Link: Full Game Notes (Huskers.com)
WHEN: Saturday, September 25 | 6:00 PM (CT)
WHERE: Spartan Stadium | East Lansing, Michigan
TV: FOX Sports 1 (Aaron Goldsmith, Mark Helfrich)
RADIO: Huskers Radio Network (Greg Sharpe, Matt Davison, Jeremiah Sirles, Jessica Coody)
HUSKERS
Record: 2-2 (0-1 Big Ten)
Last Game: at Oklahoma (L 16-23)
Rankings: NR
Coach: Scott Frost (33-29, 6th year overall | 14-22, 4th year NU)
Frost vs. Michigan State: 1-0
SPARTANS
Record: 3-0 (1-0 Big Ten)
Last Game: at Miami (FL) (W 38-17)
Rankings: #20 (AP) / #21 (Coaches)
Coach: Mel Tucker (10-12, 3rd year overall | 5-5 2nd year MSU)
Tucker vs. Nebraska: 1-0
Numbers to Know
4 - Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez has surpassed 1,000 passing yards for the fourth straight season. He is the first quarterback in Nebraska history to record four 1,000 yard passing seasons
6 - Nebraska will be taking on No. 20 Michigan State on Saturday, a week after playing at No. 3 Oklahoma. This will mark the sixth time in school history Nebraska has played back-to-back road games against ranked teams and the first time since 2016.
34 - Nebraska has been strong in the fourth quarter this season, outscoring its opponents 41-7 for a 34-point margin. Nebraska has allowed only an Oklahoma touchdown in the fourth quarter in four games this season.
The Matchup
Nebraska returns to Big Ten Conference action this Saturday, as the Huskers travel to East Lansing, Mich., to take on the Michigan State Spartans. Game time at MSU's Spartan Stadium is set for 6 p.m. Central (7 p.m. local time in East Lansing) with FS1 providing national television coverage.
Nebraska enters the game at 2-2 on the season, following a hard-fought 23-16 loss at No. 3 Oklahoma on Saturday. The Huskers went toe-to-toe with the Sooners throughout the game, and limited Oklahoma to its fewest points in the past five seasons.
The Huskers will be looking to even their Big Ten record after a season-opening loss at Illinois on Aug. 28. Nebraska will look to continue its strong defensive play in East Lansing. The Huskers have allowed just 33 combined points in the past three games, marking the Blackshirts' best three-game scoring defense stretch in 11 seasons.
Michigan State is off to a strong start to the 2021 season. After a 2-5 campaign in 2020, MSU stands at 3-0 to open the year after an impressive 38-17 victory at Miami on Saturday. The Spartans are 1-0 in Big Ten play after opening the season with an impressive 38-21 victory at defending Big Ten West champion Northwestern. The win at Miami vaulted the Spartans into the national polls, ranking No. 20 in the Associated Press Poll and No. 21 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
The Spartans have relied on a strong running game to power their impressive start. MSU is averaging 263.7 rushing yards per game to rank third in the Big Ten and 11th nationally. Michigan State has also been tough against the run, allowing just 112.0 yards per game on the ground.
Series History
Saturday's matchup between Nebraska and Michigan State will be the 12th all-time between the schools with Nebraska holding a 9-2 lead in the series. This matchup is the first between the schools in East Lansing since 2014, and just the fourth overall meeting at Michigan State. Nebraska leads the series 4-2 since joining the Big Ten Conference in 2011.
- In its last meeting, Nebraska defeated Michigan State 9-6 in Lincoln. That game featured just five field goals and Nebraska's victory was its first without scoring a touchdown since a 3-0 victory over Kansas State in 1937.
- The Huskers' 39-38 win over sixth-ranked Michigan State in 2015 marked just the third time in school history an unranked Nebraska team defeated a top 10 opponent. It was also the highest ranked team Nebraska had defeated in 14 seasons.
- Michigan State was ranked in the top 15 in three straight trips to Lincoln (2011, 2013 and 2015), with Nebraska earning victories in two of those three games
- Nebraska rallied from 10 points down in the fourth quarter of its 2012 win in East Lansing, one of four second-half, double-digit comebacks in 2012.
