Nebraska Visits Michigan State Saturday for Big Ten Opener on BTN
The short version
- Nebraska (3-0) opens Big Ten play at Michigan State (2-1) on Saturday, Sept. 26, 4 p.m. CT on BTN.
- The Huskers beat North Dakota 34-7 and have gone unbeaten in nonconference play three straight seasons.
- Nebraska is 6-9 in Big Ten openers since 2011 and has not won one since beating Illinois in 2019.
- Michigan State is led by first-year coach Pat Fitzgerald and lost 27-10 at No. 3 Notre Dame last week.
- Nebraska leads the all-time series 10-4 heading into the 15th meeting.
The 3-0 Cornhuskers travel to East Lansing to open conference play against the 2-1 Spartans in a Week 4 matchup kicking off at 4 p.m. CT.
Unbeaten Nebraska begins its Big Ten schedule Saturday with a road trip to Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, where Michigan State awaits. The Week 4 contest is set for 4 p.m. CT on Sept. 26 and will air nationally on BTN. Jeff Levering and Jake Butt will handle the broadcast call, with Brooke Fletcher working the sidelines. Fans can also stream the game through Fubo, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.
The Cornhuskers improved to 3-0 by closing out their nonconference slate with a 34-7 home victory over North Dakota last Saturday night. It marks the third consecutive year the program has navigated its non-league schedule without a loss. Earlier wins this season came against Ohio (49-21) and Bowling Green (56-7).
Nebraska is chasing a milestone it has not reached in seven years. The team has dropped every conference opener since a victory over Illinois in 2019, and its overall record in Big Ten openers since joining the league in 2011 stands at 6-9. Saturday offers a chance to end that drought.
Both sides of the ball have produced strong early-season numbers for the Huskers. The offense sits 10th nationally in total yards at 520.7 per game and 11th in scoring at 46.3 points per contest. The defense has been just as effective, ranking 16th in scoring defense by allowing 11.67 points per game and 11th in total defense at 225.7 yards surrendered per game.
Michigan State arrives at 2-1 following a 27-10 defeat at third-ranked Notre Dame. Before that loss, the Spartans opened the year with wins over Toledo and Eastern Michigan. Pat Fitzgerald, in his first season leading the program, previously coached Northwestern from 2006 through 2022 and is no stranger to the league. He has matched up against Nebraska 12 times as a head coach, splitting those meetings evenly at 6-6.
The rivalry between the schools dates back through 14 previous meetings, with Nebraska holding a 10-4 edge overall. Since entering the Big Ten, the Huskers lead that portion of the series 5-4. Saturday will be the 15th all-time matchup.
After this week, Nebraska's schedule continues with home games against Maryland on Oct. 3 and Indiana on Oct. 10, followed by a trip to Oregon on Oct. 17. Further ahead, the Huskers host Washington on Oct. 31, visit Illinois on Nov. 6 for a 7 p.m. CT game on FOX, play at Rutgers on Nov. 14, welcome Ohio State on Nov. 21, and close the regular season at Iowa on Nov. 27 at 11 a.m. CT on CBS.
Games to watch
