How MSU's Next Opponent, Nebraska, Looked in Week 4
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It's going to be two weeks before Michigan State (3-1, 0-1 Big Ten) is back in action again, but that doesn't mean it's too early to look ahead to the Spartans' next game; another road trip to Lincoln against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Michigan State just lost to now-No. 21 USC 45-31 on Saturday night.
For Nebraska, it was a home game against MSU's arch-rival --- No. 21 Michigan. It was certainly a close one, but the Wolverines outlasted the Cornhuskers in a 30-27 result. It was their 28th consecutive loss to a ranked opponent, a drought that extends all the way back to 2016.
Here's a quick breakdown of Nebraska's performance.
What the Cornhuskers Did Well
One reason that Nebraska was in this game most of the way is that the Cornhuskers benefited from a nice day from quarterback Dylan Raiola. The true sophomore threw for 308 yards on 30/41 passing with three touchdowns and one interception.
Raiola's top receiver was Jacory Barney Jr., who totaled 120 yards and two scores on six catches. One of those scores came on a 52-yard "Hail Mary" throw as time expired on the first half.
NEBRASKA HAIL MARY TO END THE HALF pic.twitter.com/pkpW90QZAL
— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) September 20, 2025
Nebraska also did a decent job at containing Michigan's pass game and Bryce Underwood's arm. U-M's freshman phenom only had 105 yards through the air.
In fairness, that was a lot more due to lackluster wide receiver play for the Wolverines than any struggles from their quarterback. Underwood had several good throws that either got dropped or go off his intended target's fingertips.
Michigan State shouldn't have any such issue in that aspect of the game with their much more talented receiving corps.
What Nebraska Didn't Do Well
The main thing that Nebraska failed to do was prevent big runs. Two different Michigan backs had long touchdown runs, as Justice Haynes took one 75 yards during the second quarter and Jordan Marshall ran one from 54 yards out during the third. Underwood also had a 37-yard rushing touchdown where no Cornhusker defender got even close to him.
In total, U-M ran for 290 yards and averaged 9.4 yards per pop.
Overall, Michigan was absolutely the better team. There are two completely unenforced errors that the Wolverines made that pretty much directly led to 10 Nebraska points.
Firstly, U-M didn't take a timeout near the end of the first half on fourth down and force the Cornhuskers to punt; that gave them essentially the free play that resulted in the Hail Mary.
Secondly, Michigan's defense got called for a taunting penalty when it had Nebraska at fourth-and-17. That extended the drive and resulted in a field goal.
Without those two mistakes, U-M wins this thing comfortably. The Wolverines still had a 30-20 lead at the two-minute timeout, anyways.
Lastly, Raiola took a pretty large number of sacks on Saturday, going down seven times for a combined loss of 49 yards. Watching the game, it didn't always seem to be because of poor protection from Nebraska's offensive line, either. For better or worse, Raiola tends to hold onto the ball and try to extend plays, which sometimes puts himself at risk for sacks if coverage downfield is good.
Michigan State didn't have a sack all game against USC, so perhaps that possibility will be more likely in a few weeks.
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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