Raiola or not.
. 488. player. nebraska's john bullock. . 4. . Linebacker. John Bullock. John Bullock
Nebraska's best player on defense is arguably John Bullock. The senior from Omaha is putting together the best season of his collegiate career. He mans the left linebacker job. So far this year, the 23-year-old has racked up 33 tackles. That's on pace to break his career high of 50 which was set a year ago. Bullock has five TFLs and two sacks. He also has a pick-six, three passes defended and a forced fumble,