Nebraska left East Lansing with more than a 31-13 win over Michigan State. It left with another sign that this team might be ready to enter the national conversation in Week 5.
The Cornhuskers moved to 4-0 overall and 1-0 in the Big Ten, giving them their first 4-0 start since 2016, when Nebraska finished 9-4. Against the Spartans, the formula was familiar in all the right ways: a defense that kept squeezing, an offense that created chunk plays, and enough control in the fourth quarter to drain the life out of the game.
The biggest development for Nebraska right now is the defense. After the first two weeks, the offense was carrying the headlines.
But in Weeks 3 and 4, the Huskers’ defense has looked borderline elite. Against Ohio and Bowling Green, Nebraska posted four sacks and 10 tackles for loss combined.
Over its last two games, those numbers climbed to 11 sacks and 16 tackles for loss.
That pressure showed up again Saturday. Michigan State quarterbacks Alessio Milivojevic and Cam Fancher each threw an interception, and Donovan Jones added a strip-sack and recovered the fumble.
Nebraska gave up 13 plays of 10 or more yards, but the Spartans still managed only 13 points. It was a bend, don’t break performance, but it was also another reminder of how dangerous this defense can be if it keeps playing at this level.
The front line did plenty of damage on its own. Nebraska had six sacks, and three came from the defensive line.
Former five-star edge prospect Williams Nwaneri turned in a career-high 2.0 sacks after taking over as the starter on the edge in place of Cam Lenhardt. Pitt transfer Jahsear Whittington added a sack of his own and also forced a fumble, while Kade Pietrzak and Riley Van Poppel each chipped in with a tackle, with Van Poppel’s going for loss.
Anthony Jones and Owen Stoudmire combined for nine tackles.
That pressure helped Nebraska shut down the run game, too. Michigan State finished with 39 rushing yards on 32 carries.
The Huskers have now held three of their four opponents, with Ohio the lone exception, under 100 rushing yards. That’s a major step forward from 2025, when Nebraska only hit that mark once.
The offense did its part by hitting in waves. Nebraska had 12 plays of 10-plus yards against the Spartans, and nine of them came in the first half.
The production dipped after halftime, but 24 points in a half is enough to win plenty of conference games. Dana Holgorsen’s group, even without Jamal Rule, still showed it can move the ball in chunks.
It also showed it can chew up the clock when needed. In the fourth quarter, Nebraska had two long touchdown drives that put the game away.
The first was a 12-play, 66-yard march that lasted 6:22. The second covered 71 yards in 11 plays and took another 5:37.
By the time Nebraska was done, Michigan State had the ball for just 4:22 in the final quarter.
That kind of control has helped Nebraska stay one of the country’s most productive offenses through four games, even if the Huskers may have slipped a little after Week 4. They still look every bit like a dangerous unit.
The concern, though, remains the same one that keeps popping up: penalties. Nebraska was flagged seven times for 60 yards against Michigan State, and another penalty was declined.
Through four games, the Huskers have already been charged with 27 penalties for 235 yards, an average of 6.75 infractions and 58.75 yards per game. For a veteran team and staff, that’s a problem waiting to matter in a tighter game.
That issue shows up in special teams, too. Nebraska’s third phase has not been sharp this fall, and the staff’s decision to kick to former Husker Kenneth Williams four times stood out.
Williams returned those kicks for 63 yards. Nebraska also appeared to catch a break when a punt that looked blockable was erased by a defensive holding call on Michigan State.
The Huskers are 4-0, and the resume is strong enough to keep building. But if they want to handle the next stretch - including Indiana, Oregon, and Ohio State - the sloppiness has to go.
The wins are piling up. The margin for error won’t last forever.
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 🡒]