The warm-up is over. Nebraska is 3-0 and opens Big Ten play on Saturday, September 26, at Michigan State. Kickoff at Spartan Stadium is 4 p.m. Central on the Big Ten Network.
It is the Huskers’ first road game of the season, and it carries some history. Nebraska has not won a Big Ten opener since 2019.
Where the Huskers stand
Three home wins by a combined 139-35 have Nebraska receiving votes in both major polls. Anthony Colandrea has run the offense with confidence, and the running back committee of Jamal Rule, Mekhi Nelson and Isaiah Mozee has made the loss of Emmett Johnson far less painful than expected. Rule, a freshman, is averaging 109.7 rushing yards a game.
The defense is coming off its best night yet, a five-sack performance that held North Dakota to 205 yards. Matt Rhule said this week that he has felt good about this team since January.
What to know about Michigan State
Husker fans know the man in charge. Pat Fitzgerald is in his first season at Michigan State after a long run at Northwestern, where he went 6-6 against Nebraska.
The Spartans are 2-1. They beat Toledo 30-20 and Eastern Michigan 35-7, then lost 27-10 at third-ranked Notre Dame last week. Michigan State went 4-8 a year ago.
Quarterback Alessio Milivojevic has thrown for 540 yards and three touchdowns. Running back Cam Edwards and receiver Rodney Bullard Jr. are the other names to know.
The series
Nebraska leads the all-time series 10-4 and won last year’s meeting in Lincoln, 38-27. East Lansing has been a different story. The Huskers’ recent trips there have ended in painful fashion, including three-point losses in 2021, in overtime, and in 2023.
Three things to watch
- Handling the road. This is Colandrea’s first start away from Memorial Stadium as a Husker, and the first road test for a roster full of new faces.
- Winning up front. Nebraska has run for at least 248 yards in every game. Doing it against a Big Ten front would say a lot.
- Turnovers. Nebraska has given the ball away only once all season. Close games in East Lansing have a way of turning on one mistake.
Nebraska is favored by about five and a half points. A win would make the Huskers 4-0 and end that drought in Big Ten openers. Go Big Red.
Dr. Bruce Marko is a University of Nebraska alum and a proud supporter of the Huskers. Read more about his Nebraska Cornhuskers roots.
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