Nebraska’s trip to East Lansing wasn’t spotless, but it was the kind of road win the Huskers have too often let slip away in previous seasons. Behind a defense that forced turnovers and an offense that hit enough big plays, Nebraska knocked off Michigan State 31-13 to move to 4-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play.
The result gave Nebraska its first conference win of 2026, and the clearest reason it held up was the work done by Rob Aurich’s defense. The Huskers came away with three turnovers, piled up a season-high six sacks and kept Michigan State from finding much rhythm once the game started tilting their way.
There were rough edges on offense, especially through the air. Anthony Colandrea didn’t have the clean, sharp outing Nebraska has gotten used to in the first two weeks, but he still found ways to deliver.
His biggest strike came on a deep ball to Kwazi Gilmer that turned into a 44-yard touchdown. Later, Colandrea connected with Vincent Genatone for a 13-yard score just before halftime, then hit Gilmer again for a 38-yard gain in the fourth quarter.
Gilmer finished with four catches for 101 yards.
Even so, the passing game was uneven for long stretches. Colandrea was 15-for-27 for 212 yards with two touchdowns, and at one point he was just 9-for-20 while the receivers around him struggled to clean up the details. Jacory Barney Jr. had a fumble, Quinn Clark and Gilmer both had untimely drops, and Nyziah Hunter remained largely out of the action until his lone target produced a 12-yard catch in the fourth quarter.
Nebraska’s run game took a hit when Jamal Rule went down after only four carries, but the Huskers still found enough on the ground to stay balanced. Mekhi Nelson handled a major share of the load and scored twice, first on a four-yard run in the second quarter and later on a touchdown that helped push Nebraska ahead 31-13 in the fourth.
He finished with 61 yards on 15 carries. Colandrea also made a real impact as a runner, using both designed runs and scrambles to lead the team with 66 rushing yards.
As a group, Nebraska totaled 157 rushing yards, its first game this season without reaching 200 on the ground.
Michigan State quarterback Alessio Milivojevic was efficient enough to keep Nebraska honest, finishing 18-for-26 for 208 yards. But the Huskers answered with disruption at the line and big plays in the secondary.
Williams Nwaneri led the sack party with two, while Owen Chambliss picked off his first pass of the season. Donovan Jones added a strip-sack and fumble recovery, and Andrew Marshall came down with his first interception of the year deep in Nebraska territory in the fourth quarter.
The Spartans’ ground game lost steam after Cam Edwards left with a leg injury. Edwards had been a major concern coming in after piling up 288 rushing yards and three touchdowns over Michigan State’s first three games, but his replacement, Jaziun Patterson, managed only 54 yards at 3.4 yards per carry.
Nebraska didn’t allow a run longer than 10 yards all night and held MSU’s backs to 78 rushing yards. Danny Odem III and Victor Evans III each chipped in with tackle-for-loss production as the Huskers finished with 10 tackles for loss overall.
Special teams had its own tense moment when a blocked punt was wiped out by a defensive penalty, but the unit otherwise held together. Archie Wilson punted three times and averaged 43.7 yards per kick, including one downed inside the 20.
Kyle Cunanan was perfect on his chances and hit a 32-yard field goal in the second quarter. In the return game, Jacory Barney Jr. had one punt return for 12 yards, and Nyziah Hunter brought back a kickoff for 18.
Nebraska is back at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 3rd to face Maryland. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. CT, with the game on FS1 and the Huskers Radio Network.
In Other News...
Nebraskas Secondary Suddenly Has A Pregame Question Before Kickoff
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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 🡒]
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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
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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 🡒]