- One of the teams was ranked in eight consecutive meetings from 1995 to 2015, with a pair of games (2011, 2014) matching two ranked teams.
- The next scheduled meeting between the two schools is set for 2023, also in East Lansing.
Nebraska vs. Michigan State (Big Ten Series History)
2011: #13 Nebraska 24, #9 Michigan State 3 (Lincoln)
2012: #21 Nebraska 28, Michigan State 24 (East Lansing)
2013: #14 Michigan State 41, Nebraska 28 (Lincoln)
2014: #10 Michigan State 27, #19 Nebraska 22 (East Lansing)
2015: Nebraska 39, #6 Michigan State 38 (Lincoln)
2018: Nebraska 9, Michigan State 6 (Lincoln)
Huskers Set to Face Second Straight Ranked Foe
A week after dropping a one-touchdown game at No. 3 Oklahoma, the Huskers will again face a ranked opponent on the road this Saturday. Michigan State enters the contest ranked 20th by the AP and 21st in the Coaches Poll.
- This will mark the first time Nebraska has faced consecutive games against ranked opponents since taking on No. 19 Iowa in the 2019 season finale and playing at No. 5 Ohio State in the 2020 season opener.
- Nebraska last faced consecutive games against ranked teams in the same season midway through 2017 when both Wisconsin and Ohio State were ranked ninth in successive games in Lincoln.
- Nebraska is facing back-to-back road games against ranked teams for the first time since playing at No. 11 Wisconsin and sixth-ranked Ohio State on consecutive Saturdays in 2016.
Martinez Ranks Among Nation's Top Quarterbacks
Quarterback Adrian Martinez has put up statistics in his Husker career that have him ranked among the Nebraska all-time leaders in several categories. Martinez has thrown for 6,645 yards in his career, rushed for 2,066 yards and totaled 8,711 yards of offense. He owns four Nebraska career records, five season records and one single-game record.
- Martinez is Nebraska's all-time leader in total offensive yards per game (272.2), 400-yard total offense games (5) and 300-yard total offense games (16). He has produced five of Nebraska's 17 individual 400-yard total offense performances.
- In 2021, Martinez is averaging 326.8 yards per game in total offense to rank 12th nationally and second in the Big Ten. He averaged a school-record 295.1 yards of total offense per game as a true freshman in 2018. That average ranked 12th nationally, led all freshmen and was the ninth-highest average by a freshman in NCAA history, including the third-best mark ever by a true freshman.
- In Nebraska's win over Buffalo, Martinez rushed nine times for 112 yards for his sixth career 100-yard rushing game and his second of 2021. He had a 71-yard run, marking the second-longest rush of his career, bettered only by a 75-yard touchdown run at Illinois in the season opener.
- Martinez eclipsed the 2,000 career rushing yard mark against Buffalo to become the fifth Nebraska quarterback to crack that rushing milestone.
- Martinez is one of only five players in Big Ten history with 6,000 career passing yards and 2,000 career rushing yards. He joined Taylor Martinez (Nebraska), Antwaan Randle El (Indiana), Denard Robinson (Michigan) and JT Barrett (Ohio State) in the exclusive 6,000/2,000 Big Ten club.
- Against Fordham, Martinez became just the third Husker quarterback to complete 500 career passes and surpass 6,000 career passing yards. He joined Tommy Armstrong Jr. and Taylor Martinez in reaching those statistical milestones.
- Martinez threw for 289 yards at Oklahoma to post 1,000 passing yards for the season through four games. Martinez is just the second quarterback to reach 1,000 passing yards through four games, joining Tommy Armstrong Jr. in 2015. Martinez has four 1,000-yard passing seasons, the first quarterback in Nebraska history to accomplish that feat.
- Martinez's 2,066 career rushing yards lead all active FBS quarterbacks.
- Through four games in 2021, Martinez is leading Nebraska in rushing, passing and scoring. He is one of only three players in the FBS ranks to hold that distinction.
