Nebraska blows fourth-quarter lead against No. 7 Indiana, extends top-25 losing streak to 31 games

Oct 10, 2026 at 4:16 pm ET • 3 min read

Nebraska was 12 minutes away from ending its 30-game losing streak against top-25 opponents as the Cornhuskers had the defending champions on he ropes. Matt Rhule was on the verge of his first signature win in Lincoln.

Then it happened again -- the Huskers let a big win slip through their fingers down the stretch. No. 7 Indiana rallied to score 14 points in 4:48 to win the game, 20-17.

As a result of that blown opportunity, Nebraska's losing streak against top-25 opponents has hit 31 games. The Huskers haven't beaten a top-seven opponent since their win over Michigan State in 2015. Rhule is still searching for that signature win that shows real progress in Lincoln.

This would have been the program's biggest win since taking down Oklahoma in 2001 -- when the Sooners were the reigning national champions. That's how long it's been since Nebraska has come up with a major win. An entire generation of Husker fans have grown up and graduated from the school without seeing one.

The Cornhuskers were tantalizingly close to changing that on Saturday afternoon, but they wound up with a familiar result. Costly mistakes here and there made the difference as the Huskers failed to execute with the game on the line.

Late in the first half, Nebraska got the ball with 6:42 remaining on the clock. It successfully drained that time on a 16-play, 52-yard drive but stalled out on the fringes of the red zone. Kicker Kyle Cunanan missed his 40-yard attempt, and the Huskers came up empty.

That miss was ultimately the difference on the scoreboard, but the Huskers made a series of mistakes that produced another gut-wrenching loss.

Immediately after taking a 17-6 lead, the Nebraska defense let Hoosiers receiver Nick Marsh get behind them for a 75-yard touchdown reception. Moments later, on a critical fourth-down play, the Huskers lost Marsh again as he was left wide open for what proved to be the game-winning touchdown.

Meanwhile, the offense went ice cold after taking an 11-point lead as Nebraska mustered only 60 yards on 19 plays prior to its final possession.

The Huskers will have to keep waiting for a big win, but those opportunities don't come around often, and Nebraska never seems to finish when it gets one.

Decade-long wait continues

The last time Nebraska beat a ranked opponent was just over 10 years ago on Sept. 17, 2016.

The Huskers beat No. 22 Oregon in a thriller, 35-32, with Tommy Armstrong Jr. playing the role of hero. We don't need to delve into the quality of that particular Ducks team because, when you win those games as infrequently as Nebraska, any top-25 win is a good one.

This winless streak against top-25 opponents spans across four coaches, going back to the end of the Mike Riley era. Scott Frost -- the favorite son who was supposed to restore the Huskers to glory -- couldn't end it. Mickey Joseph couldn't end it as an interim. Matt Rhule has been unable to end it.

At this point, the Huskers' struggles against top-25 teams seem almost supernatural. It's like the program is metaphysically incapable of finishing in big games. Perhaps someone should try burning sage at midfield in Memorial Stadium.

Nebraska should get several more chances to end the drought this season. A road trip to Oregon is on deck, and the Huskers face Ohio State and Iowa in the final two weeks of the season.

Can Nebraska get this ranked monkey off its back, or will the losing streak extend into 2027?

More heartbreak for Rhule

Not only does Nebraska have a long-running top-25 problem, but its coach does too. Rhule hasn't had much success against ranked opponents lately, dating all the way back to his time at Baylor.

In his 134 games as a coach, Rhule has two wins over top-25 teams. Both of those came while he was at Temple, and the last one came 10 years ago against No. 20 Navy.

Rhule's record vs. Top 25 teams

• Temple:  2-5
• Baylor:  0-11
• Nebraska: 0-10
• Total:  2-26

Another issue that has plagued Rhule lately is losing close games -- and it reared its ugly head against Indiana. Rhule is now 2-9 in games decided by four points or fewer at Nebraska, and the Huskers have lost eight straight home games decided by three points or fewer.

For whatever reason, when things get tight in big games, Matt Rhule's teams fall short more often than not. If the Rhule and the Huskers are ever going to hit another level, that has to change sooner rather than later.