Game To Watch: Nebraska at #20 Michigan State: September 25, 2021
Nebraska travels to Michigan State for a prime-time match-up in East Lansing this Saturday at 7:00 EST. The Huskers lost a hard fought game against Oklahoma 23 – 16 last week, they are now 2 – 2 on the season. Michigan State went on the road to Miami and won 38 – 17 to keep their undefeated season going. The Spartans want to keep the positive momentum going, while Nebraska needs to grab a Big Ten win because they already lost once in conference play.
Recent History
Nebraska has won 9 of 11 games against Michigan State all time. The Huskers have won four of six meeting since joining the Big Ten, including two in row with the latest coming in 2018. The two teams have alternated two game winning streaks since Nebraska joined the conference. Michigan State’s last win came at home in 2014 when the Spartans pulled out a 27 – 22 win. Since 2011, four of the six games between the two teams have been decided by one score, with a total margin of 13 points in those four games.
Top 25 Players
Nebraska
| Player | Rank |
|---|---|
| Ben Stille | #12 DT |
| JoJo Domann | #10 LB |
| Cam Taylor-Britt | #21 CB |
Nebraska Cornhuskers Gear
What To Watch For…
Can Nebraska Contain Kenneth Walker?
Kenneth Walker transferred to Michigan State this off-season and has been the Spartans’ best offensive player this year. He hit the ground running with a big first game that began with a big first play and has not slowed up since. Walker has rushed for 493 yards and 5 touchdowns through three games this season, making big plays to spark the offense fairly regularly. Walker has great vision, good burst and is able to make defenders miss in small spaces, making him tough to keep contained for long. Nebraska’s defense has played pretty well this year and is coming off a good performance against Oklahoma where they held the Sooners to 23 points. The Huskers have been vulnerable against the run at times and are giving up 4.34 yards per carry, which is good for 12th in the Big Ten. They will have to do a better job of staying in their gaps and tackling Walker when they get their chance to keep the star running back from taking over the game. No one has been able to stop Walker yet, but the Huskers are going to have to if they want to win this game.
Will Adrian Martinez Continue to Trend Up?
Adrian Martinez had a tough season opener and his poor play resulted in Nebraska losing a winnable game against Illinois. Since that tough first game, Martinez has settled in and played very well over the last three games. He has completed over 68 percent of his passes and averaged over 11 yards per attempt in all three games since the opener. Martinez has also thrown 4 touchdowns against just 1 interception (which was an insane play by the defender) and has been explosive running the ball. This is the Adrian Martinez Nebraska fans were hoping they would see this year and he makes this a dangerous offense. Michigan State has been disciplined on defense and have not allowed more than 21 points in any game this year. The Spartans have held opponents to six yards per attempt and have intercepted three passes in three games this year. They have forced five turnovers already this year and do a good job of forcing mistakes to flip the momentum of the game. Martinez has to continue to play smart and explosive football to put pressure on the Michigan State defense.
Can Nebraska Pressure the Quarterback?
Nebraska’s pass rush has fallen off as the season has progressed. The Huskers recorded three sacks early in the game against Illinois, but failed to record one the rest of the game. Since then, Nebraska recorded one sack against Fordham then failed to sack the quarterback against Buffalo and Oklahoma. Sacks are not the end all be all and Nebraska has generated more QB hurries over that stretch, but it is important to convert some of those pressures to sacks, get the offense behind schedule, and force the quarterback into uncomfortable situations. Michigan State’s Peyton Thorne has been very comfortable this year. He has a good running attack backing him up and has been fairly well protected. The Spartans have only allowed 5 sacks and 4 QB Hurries in three games this year. Thorne has prospered as a result, completing 62 percent of his passes, averaging 9.4 yards per attempt and throwing 9 touchdowns without an interception. It’s imperative for Nebraska to get pressure on Thorne and keep him from being as efficient as he has been so far this season.
Prediction
These two teams have played some very entertaining games since Nebraska joined the Big Ten and we expect another one on Saturday. Nebraska has played much better since the Illinois loss and will make big plays to put pressure on the Michigan State offense to match them. The Spartans will lean on Kenneth Walker and he will set the tone for the Spartans as they wear down Nebraska’s defense in the second half. This game will come down to a big defensive play late that helps Michigan State put Nebraska away. Michigan State 28 Nebraska 24.
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Spartan Stadium, Home of the Michigan State University Spartans, East Lansing, Michigan (21720443765).jpg Image taken by Ken Lund is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