- Martinez also set Nebraska season records for 300-yard total offense games (7) and 400-yard total offense games (3) in 2018.
- Martinez is one of only four active FBS quarterbacks who entered the 2021 season with 5,000 career passing yards and 1,500 career rushing yards.
About Michigan State
Michigan State owns an all-time winning record and the Spartans were one of the nation's top programs in the 1950s and 1960s, claiming six national titles (1951, 1952, 1955, 1957, 1965, 1966). Michigan State has also won nine conference titles with the latest coming in 2015 (1953, 1965, 1966, 1978, 1987, 1990, 2010, 2013, 2015).
The Spartans have gone undefeated three times and have won 10 games in a season eight times. Michigan State has played in 29 bowl games in their history, including five Rose Bowls. In the last full season in 2019, MSU made its sixth bowl game in seven years and finished fifth in the Big Ten East.
First Year: 1896
All-Time Record: 713-470-44
Bowl Record: 13-16
Conference Titles: 9
National Titles: 6
Stadium: Spartan Stadium
Capacity: 74,866
Surface: Natural Grass
Location: East Lansing, Michigan
Enrollment: 49,695
Colors: Green & White
About 2021 Michigan State Football
Michigan State is 3-0 and the Spartans bring a No. 20 ranking into Saturday's game. Michigan State began its season with a 38-21 win over Northwestern, a game the Spartans led from start to finish. In Week 2, MSU handed Youngstown State its first loss with a 42-14 win. Last Saturday, Michigan State beat then-No. 24 Miami (FL) 38-17 in Coral Gables.
The Spartans boast one of the conference's most potent offenses. Michigan State ranks 14th nationally averaging 520.0 yards per game this season. Running back Kenneth Walker III leads the nation averaging 164.3 yards per game. Payton Thorne has completed 48-of-77 passes for 726 yards and nine touchdowns. Jayden Reed leads MSU with 23.1 yards per catch.
Defensively, Michigan State ranks 11th in the conference in total defense, averaging 381.3 yards per game. Xavier Henderson leads the Spartans with 25 tackles and three tackles for loss.
2021 Michigan State Schedule, Results (3-0, 1-0)
at Northwestern (W 38-21)
Youngstown State (W 42-14)
at Miami (FL) (W 38-17)
Nebraska
Western Kentucky
at Rutgers
at Indiana
Michigan
at Purdue
Maryland
at Ohio State
Penn State
About Mel Tucker
Mel Tucker is in his third season overall as a head coach, including his second season at the helm of Michigan State. Tucker boasts a 10-12 career record after going 2-5 in his first season with the Spartans in 2020.
Tucker originally began his career as a graduate assistant at Michigan State under Nick Saban. The journey that led him back to East Lansing included a one-year stint as a head coach at Colorado (2019), five seasons as a defensive assistant in the SEC (2000, 2015-18), 10 seasons in the NFL (2015-14) and four seasons at Ohio State (2001-04). He was a defensive coordinator in the NFL for seven seasons and 11 seasons overall in his coaching career. He also served as the interim head coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2011 for five games.
In his lone season as head coach at Colorado in 2019, the Buffaloes posted their second-most Pac-12 wins since joining the conference in 2011 with three victories while six players earned All-Pac-12 honors.
Tucker is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin where he played defensive back for the Badgers from 1990 through 1994.
Mel Tucker vs. Nebraska
Tucker will face Nebraska for the second time as a head coach on Saturday. Tucker previously faced Scott Frost and the Huskers in 2019 when Colorado won 34-31 in overtime.
Last Meeting: November 17, 2018
Nebraska 9, Michigan State 6
LINCOLN - Freshman Barret Pickering kicked three fourth-quarter field goals, including the game-winner with 5:13 remaining, and the Nebraska football team rallied for a 9-6 victory over Michigan State on Senior Day at Memorial Stadium.
Nebraska (4-7, 3-5 Big Ten Conference) closed its home season by winning its final four home games, and won a football game without scoring a touchdown for the first time since 1937, a 3-0 victory over Kansas State.
