The day after Nebraska's latest attempt to get over the hump fell short, there's plenty of reason to be frustrated about the 20-17 loss to Indiana. It's human nature to pretend as though nothing went well upon further reflection, simply because blowing a 17-6 fourth-quarter lead leaves a bad taste in everyone's mouth.
However, pretending there were no strong performances in a game where the Huskers almost upset the defending national champion ignores Saturday afternoon's reality. Plenty of NU players played quite well. Some did indeed struggle at the worst possible time. So who were the winners and who were the losers in the game against the Hoosiers?
Winner: Jacory Barney Jr. takes center stage for the Nebraska football team
Jacory Barney can be an explosive part of the Huskers' attack. Unfortunately, he hadn't really found his rhythm so far this season. That changed on Saturday. The wideout tied a career record for catches in a game with 9 receptions for 108 yards.
After catching 8 passes for 115 yards and 2 touchdowns against Bowling Green, Barney logged just 2, 1, and 2 catches in the last three games entering Saturday. In the process, he showed that he can be a nice complimentary piece to Nebraska's leading receiver, Kwazi Gilmer who has 32 receptions for 418 yards and 6 touchdowns.
Loser: Nebraska's running game
At times on Saturday, quarterback Anthony Colandrea was electric as he scrambled away from pressure and had the longest run of the game on the touchdown that put the Huskers up 17-6. The downside of Colandrea carrying the ball 17 times is that for the third straight game, NU simply couldn't get any of its running backs going.
Jamal Rule returned after getting hurt against Michigan State and missing Maryland, and he did lead the team in rushing; his 53 yards on 15 carries averaged just 3.5 yards per carry. Overall, the Huskers ran for just 128 yards and averaged 3.3 yards per carry. The running game has simply not been as effective since Big Ten play started, and that's a problem moving forward.
Winner: Nebraska's run defense
Because of two big passing plays, Nebraska fans are feeling a bit down on the Blackshirts, but the Huskers entered the game looking a bit weak up front against the run. With Indiana bringing in Turbo Richard and Lee Beebe Jr, there was a worry the Hoosiers would be able to dominate on the ground.
On Saturday the Huskers allowed just 65 yards rushing on 32 carries. The longest run for the Hoosiers on Saturday was a 16 yard scramble by quarterback Josh Hoover. That's cold comfort after the 20-17 loss, but it should offer hope as the Big Ten season goes on considering how many strong running games Nebraska will face in the next six games.
Loser: Nebraska's pass defense
It's not just that the Huskers allowed 263 yards on just 12 completions for 2 touchdowns on Saturday. It's how it allowed that yardage. On Indiana's first two drives, the Huskers lost the targeted receiver for long completions. Luckily, the defense was able to bow up after allowing 80 yards on two passes and held Indiana to field goals.
In the fourth quarter, Nebraska's pass defense was busted wide open on back to back possessions, turning a 17-6 lead into a 20-17 deficit. Both times, Nick Marsh was completely uncovered: first for a 75-yard touchdown, then on a 44-yard reception with no defenders within 30 yards of him.
Perhaps even more concerning is not just how often the secondary has given up big gains, but how often there has been no safety help on those big passes. Whether it's a bad call by defensive coordinator Rob Aurich, bad reads by the defenders, or confusion in the secondary, the mistake that keeps happening.
Winner: Owen Chambliss continues to man the middle for Nebraska
After missing the first few games for Nebraska this season, Owen Chambliss has absolutely lived up to the reputation he built last year at San Diego State. On Saturday, Chambliss had 5 tackles, including 1 tackle for loss and most importantly, was very good on pass defense.
The linebacker was targeted 4 times by Indiana and he allowed just 1 catch for 4 yards. As Nebraska looks for ways to plug the holes Indiana exposed, Chambliss looks to be one big way to do just that.
Winner: Luke Lindenmeyer makes an impact at tight end
Nebraska coaches have talked since the spring about just how good a player tight end Luke Lindenmeyer is. He hasn't been a huge part of the offense so far this season, but his performance against Indiana could signal that will change.
Lindenmeyer tied a career high in catches in a game as he hauled down 7 passes for 45 yards and served as a valuable safety valve for quarterback Anthony Colandrea when nothing was open down field. His 45 yards were a season high and the second most he's had in a game. He showed he can be a real weapon at tight end for Nebraska and that's bad news for the rest of the Huskers' opponents this year.
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