Josh Hoover using thriller at Nebraska as fuel for Indiana’s offense

LINCOLN, Neb. — Saturday’s 20-17 road win over Nebraska didn’t give Indiana’s quarterback the satisfaction he needs, and now there’s a sense of urgency for the offense to iron out all of the wrinkles.

After all, the Hoosiers finished with 328 yards of total offense, converted just one their 10 attempts on third down, and generated 44 plays, which were all season-lows. On top of that, Curt Cignetti’s boys didn’t take their first lead of the game until the fourth quarter.

Although Josh Hoover felt the performance by the offense wasn’t up to Indiana’s standard, he’s grateful for the victory. The Blackshirts pushed him to the limit, but the Hoosiers made halftime adjustments, and showed their will to win. Not to mention Hoover, and his teammates had to overcome other factors like the crowd of 85,000-plus fans, and 30 miles per hour winds.

Regardless of the matter, Hoover tightened up down the stretch, got his teammates more involved, and proved that great players step up in big games.

“I think it’s just grit, mental toughness, and never once did I ever feel any type of panic on the sideline, or in the locker room,” Hoover said. “It just shows what our guys are able to do when they get the ball in their hands.”

Nebraska (5-1) tried to play keep away from Indiana’s offense with long drives, and kept Hoover and the offense on the sidelines. It worked for most of the game, and Hoover knew that he had to take advantage of every possession in the second half. Hoover had a slim margin for error, which brought out the best in him.

After the Huskers took a double-digit lead early in the fourth quarter, Hoover answered the bell on the Hoosiers’ next possession. All it took was one play for Hoover to connect with wideout Nick Marsh for a 75-yard touchdown, which shifted the momentum to Indiana’s side.

Later in the fourth quarter Indiana (6-0) had to convert on a fourth down, and Hoover linked up again with Marsh for an explosive touchdown. It gave the Hoosiers the lead, silenced the crowd, and they never looked back.

“I thought the receivers did a good job handling the circumstances with the wind, and the ball moving around, making it tough to catch it,” he said. “We got into a rhythm in the second half, started to sustain some drives, and was able to punch it in, and score touchdowns.”

Indiana outscored Nebraska 17-7 in the second half, and that required patience from Hoover. Once the dust settled, he completed 12 of his 22 passes for 263 yards and two touchdowns. He was sacked twice, but thought the big boys up front protected him well throughout the game.

The Huskers took away the run, and forced Hoover to beat them in other ways. So he thought it was only a matter of time before the Blackshirts slipped up in coverage, and allowed him to take advantage of what they gave him.

“They played really well up front, they kind of knew that their whole goal was, which was to keep us from running the ball as well as we usually do,” the 23-year old said. “Then they were gonna try and hang outside, and try to hold on for dear life, if I’m being honest, so it made it tougher at times.”

Cignetti is proud of Hoover’s outing, and the way he responded to early adversity, and carried the team to the finish line. He also admired his execution, leadership, and the way Hoover gave his teammates confidence, especially on the final touchdown pass.

“When the number one option wasn’t open, he had great poise, presence, calm, and delivered a strike,” Cignetti said.

Approaching game seven, Hoover has 17 touchdown passes, no interceptions, and ranks second in the FBS in passing efficiency. Now Indiana has a tougher test, with a home clash against Ohio State, and Hoover understands that he’ll have to keep his head on a swivel. However, coming out of the Sea of Red victorious is something he intends to build on, and use as motivation for the rest of the Hoosiers’ season.

“These are the kind of wins on the road that really propels you as a team.”