Senior running back Devine Ozigbo ran 18 times for 74 yards and surpassed 1,000 rushing yards for the season. Ozigbo is the first Husker to have a 1,000-yard rushing season since Ameer Abdullah in 2014.
Nebraska, facing the Big Ten Conference's No. 1 rushing defense, finished with 103 rushing yards, including enough on its final series to run out the clock. Michigan State entered game the game allowed 76 rushing yards per game.
Nebraska held Michigan State (6-5, 4-4) to 289 yards of total offense, and limited redshirt freshman quarterback Rocky Lombardi to 15-of-41 passing for 146 yards. Senior safety Antonio Reed had seven tackles, including three for loss, two forced fumbles, two pass breakups and an interception.
Nebraska trailed 6-0 when a 19-yard kickoff return by freshman running back Maurice Washington and an ensuing personal foul penalty on Michigan State gave Nebraska the ball at its 45-yard line to begin its first scoring drive.
Freshman quarterback Adrian Martinez, who finished 16-of-37 passing for 145 yards, hit senior wide receiver Stanley Morgan Jr. for a 35-yard passing play to the Michigan State 20-yard line. Morgan caught four passes for 67 yards and became Nebraska's all-time receptions leader with 182 career catches.
But the Huskers gained only 1 yard on their next three plays, all passes, setting up fourth-and-9. Pickering picked up the Huskers by making a 36-yard field goal, cutting the Michigan State lead to 6-3 with 11:07 remaining.
The Blackshirts came up huge on the Spartans' ensuing series. Reed sacked Lombardi and forced a fumble that redshirted freshman defensive lineman Damion Daniels recovered at the Michigan State 20.
A 15-yard run by Ozigbo set the Huskers up first-and-goal, but Nebraska was unable to find the end zone and settled for Pickering's 20-yard field goal. That tied the game, 6-6, with 8:07 remaining.
Reed then broke up a third-down pass on Michigan State's next series, forcing a punt that gave Nebraska possession at their 47-yard line with 7:12 remaining. That set up Pickering's 47-yard attempt to put Nebraska ahead for good.
Nebraska's defense then withheld two Michigan State drives into Nebraska territory, the last one ending in an incomplete fourth-down pass.
Lombardi's longest play was a 36-yard pass to running back Connor Heyward to the Nebraska 38-yard line on the Spartans' second scoring drive of the game, in the third quarter.
Then on third-and-long, Lombardi hit wide receiver Darrell Stewart for an 11-yard gain to the 10-yard line. But the Blackshirts rose up held the Spartans out of the end zone, and Matt Coughlin hit a 26-yard field goal with 12:13 remaining in the game to extend Michigan State's lead 6-0.
Michigan State led 3-0 at halftime.
To begin the game, Nebraska received the opening kickoff and gained one first down before punting. That ended a streak of six straight games in which the Huskers had scored a touchdown on their opening possession when receiving the ball to start the game.
Michigan State gained 50 yards on its first possession, with Heyward busting a 27-yard run up the middle to get the Spartans into Nebraska territory. They advanced to the 16 before senior safety Trey Neal stopped Heyward for no gain and senior linebacker Luke Gifford forced Lombardi into a third-down incompletion.
That set up a 34-yard field goal by Coughlin that gave Michigan State a 3-0 lead with 7:46 remaining in the first quarter.
Michigan State recovered its second fumble of the game with 13:49 in the second quarter and started at the 21 yard-line. But Nebraska's defense stiffened and pushed the Spartans backward, and Coughlin's 41-yard field goal attempt hit the left upright with 10:58 remaining before halftime.
The Huskers drove from their 23-yard line to the Michigan State 33, but Martinez's fourth-down pass with the wind sailed too high to an open Morgan with 6:54 remaining and fell incomplete to end the drive.
