Matt Rhule anticipating NU’s crowd to be a factor against Indiana
Nebraska Coach Matt Rhule watches a play unfold against Ohio Saturday September 5, 2026 at Memorial Stadium. (Lynn Harrington/stayaliveinpower5)
LINCOLN, Neb. — After losing 30 consecutive games to AP top-25 opponents, the Huskers have a perfect opportunity to snap that streak when the reigning National Champions invade Memorial Stadium.
Coach Matt Rhule understands Nebraska’s game against Indiana is significant for many reasons. After all, the Huskers haven’t beat a ranked team in a decade, Fox Big Noon Kickoff will be on campus, and the Sea of Red will have several recruits in attendance. Big Red Nation is hungry for a program-changing win, and the Hoosiers happen to be the No. 7 team in the country.
In week five Nebraska fans heard Maryland Coach Mike Locksley loud and clear when he thought Memorial Stadium wasn’t as loud as other venues, and he found out the hard way. Indiana Coach Curt Cignetti has never been to Nebraska, or even stepped foot in the state before, and Rhule believes he’s going to be wowed by the atmosphere.
Husker fans are known for being the nation’s best when it comes to class and loyalty. However, beyond the red balloons, and clapping for the opposition, Nebraska fans can turn it up a notch in noise levels when necessary. Rhule intends on utilizing that on the Hoosiers, and make life hard for quarterback Josh Hoover in the huddle.
No doubt Rhule wants to take advantage of the spotlight, and all eyes will be on Memorial Stadium to do so.
“I would anticipate it being a great crowd, I know there’ll be a lot of people coming to the game to watch a nationally televised game, watch Big Noon Fox and watch Indiana,” Rhule said. “My message to our recruits is that’s what our crowd looked like against North Dakota, and Ohio, like there’s a lot of people that come to watch the Huskers too.”
The game is still going to come down to the trenches, and everyone will see which team wants it more. The Huskers also have a chip on their shoulder being 5-0, but have yet to surface in the AP Poll. Which is why Rhule is eager to change the narrative, knowing his team are the underdogs. Rhule feels some pressure because the players are hungry, as well as the coaching staff, and most importantly, the Nebraska fans.
“I understand everyone else is going to make this game about the other team, but a lot of our crowd come for us,” he said. “So we’re going to try to do our best to play our best, and honor them.”
Rhule is still searching for that signature win with the program, and will throw the kitchen sink at the Hoosiers. If the players can feed off the energy of the fans, he believes the game will be a dogfight. With neither team playing a challenging schedule up to this point, this game is going to separate the contenders from the pretenders, and Rhule needs to showcase what the Huskers are all about, with the help of the home crowd.
