Nebraska is walking into Big Ten play on Saturday with some momentum, but also with a real test waiting in East Lansing. The Huskers are 3-0 against the spread and have looked sharp on offense, with Jamal Rule sitting third in the Big Ten in rushing yards and Anthony Colandrea grading as the highest-rated Power-4 quarterback, according to Pro Football Focus. Still, Nebraska’s early schedule has been manageable, and Michigan State arrives at 2-1 with its own questions and its own reasons to believe.
The Spartans have yet to reach a bowl game since 2021, but they did make Notre Dame work last week in South Bend. Nebraska, a 5.5-point favorite, will need to show that its fast start means something once the games turn against conference competition.
The first place that matters is the run game. Nebraska has the 7th-best rush offense in college football, and that’s the kind of edge that can control this matchup.
Michigan State is expected to lean on quarters coverage and may bring safeties down to try to choke off the ground game. That creates a simple but important decision: force Colandrea to be patient and keep the safeties back, or attack the run and risk giving Nebraska better looks elsewhere.
The numbers point to a game that could be decided on the ground. Michigan State allows 113 rushing yards per game, which ranks 53rd, while the Spartans themselves average 150 yards per game rushing, good for 89th.
Cam Edwards is averaging 4.8 yards per carry, and Nebraska’s run defense sits 45th, though it still hasn’t been tested by a Big Ten offensive line. If one side can own rushing yards, it likely owns the game.
Special teams is another area Nebraska can’t afford to let swing the night. Fans in Lincoln know exactly what LeVar Woods can do with that phase after years of seeing it from the other sideline at Iowa, and Michigan State has brought that same threat with him. The Spartans are first nationally in kickoff returns and 18th in punt return defense, and they also rank in the top 8 nationally in punt return yardage and punt return defense.
Nebraska has been solid in that department, too, with zero punt return yards allowed and a 48th-ranked kickoff return defense. But this is the kind of matchup where one busted coverage, one missed kick, or one ball kicked out of bounds can tilt everything. Nebraska can’t hand Michigan State free points or hidden yards and expect to walk out comfortably.
Then there’s the quarterback battle, and that starts up front. Matt Rhule has talked about Nebraska protecting and affecting the quarterback since he arrived, but it hasn’t always shown up the way he wanted. It did last week, when the Huskers sacked North Dakota’s Jerry Kaminsky five times and Colandrea wasn’t sacked at all.
That kind of clean pocket won’t come easily against Michigan State. Still, if Nebraska can keep Colandrea upright and let him work, the Huskers should have a clear edge. The same goes on the other side: whichever team does a better job protecting its quarterback may end up controlling the whole game.
In Other News...
Nebraska Is Getting A Very Different Michigan State Test Saturday
Michigan State is heading into Big Ten play with a very different feel under new head coach Pat Fitzgerald, and that makes Saturdays matchup a little harder to frame than the usual conference opener. According to Stephen Brooks of 247Sports, Fitzgerald has already changed the energy around the program, leaning into a grinder mentality and a work-first approach that has given the Spartans a clearer identity early on.
For Nebraska, that means preparing for a team that may look less like a rebuild and more like a group buying into a specific style of play. Fitzgeralds familiarity with the Big Ten and his reputation as a charismatic leader have helped him win over fans and players quickly, and that early buy-in is part of what makes this a tricky test for the Cornhuskers as they begin to sort out where they stand in conference play. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraska Fans Face A Memorial Stadium Shakeup Beyond The Renovations
Memorial Stadium is entering a stretch of change that goes beyond cranes and construction crews. Nebraskas Big Red Rebuild is already underway, and with capacity temporarily reduced during renovations, the athletic department is preparing a reseating process ahead of the 2027 season while also rolling out changes to ticket pricing, seating contributions and stadium amenities.
For fans, the next two seasons figure to bring a different game-day experience before the building settles into its final form. Some renovated areas are expected to be ready for 2027, but the full project remains aimed at completion by the 2028 season, when Memorial Stadium is expected to have its full capacity back in place. [Read more 🡒]
Nebraskas 3-0 Start Is Setting Up A Bigger Debate Than Expected
Nebraskas 34-7 win over North Dakota added another layer to a 3-0 start that has brought a real sense of progress under Matt Rhule. The Cornhuskers have looked more organized in the early going, and the changes around the program have been part of the story too, with several new coaches joining the staff and a new defensive coordinator installing a 4-3-5 scheme.
Now the conversation is shifting from simple improvement to what comes next, because the schedule is about to demand a sharper answer. Michigan State, Maryland and Indiana are waiting, and the early optimism in Lincoln is set to meet a stretch that should say plenty about how real this start actually is. [Read more 🡒]