Michigan State's final drive of the first half ended when Reed intercepted a Hail Mary pass at the 1-yard line with 3 seconds remaining before halftime.
| NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS (2-2, 0-1) | at | MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS (3-0, 1-0) |
| 
|
WHEN: Saturday, September 25 | 6:00 PM (CT)
WHERE: Spartan Stadium | East Lansing, Michigan
TV: FOX Sports 1 (Aaron Goldsmith, Mark Helfrich)
RADIO: Huskers Radio Network (Greg Sharpe, Matt Davison, Jeremiah Sirles, Jessica Coody)
HUSKERS
Record: 2-2 (0-1 Big Ten)
Last Game: at Oklahoma (L 16-23)
Rankings: NR
Coach: Scott Frost (33-29, 6th year overall | 14-22, 4th year NU)
Frost vs. Michigan State: 1-0
SPARTANS
Record: 3-0 (1-0 Big Ten)
Last Game: at Miami (FL) (W 38-17)
Rankings: #20 (AP) / #21 (Coaches)
Coach: Mel Tucker (10-12, 3rd year overall | 5-5 2nd year MSU)
Tucker vs. Nebraska: 1-0
Numbers to Know
4 - Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez has surpassed 1,000 passing yards for the fourth straight season. He is the first quarterback in Nebraska history to record four 1,000 yard passing seasons
6 - Nebraska will be taking on No. 20 Michigan State on Saturday, a week after playing at No. 3 Oklahoma. This will mark the sixth time in school history Nebraska has played back-to-back road games against ranked teams and the first time since 2016.
34 - Nebraska has been strong in the fourth quarter this season, outscoring its opponents 41-7 for a 34-point margin. Nebraska has allowed only an Oklahoma touchdown in the fourth quarter in four games this season.
The Matchup
Nebraska returns to Big Ten Conference action this Saturday, as the Huskers travel to East Lansing, Mich., to take on the Michigan State Spartans. Game time at MSU's Spartan Stadium is set for 6 p.m. Central (7 p.m. local time in East Lansing) with FS1 providing national television coverage.
Nebraska enters the game at 2-2 on the season, following a hard-fought 23-16 loss at No. 3 Oklahoma on Saturday. The Huskers went toe-to-toe with the Sooners throughout the game, and limited Oklahoma to its fewest points in the past five seasons.
The Huskers will be looking to even their Big Ten record after a season-opening loss at Illinois on Aug. 28. Nebraska will look to continue its strong defensive play in East Lansing. The Huskers have allowed just 33 combined points in the past three games, marking the Blackshirts' best three-game scoring defense stretch in 11 seasons.
Michigan State is off to a strong start to the 2021 season. After a 2-5 campaign in 2020, MSU stands at 3-0 to open the year after an impressive 38-17 victory at Miami on Saturday. The Spartans are 1-0 in Big Ten play after opening the season with an impressive 38-21 victory at defending Big Ten West champion Northwestern. The win at Miami vaulted the Spartans into the national polls, ranking No. 20 in the Associated Press Poll and No. 21 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
The Spartans have relied on a strong running game to power their impressive start. MSU is averaging 263.7 rushing yards per game to rank third in the Big Ten and 11th nationally. Michigan State has also been tough against the run, allowing just 112.0 yards per game on the ground.
Series History
Saturday's matchup between Nebraska and Michigan State will be the 12th all-time between the schools with Nebraska holding a 9-2 lead in the series. This matchup is the first between the schools in East Lansing since 2014, and just the fourth overall meeting at Michigan State. Nebraska leads the series 4-2 since joining the Big Ten Conference in 2011.
- In its last meeting, Nebraska defeated Michigan State 9-6 in Lincoln. That game featured just five field goals and Nebraska's victory was its first without scoring a touchdown since a 3-0 victory over Kansas State in 1937.
- The Huskers' 39-38 win over sixth-ranked Michigan State in 2015 marked just the third time in school history an unranked Nebraska team defeated a top 10 opponent. It was also the highest ranked team Nebraska had defeated in 14 seasons.
