Nebraska’s first three games did what they were supposed to do: stack wins, build confidence, and give the Huskers a chance to settle in before the real measuring stick arrives. Now comes Saturday at 4 pm, and the tone changes fast. Nebraska heads to Michigan State for its first true road test, and oddsmakers still like the Huskers to leave East Lansing with a win.
The line has held steady all week. Nebraska opened as a 5.5-point favorite and, as of Saturday morning, DraftKings still had the Huskers at -5.5. The total sits at 49.5, which points to a game with some scoring, just not the kind of fireworks that turn into a Big Ten track meet.
There is some personnel news to watch on the Michigan State side. Nebraska is likely to avoid linebacker Brady Pretzlaff, a starter and one of the Spartans’ leaders in total tackles so far this season.
Cam Edwards, who was hurt early in the Notre Dame game last week, does not appear to be limited. He wasn’t listed on the availability reports, so he seems to be “full go” this afternoon.
What Nebraska has shown so far is real enough to matter, but the opponent list has also been soft enough to keep the questions alive. Ohio, Bowling Green, and North Dakota gave the Huskers room to get players like Anthony Colandrea and Owen Chambliss more comfortable in Lincoln.
That’s useful. It’s also not the same thing as answering a Power 4 challenge on the road.
That challenge is where Nebraska’s defense gets its next exam. Since the first couple of plays against Ohio, the unit has been excellent, and defensive coordinator Rob Aurich has looked like one of the best in the country through the opening stretch. The only catch is obvious: was that defense dominating because of who it faced, or because it’s legitimately that good?
The offense has offered its own loud answer. Nebraska has looked explosive in a way few recent Huskers teams have, and the attack has multiple ways to hit you. It can run through a deep backfield, lean on the quarterback’s arm, or let that same quarterback take off and hurt a defense on the ground.
The biggest question Saturday is how all of that holds up away from home, against a Power 4 opponent, in the first road game of the season. Anthony Colandrea could matter most in that setting. He brings more experience to the position, and in his fourth season as a starting quarterback after stops with Virginia and UNLV, he’s seen plenty.
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 🡒]
Nebraska Faces Another East Lansing Test It Has Struggled To Finish
East Lansing has not been a friendly stop for Nebraska, which has not won there against Michigan State in 14 years and has only met the Spartans three times since 2012. Even so, this matchup has usually been tight enough to swing on a handful of plays, with most of the games between the schools since Nebraska joined the Big Ten decided by five points or less.
Matt Rhule brings a more experienced roster into this one, while Michigan State leans on the kind of defense that can make finishing drives a chore. Nebraska also has some personnel wrinkles to manage, with Carter Nelson out and Luke Lindenmeyer expected to handle most of the snaps, which adds another layer to a road test the Cornhuskers have struggled to close out. [Read more 🡒]