Nebraska did nearly everything right for three quarters. The Huskers ran 83 plays to Indiana's 44 but struggled to turn that edge into points. Then quarterback Anthony Colandrea broke through the Indiana secondary for a 39-yard touchdown run, and Nebraska led 17-6 with 12 minutes left. About 90,000 fans at Memorial Stadium lost their minds.
Hoover did not look like a hero for most of the day. He completed 12 of 22 passes, statistically his worst game since arriving at Indiana, while wind blew through the stadium all afternoon. It sent throws sailing past open receivers on the sidelines and left others 10 yards short.
The comeback matters because of who Hoover follows. Fernando Mendoza led Indiana to a 16-0 season and the national title, won the Heisman Trophy, and went first overall in the NFL Draft. Indiana also survived close games last year at Iowa, Oregon and Penn State, and again against Miami in the title game. The big offseason question was whether Hoover could fill those shoes. Saturday gave the first real test, and Indiana passed it.