- Michigan State was ranked in the top 15 in three straight trips to Lincoln (2011, 2013 and 2015), with Nebraska earning victories in two of those three games
- Nebraska rallied from 10 points down in the fourth quarter of its 2012 win in East Lansing, one of four second-half, double-digit comebacks in 2012.
- One of the teams was ranked in eight consecutive meetings from 1995 to 2015, with a pair of games (2011, 2014) matching two ranked teams.
- The next scheduled meeting between the two schools is set for 2023, also in East Lansing.
Nebraska vs. Michigan State (Big Ten Series History)
2011: #13 Nebraska 24, #9 Michigan State 3 (Lincoln)
2012: #21 Nebraska 28, Michigan State 24 (East Lansing)
2013: #14 Michigan State 41, Nebraska 28 (Lincoln)
2014: #10 Michigan State 27, #19 Nebraska 22 (East Lansing)
2015: Nebraska 39, #6 Michigan State 38 (Lincoln)
2018: Nebraska 9, Michigan State 6 (Lincoln)
Huskers Set to Face Second Straight Ranked Foe
A week after dropping a one-touchdown game at No. 3 Oklahoma, the Huskers will again face a ranked opponent on the road this Saturday. Michigan State enters the contest ranked 20th by the AP and 21st in the Coaches Poll.
- This will mark the first time Nebraska has faced consecutive games against ranked opponents since taking on No. 19 Iowa in the 2019 season finale and playing at No. 5 Ohio State in the 2020 season opener.
- Nebraska last faced consecutive games against ranked teams in the same season midway through 2017 when both Wisconsin and Ohio State were ranked ninth in successive games in Lincoln.
- Nebraska is facing back-to-back road games against ranked teams for the first time since playing at No. 11 Wisconsin and sixth-ranked Ohio State on consecutive Saturdays in 2016.
Martinez Ranks Among Nation's Top Quarterbacks
Quarterback Adrian Martinez has put up statistics in his Husker career that have him ranked among the Nebraska all-time leaders in several categories. Martinez has thrown for 6,645 yards in his career, rushed for 2,066 yards and totaled 8,711 yards of offense. He owns four Nebraska career records, five season records and one single-game record.
- Martinez is Nebraska's all-time leader in total offensive yards per game (272.2), 400-yard total offense games (5) and 300-yard total offense games (16). He has produced five of Nebraska's 17 individual 400-yard total offense performances.
- In 2021, Martinez is averaging 326.8 yards per game in total offense to rank 12th nationally and second in the Big Ten. He averaged a school-record 295.1 yards of total offense per game as a true freshman in 2018. That average ranked 12th nationally, led all freshmen and was the ninth-highest average by a freshman in NCAA history, including the third-best mark ever by a true freshman.
- In Nebraska's win over Buffalo, Martinez rushed nine times for 112 yards for his sixth career 100-yard rushing game and his second of 2021. He had a 71-yard run, marking the second-longest rush of his career, bettered only by a 75-yard touchdown run at Illinois in the season opener.
- Martinez eclipsed the 2,000 career rushing yard mark against Buffalo to become the fifth Nebraska quarterback to crack that rushing milestone.
- Martinez is one of only five players in Big Ten history with 6,000 career passing yards and 2,000 career rushing yards. He joined Taylor Martinez (Nebraska), Antwaan Randle El (Indiana), Denard Robinson (Michigan) and JT Barrett (Ohio State) in the exclusive 6,000/2,000 Big Ten club.
- Against Fordham, Martinez became just the third Husker quarterback to complete 500 career passes and surpass 6,000 career passing yards. He joined Tommy Armstrong Jr. and Taylor Martinez in reaching those statistical milestones.
- Martinez threw for 289 yards at Oklahoma to post 1,000 passing yards for the season through four games. Martinez is just the second quarterback to reach 1,000 passing yards through four games, joining Tommy Armstrong Jr. in 2015. Martinez has four 1,000-yard passing seasons, the first quarterback in Nebraska history to accomplish that feat.
- Martinez's 2,066 career rushing yards lead all active FBS quarterbacks.
