Kwazi Gilmer’s burst gave Nebraska the jolt it needed, and the Blackshirts handled the rest.
On a night when the offense was uneven and the game threatened to get messy, Nebraska’s defense imposed its will in a 31-13 win over Michigan State on Saturday evening at Spartan Stadium. Rob Aurich’s unit piled up six sacks, 10 tackles for loss, two interceptions, a pass breakup, two quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles, a stat line that told the story of a group that controlled the game from start to finish.
Gilmer delivered the first real spark after Nebraska managed only nine yards on its first seven offensive plays. The junior wideout hauled in a 17-yard sideline catch for the Huskers’ first big play, then two snaps later tracked down an over-the-shoulder touchdown in the back of the end zone while staring directly into the beaming sunlight. The 44-yard score gave Nebraska life for the rest of the half.
The Huskers still had to work through a choppy afternoon overall. They opened the third quarter with a chance to bury Michigan State, but instead let a 24-10 lead shrink to 24-13.
It could have looked even tighter - 24-20 or 24-16 - if not for an overturned completion and a missed field goal. Nebraska eventually steadied itself and pushed the margin to 31-13 early in the fourth quarter.
Penalties were another problem. Rhule’s team was flagged seven times for 60 yards, though Michigan State’s mistakes helped Nebraska at times as well. Even so, the yellow flags are the kind of issue that will need to be cleaned up before the Huskers get into the thick of the Big Ten slate with Indiana, Ohio State and Oregon.
Before kickoff, the teams honored former Husker punter Sam Foltz and former Michigan State punter Mike Sadler with a commemorative coin for the pregame toss.
Anthony Colandrea had a rocky start in his 35th career collegiate start. On Nebraska’s first drive, the senior quarterback escaped pressure twice in three plays and threw two passes out of bounds, with one nearly drawing an intentional grounding call. He settled in after that, though, and Nebraska’s first half showed enough balance to build its lead.
Dana Holgorsen’s offense produced two runs of at least 10 yards, four completions of 15-plus yards and 24 points before halftime. Third down also mattered: Nebraska went 4-for-7 in the first half, a key part of the win.
Then the offense went quiet after the break. Nebraska managed minus-5 yards on its first two possessions of the half and picked up back-to-back illegal formation penalties. The Huskers were not sharp coming out of the locker room, and the offense never fully matched the defense’s pace.
Colandrea’s legs ended up mattering more than they had earlier in the season. After true freshman running back Jamal Rule went down with a lower-body injury in the first quarter, Colandrea took on more of the burden. He led the team in rushing at halftime with 39 yards on six carries, including a 17-yard third-and-10 run that set up a four-yard touchdown by junior running back Mekhi Nelson.
North Platte native Vincent Genatone also turned in a career day, scoring two touchdowns.
But the night belonged to the defense. Nebraska had four sacks, a pass breakup and an interception in the first half alone, and when the offense stalled after halftime, sophomore defensive back Donovan Jones delivered a strip sack to keep the momentum on Nebraska’s side.
Michigan State’s offense never fully recovered after senior running back Cam Edward’s leg injury following a 23-yard gain in the first quarter. The UCONN transfer spent the rest of the game on the sideline in street clothes and crutches.
That left Spartan senior back Jaziun Patterson to carry more of the load. He entered with just 46 yards on 10 carries, finished at 3.4 yards per rush and had six carries of fewer than three yards.
Without Edwards, the Spartans didn’t have the run-game production they needed.
Nebraska returns to Lincoln on Oct. 3 for a 3 p.m. CT matchup with Maryland on FS1.
In Other News...
Nebraskas Secondary Suddenly Has A Pregame Question Before Kickoff
Nebraskas Friday availability update brought a little more clarity, and a little more concern, for a secondary that already had some pregame uncertainty hanging over it. Edge rusher Jordan Ochoa moved from questionable to probable, but the notable shift came on the back end, where safety Rex Guthrie was upgraded from doubtful to questionable while cornerback Bryson Webber was listed as out.
The Big Tens new availability format has turned these late-week reports into a bigger part of the game-week rhythm, with teams now required to submit them three days before kickoff and then update them daily through game day. Michigan States report added its own layer of uncertainty, with linebacker Brady Pretzlaff and special teamer Jay Coyne out and cornerback Tyran Chappell questionable, but Nebraskas biggest concern is still the state of its defensive backfield as kickoff approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas Offense Faces Its First Real Test In Big Ten Play
Nebraskas offense rolled through its first three non-conference games with a balance the program had not shown since 2016, clearing 200 yards both on the ground and through the air in each one. The line opened holes, the passing game stayed productive, and the overall effort drew praise from athletic director Troy Dannen after the strong finish against North Dakota, which only added to the early optimism around Dana Holgorsens group.
Now comes the harder part, with Big Ten play set to ask different questions of the same attack. Holgorsen has already stressed the need to spread the ball around and keep multiple players involved, a reminder that what worked in September has to hold up when defenses get faster, more physical, and far less forgiving. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas Undefeated Start Faces Its First Real Test At Michigan State
Nebraska has handled its non-conference schedule well enough to arrive at 3-0 with a little momentum and a lot of curiosity still attached to how real the start is. Now the Cornhuskers head to Michigan State for their first Power 4 matchup, and the early read from DraftKings has them favored by 5.5 points, a sign that the market believes in what Nebraska has shown so far on both sides of the ball.
Saturday should tell a lot more, though, especially with linebacker Brady Pretzlaff likely out and running back Cam Edwards appearing available. Nebraskas defense has looked sturdy and the offense has found enough rhythm to keep the pressure manageable, but road games in conference play usually bring a different level of stress. Anthony Colandrea could end up being one of the swing pieces in how smoothly that transition goes. [Read more 🡒]