Nebraska Hands Injury-Hit Michigan State a 31-13 Defeat
The short version
- Nebraska beat Michigan State 31-13 on Sept. 26 at Spartan Stadium.
- Michigan State lost Cam Edwards (knee) and Jordan Hall (leg) to injuries and was without its top four cornerbacks.
- The Spartans committed four turnovers and allowed six sacks; a third-quarter catch by Jayden Savoury was overturned on review.
- Michigan State plays at Wisconsin on Saturday, Oct. 3, at 12:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network.
- Luke Fickell is 19-22 overall and 10-17 in Big Ten play in his fourth season at Wisconsin.
The shorthanded Spartans fell to the Cornhuskers at home on Sept. 26 and now travel to Wisconsin for an Oct. 3 kickoff on BTN.
Nebraska defeated Michigan State 31-13 on Saturday, Sept. 26, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. The Week 4 matchup got away from the Spartans, who were undone by turnovers, penalties and a wave of injuries on both sides of the ball.
The injury toll was extensive. Running back Cam Edwards, described by the report as the team's top offensive player, left with a knee injury. Linebacker Jordan Hall, regarded as the defense's best player, exited with a leg injury. The secondary was already shorthanded, with the team's top four cornerbacks unavailable, and starting linebacker Brady Pretzlaff also missing before Hall went down.
Turnovers compounded the problems. Michigan State put the ball on the ground twice, losing one of those fumbles, and quarterback Alessio Milivojevic threw two interceptions. Penalties added to the damage, and Nebraska's pass rush recorded six sacks of Milivojevic, who faced pressure throughout the afternoon.
The Spartans showed competitiveness in stretches, particularly on defense after halftime. Coming out of the break, the unit forced stops on Nebraska's first three possessions of the third quarter. Michigan State opened the second half with a field goal on its opening drive before the momentum faded.
A key sequence came on the Spartans' third drive of the half. Tight end Jayden Savoury appeared to haul in a spectacular reception that would have set up Michigan State deep in scoring territory, but the catch was overturned on review. Milivojevic fumbled on the possession, and although the Spartans recovered it, a 52-yard field goal attempt missed, leaving the drive with nothing to show for it. Nebraska pulled away from there.
Michigan State heads back on the road next Saturday, Oct. 3, to face Wisconsin in Madison. Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m. local time with coverage on Big Ten Network.
The matchup carries some backstory. It is the first time the Spartans have met a team coached by Luke Fickell since he turned down the chance to succeed Mark Dantonio, who retired in February 2020. Fickell stayed at Cincinnati instead and took over at Wisconsin in 2023.
Wisconsin entered the weekend 2-1 overall, having dropped its season opener to Notre Dame, and opened Big Ten play at No. 14 Penn State on Saturday while the Michigan State-Nebraska game was in progress. Fickell, now in his fourth season with the Badgers, came into Saturday with a career mark of 19-22 in Madison and a 10-17 record in conference play.
There is also history between Fickell and the Spartans program. In 2011, when Fickell served as Ohio State's interim head coach following Jim Tressel's dismissal, Dantonio's Michigan State team beat the Buckeyes 10-7.
Games to watch