- Through four games in 2021, Martinez is leading Nebraska in rushing, passing and scoring. He is one of only three players in the FBS ranks to hold that distinction.
- Martinez also set Nebraska season records for 300-yard total offense games (7) and 400-yard total offense games (3) in 2018.
- Martinez is one of only four active FBS quarterbacks who entered the 2021 season with 5,000 career passing yards and 1,500 career rushing yards.
About Michigan State
Michigan State owns an all-time winning record and the Spartans were one of the nation's top programs in the 1950s and 1960s, claiming six national titles (1951, 1952, 1955, 1957, 1965, 1966). Michigan State has also won nine conference titles with the latest coming in 2015 (1953, 1965, 1966, 1978, 1987, 1990, 2010, 2013, 2015).
The Spartans have gone undefeated three times and have won 10 games in a season eight times. Michigan State has played in 29 bowl games in their history, including five Rose Bowls. In the last full season in 2019, MSU made its sixth bowl game in seven years and finished fifth in the Big Ten East.
First Year: 1896
All-Time Record: 713-470-44
Bowl Record: 13-16
Conference Titles: 9
National Titles: 6
Stadium: Spartan Stadium
Capacity: 74,866
Surface: Natural Grass
Location: East Lansing, Michigan
Enrollment: 49,695
Colors: Green & White
About 2021 Michigan State Football
Michigan State is 3-0 and the Spartans bring a No. 20 ranking into Saturday's game. Michigan State began its season with a 38-21 win over Northwestern, a game the Spartans led from start to finish. In Week 2, MSU handed Youngstown State its first loss with a 42-14 win. Last Saturday, Michigan State beat then-No. 24 Miami (FL) 38-17 in Coral Gables.
The Spartans boast one of the conference's most potent offenses. Michigan State ranks 14th nationally averaging 520.0 yards per game this season. Running back Kenneth Walker III leads the nation averaging 164.3 yards per game. Payton Thorne has completed 48-of-77 passes for 726 yards and nine touchdowns. Jayden Reed leads MSU with 23.1 yards per catch.
Defensively, Michigan State ranks 11th in the conference in total defense, averaging 381.3 yards per game. Xavier Henderson leads the Spartans with 25 tackles and three tackles for loss.
2021 Michigan State Schedule, Results (3-0, 1-0)
at Northwestern (W 38-21)
Youngstown State (W 42-14)
at Miami (FL) (W 38-17)
Nebraska
Western Kentucky
at Rutgers
at Indiana
Michigan
at Purdue
Maryland
at Ohio State
Penn State
About Mel Tucker
Mel Tucker is in his third season overall as a head coach, including his second season at the helm of Michigan State. Tucker boasts a 10-12 career record after going 2-5 in his first season with the Spartans in 2020.
Tucker originally began his career as a graduate assistant at Michigan State under Nick Saban. The journey that led him back to East Lansing included a one-year stint as a head coach at Colorado (2019), five seasons as a defensive assistant in the SEC (2000, 2015-18), 10 seasons in the NFL (2015-14) and four seasons at Ohio State (2001-04). He was a defensive coordinator in the NFL for seven seasons and 11 seasons overall in his coaching career. He also served as the interim head coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2011 for five games.
In his lone season as head coach at Colorado in 2019, the Buffaloes posted their second-most Pac-12 wins since joining the conference in 2011 with three victories while six players earned All-Pac-12 honors.
Tucker is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin where he played defensive back for the Badgers from 1990 through 1994.
Mel Tucker vs. Nebraska
Tucker will face Nebraska for the second time as a head coach on Saturday. Tucker previously faced Scott Frost and the Huskers in 2019 when Colorado won 34-31 in overtime.
Last Meeting: November 17, 2018
Nebraska 9, Michigan State 6
LINCOLN - Freshman Barret Pickering kicked three fourth-quarter field goals, including the game-winner with 5:13 remaining, and the Nebraska football team rallied for a 9-6 victory over Michigan State on Senior Day at Memorial Stadium.
