Husker Tailgate: Week 7 On The Road To Indiana

Week 7 puts Nebraska on the road against Indiana with a 2:30 start time.

Bring on the “LINNER”  (a mixture of lunch and dinner) tailgate. Just what is a Hoosier? According to the Indiana Historical Society there are several possible origins, including coming from the word “Hoosa,” which means American Indian maize or corn.

Indiana only lost by 3 to Michigan State. They gave Ohio State all they could handle last week and lost 38-17. Selfishly I’m hoping IU has exhausted itself and can’t bring their A game on Saturday. What could be dangerous for Big Red defense is that Indiana has no problem tossing the ball. I’m looking for our defense to go up and grab one or more of those balls. It’s homecoming for the Hoosiers so I also expect a good home crowd.

As you may know, Husker QB Tommy Armstrong was in a boot last week. Hoosier defense will look to “boot” him with their defense. They were able to keep Ohio State’s QB to under 100 yards passing by chasing him around making them a 1 dimensional team. TA said he’s good to go so hopefully the Huskers can keep Indiana guessing.

Sticking with the Hoosa corn theme, there are lots of things you can put on your tailgate/homegate menuthat include the yellow nugget. The easiest is grilling ears of corn. I leave some of the husks on the corn cob and put it on the grill for 15 – 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes. Then I peel the husks back toward the end of the grilling time to provide some char marks. If you’re in a hurry, grab a natural salsa from the grocery store, toss in a can of rinsed black beans and a can of corn for extra pop and serve with chips. This is when scoops chips are a must.

One of the mainstays at our Husker tailgate is the Cold Corn dip. Fritos seem to be the chip of choice for dipping. Since it’s a thicker dip, the hearty Frito chip saves you from having to send in a rescue chip after the first one breaks. Mix these ingredients all up and let it sit overnight in the fridge. Bring it to room temperature before serving.

COLD CORN DIP
1 c mayonnaise
1 c sour cream
2 cans (7 oz.) Mexicorn, drained
1 can (7 oz.) Green chilies, drained
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 c Monterey jack cheese
½ cup parmesan cheese
½ cup sliced green onions
1 Tbsp Tony Chachere’s or Slap Yo Mama seasoning
2 tsp garlic powder
*1 can of Rotel tomatoes, drained is optional

It took some time to find drinks with an Indiana theme. Thanks to search engines the Blood of Kali Ma from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom movie popped up. I took a pass. There is actually a drink called “the Hoosier.” It’s not for the faint of heart (or liver) and hopefully the Huskers carry more of a punch on Saturday than in this drink. Mix in a 16 oz. glass 1 ounce each of Vodka, Rum, and Orange Curacao. Add 1/2 ounce of Amaretto, a splash of grenadine (depending on how red you want it), Sprite, Pineapple and Orange juice. I think this fruity cocktail should come with an umbrella but that’s up to you. When drinks are this tasty the umbrella slows me down on the intake. #tailgatetips

We will miss Cethan Carter and Jordan Westerkamp on offense. I look for Brandon Reilly to slide into the slot position easily and think he’s going to have a good game. I see Chris Jones or Nathan Gerry coming up with and interception on defense and maybe even a pick six.

Next: Devine Ozigbo Doubtful For Indiana Game

At the end of the game I don’t care if we win by only 1. It’s nice being in the top 10 but I’d prefer to be there after the Wisconsin or Ohio State game. Regardless, tune in to ABC/ESPN2 and cheer on the Huskers! GO BIG RED!