When it mattered most, the Indiana Hoosiers were able to dig deep and come up with a hard-fought 20-17 win over Nebraska in Week 6. With the victory, Indiana moves to 6-0 on the season and extends its winning streak to 22 games.
The Hoosiers found themselves trailing for the first time this season, and were playing from behind for the majority of the game. They were able to claw their ways back in front primarily thanks to a pair of massive plays from WR Nick Marsh. But there were two surprising factors that also played a key role in Indiana's come-from-behind win in Lincoln.
Josh Hoover's mobility provided an offensive spark
The Indiana running game was almost non-existent against Nebraska. The Hoosiers entered Week 6 with one of the best running games in the country, as both Turbo Richard and Lee Beebe Jr. have shined in the backfield this season. But both were unable to get any sort of momentum going against the Cornhuskers.
With the running game looking for a spark, Josh Hoover was able to make some plays with his legs in key moments. Hoover scrambled for 24 yards on five attempts, which may not sound like much, but it was enough to make him Indiana's second-leading rusher on the day. The Hoosier QB also had Indiana's longest run of the day, which was 16 yards. Beebe finished the day with 31 yards on nine carries while Richard managed a measly 10 yards on eight rushes.
ALSO READ: Curt Cignetti makes more Indiana history with dramatic comeback win at Nebraska
Hoover hasn't shown too many flashes of mobility this season, but on Saturday he showed that he is capable of extending plays when needed. It's not his strong suit, but it's nice to know that he has the ability to pickup yards with his legs.
Trevor Gibbs being a receiving threat at TE
With Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh accounting for the vast majority of receiving production for the Hoosiers, Indiana's tight ends haven't been much of a factor in the passing game. That isn't necessarily surprising, as the Hoosier TE room is full of first and second-year players with extremely limited college football experience.
Freshman TE Trevor Gibbs missed Indiana's first two games of the season before making his season debut against Western Kentucky in Week 3. He was used as a blocker in the run game over the last few weeks, but emerged as a receiving threat on Saturday against Nebraska. He hauled in two catches for 21 yards, which now gives him the most receptions of any Hoosier TE this season. Brock Schott and Andrew Barker each have one catch on the season.
Riley Nowakowski was a solid pass-catching threat last season, as he hauled in 32 catches for 387 yards and two touchdowns. Already six games into the season, Gibbs likely won't push to meet those numbers. But if he is able to carve out a steady role in the passing game and be a reliable target for Hoover, that could open up more avenues of possibilities for the IU offense.
Add us as a preferred source on Google