Nebraska (4-7, 3-5 Big Ten Conference) closed its home season by winning its final four home games, and won a football game without scoring a touchdown for the first time since 1937, a 3-0 victory over Kansas State.
Senior running back Devine Ozigbo ran 18 times for 74 yards and surpassed 1,000 rushing yards for the season. Ozigbo is the first Husker to have a 1,000-yard rushing season since Ameer Abdullah in 2014.
Nebraska, facing the Big Ten Conference's No. 1 rushing defense, finished with 103 rushing yards, including enough on its final series to run out the clock. Michigan State entered game the game allowed 76 rushing yards per game.
Nebraska held Michigan State (6-5, 4-4) to 289 yards of total offense, and limited redshirt freshman quarterback Rocky Lombardi to 15-of-41 passing for 146 yards. Senior safety Antonio Reed had seven tackles, including three for loss, two forced fumbles, two pass breakups and an interception.
Nebraska trailed 6-0 when a 19-yard kickoff return by freshman running back Maurice Washington and an ensuing personal foul penalty on Michigan State gave Nebraska the ball at its 45-yard line to begin its first scoring drive.
Freshman quarterback Adrian Martinez, who finished 16-of-37 passing for 145 yards, hit senior wide receiver Stanley Morgan Jr. for a 35-yard passing play to the Michigan State 20-yard line. Morgan caught four passes for 67 yards and became Nebraska's all-time receptions leader with 182 career catches.
But the Huskers gained only 1 yard on their next three plays, all passes, setting up fourth-and-9. Pickering picked up the Huskers by making a 36-yard field goal, cutting the Michigan State lead to 6-3 with 11:07 remaining.
The Blackshirts came up huge on the Spartans' ensuing series. Reed sacked Lombardi and forced a fumble that redshirted freshman defensive lineman Damion Daniels recovered at the Michigan State 20.
A 15-yard run by Ozigbo set the Huskers up first-and-goal, but Nebraska was unable to find the end zone and settled for Pickering's 20-yard field goal. That tied the game, 6-6, with 8:07 remaining.
Reed then broke up a third-down pass on Michigan State's next series, forcing a punt that gave Nebraska possession at their 47-yard line with 7:12 remaining. That set up Pickering's 47-yard attempt to put Nebraska ahead for good.
Nebraska's defense then withheld two Michigan State drives into Nebraska territory, the last one ending in an incomplete fourth-down pass.
Lombardi's longest play was a 36-yard pass to running back Connor Heyward to the Nebraska 38-yard line on the Spartans' second scoring drive of the game, in the third quarter.
Then on third-and-long, Lombardi hit wide receiver Darrell Stewart for an 11-yard gain to the 10-yard line. But the Blackshirts rose up held the Spartans out of the end zone, and Matt Coughlin hit a 26-yard field goal with 12:13 remaining in the game to extend Michigan State's lead 6-0.
Michigan State led 3-0 at halftime.
To begin the game, Nebraska received the opening kickoff and gained one first down before punting. That ended a streak of six straight games in which the Huskers had scored a touchdown on their opening possession when receiving the ball to start the game.
Michigan State gained 50 yards on its first possession, with Heyward busting a 27-yard run up the middle to get the Spartans into Nebraska territory. They advanced to the 16 before senior safety Trey Neal stopped Heyward for no gain and senior linebacker Luke Gifford forced Lombardi into a third-down incompletion.
That set up a 34-yard field goal by Coughlin that gave Michigan State a 3-0 lead with 7:46 remaining in the first quarter.
Michigan State recovered its second fumble of the game with 13:49 in the second quarter and started at the 21 yard-line. But Nebraska's defense stiffened and pushed the Spartans backward, and Coughlin's 41-yard field goal attempt hit the left upright with 10:58 remaining before halftime.
The Huskers drove from their 23-yard line to the Michigan State 33, but Martinez's fourth-down pass with the wind sailed too high to an open Morgan with 6:54 remaining and fell incomplete to end the drive.
Michigan State's final drive of the first half ended when Reed intercepted a Hail Mary pass at the 1-yard line with 3 seconds remaining before halftime.
