Numbers That Could Decide Indiana's Clash With Nebraska

Indiana football has made winning look relatively routine through the first five weeks of the season. Saturday's trip to Lincoln to do battle with Nebraska might offer something different.

Here are three statistical matchups worth watching when Indiana and Nebraska meet Saturday.

3.8 vs. 9.8 penalties per game

Curt Cignetti has built his Indiana program around eliminating the mistakes that turn manageable situations into difficult ones.

The Hoosiers are committing just 3.8 penalties per game, the fourth-fewest nationally, and surrendering only 30.8 penalty yards per contest. That's the sixth-best mark in the country.

Nebraska, meanwhile, is averaging 9.8 penalties and 80.5 penalty yards per game. Both figures rank among the 10 worst nationally.

That's a difference of six penalties and nearly 50 yards per game between two undefeated teams.

Indiana has made a habit of forcing opponents to earn everything they get. Nebraska has been considerably more generous with free yards, and that's a dangerous habit against a team that rarely returns the favor.

53.06% third-down conversion rate

Third down is supposed to be a chance for defenses to get off the field. Neither Indiana nor Nebraska has been particularly accommodating this season.

The Cornhuskers are converting 53.06% of their third-down attempts, the fifth-best mark in the country. Indiana isn't far behind at 47.73%, ranking 23rd nationally.

But the real intrigue comes when those offenses face the opposing defenses.

Nebraska has allowed opponents to convert just 24.49% of their third downs, the third-best mark nationally. Indiana's defense has been similarly stingy, allowing a 29.09% conversion rate that ranks 14th.

Those numbers can't all hold up Saturday.

Indiana's secondary remains one of the few areas where opponents have found consistent success. Northwestern exposed some of those vulnerabilities two weeks ago, and Nebraska has the offensive efficiency to make the Hoosiers pay if those issues resurface.

For two offenses accustomed to staying on the field, a handful of third-down stops could prove unusually valuable come Saturday.

6.4 yards per carry

Indiana and Nebraska have both spent the first month of the season making life miserable for opposing defensive fronts.

The Hoosiers are averaging 6.4 yards per carry, second nationally. Nebraska isn't far behind at 5.7 yards per attempt, the seventh-best mark in the country.

But there's an important distinction between the two teams.

Indiana has been nearly as impressive stopping the run as it has been running the football. The Hoosiers are surrendering just 2.4 yards per carry, the seventh-best mark in the country, while Nebraska allows 3.3 yards per attempt, ranking 28th.

The advanced numbers tell a similar story. Both offenses rank among the nation's top 10 in EPA per rush, but Indiana's defense ranks 16th in that category compared to Nebraska's 60th.

That could be where the Hoosiers separate themselves.

Indiana has already shown it can punish defenses on the ground. Nebraska's rushing attack is plenty capable of doing damage itself, but the Hoosiers have been much better equipped to prevent it.

Both teams want to control the line of scrimmage. The numbers suggest Indiana may have a better chance of doing it on both sides of the football.