Getting to Know Michigan State

Guest article by Husker fan Ryan Kay

The Nebraska Cornhuskers will travel 826 miles to take on the Spartans of Michigan State. They last played in East Lansing in 2023, when the Cornhuskers lost by three points. Nebraska comes into this game 3-0, looking to win their Big Ten opener. While the Spartans are 2-1, their only loss came on the road against Notre Dame in a game that was closer than expected.

But who are the Spartans, and what should Nebraska fans know heading into Saturday's game?

Michigan State seems to be heading in the right direction with new head coach Pat Fitzgerald. The Spartans have struggled since 2022, not having been to bowl games the past four seasons, but Fitzgerald and his staff are attempting to change that. They won their first two games against Toledo and Eastern Michigan, and even though the Rockets gave the Spartans a game, Michigan State was in control for most of the game. The Spartans’ last game was at Notre Dame, and it was only a seven-point game at the half. Going into the fourth quarter, the Fighting Irish were only up by 10 even though they were huge favorites. Notre Dame ended up winning by 17, but it showed that this Michigan State team appears to be different than recent Spartan teams like the one Nebraska saw last season.

It feels like the culture in East Lansing is beginning to shift in the right direction under Fitzgerald. Even though it is still early in his tenure, it appears that his coaching staff changes and the return to focus, discipline, and finishing strong, which were staples under Mark Dantonio when he was the Spartans coach, have been present and noticeable this season. The Michigan State run game, the utilization of their tight ends, and the concentration on defense in stopping the run and playing man-to-man coverage by the secondary are evident this season.

Now, let’s break down the Spartans before Nebraska arrives in East Lansing in the first conference game for both teams.

Michigan State head coach Pat Fitzgerald. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Michigan State offense isn’t dynamic in the sense of them being able to have 70-to-90-yard touchdown plays, but the offense has shown flashes of improvement and ability to get into the end zone. The Spartans offense is led by Alessio Milivojevic, who Cornhuskers remember from last season as being the backup quarterback who completed six of his seven passes for 71 yards and a touchdown in their game in Lincoln. He also had a one-yard touchdown run late in that game. He is the mold of Kirk Cousins with the intangibles that separate him from other quarterbacks, with his toughness, his ability to limit turnovers, making the right read more often than not, and being able to convert a key pass on third or fourth down when needed most. His arm strength and his ability to run won’t help the Spartans defeat the Cornhuskers, but if Nebraska’s defense allows him to get comfortable, he can find ways to get Michigan State in the end zone.

UConn transfer Cam Edwards leads the Michigan State running backs with just under 300 rushing yards and three touchdowns this season. He is a Le’Veon Bell type of running back, where he will get his four to five yards, but he will more than likely not pull off an 80-yard touchdown run with his speed. He is a smart runner who will take on tacklers to get an extra yard or two. The Spartans' offensive line looks better, but they still aren't a top-tier Big Ten line. The highest grades for the Michigan State offensive linemen, according to Pro Football Focus in the Notre Dame game, were Ben Murawski, Rakeem Johnson, and Conner Moore. However, the biggest addition for the Spartans appears to be Trent Fraley, the Spartans' center, who has done a good job of leading the offense this season. The offensive line is not considered necessarily a strength but definitely not a weakness.

The Michigan State wide receivers appear to be the weakest link of the Spartans offense. Chrishon McCray, Rodnery Bullard Jr., and Fredrick Moore lead the Michigan State receivers, but they are missing a playmaker like they have had in previous seasons, like Nick Marsh, Jayden Reed, and Keon Coleman. The Cornhuskers' secondary should not fear the Michigan State wide outs, but they also can’t underestimate them like the Fighting Irish did at times. The one player that Nebraska’s defense needs to keep on eye on is tight end Jayden Savoury, who has shown flashes this season and may be looking to have a breakout game.

The Spartans' defense is the strength of the team led by their linebacking core. Jordan Hall, who missed their second game of the season but came back to have an outstanding game against the Fighting Irish, leads the defense. The other linebackers, Caleb Wheatland and Brady Pretzlaff, have been solid this season. Though Pretzlaff left the game against Notre Dame with an apparent injury, the Spartans have depth with their linebackers. Their two safeties, Nikai Martinez and transfer Devin Vaught, lead the Michigan State secondary. They both have done an excellent job with run support and have limited long-distance completions this season. The defensive backs for the Spartans stepped up against Notre Dame, led by Tre Bell, but opposing offenses have been able to pass the ball effectively against them, but to the Spartans' secondaries' credit, they have done a good job of limiting big plays.

The non-strength of the Spartans’ defense is their defensive line. The past three seasons, the defensive line has been clearly a weakness, but it has shown improvement this season, led by Illinois transfer Eli Coenen. Kenny Soares Jr. may be the leader of the defensive line and the player who puts the most pressure on opposing quarterbacks, but Coenen has been by far the most productive and most underrated Spartan defensive player this season.

Michigan State’s defense has seven sacks, one interception, and two fumble recoveries on the season. Nebraska’s offense should not be fearful of turning the ball over against the Spartans, but they need to be able to control the time of possession, which the Spartans' defense for the most part has limited opposing offenses to sustain long drives.

Michigan State’s special teams have been solid overall this season. The biggest surprise and strength of the Spartans' special teams is transfer kicker Liam Boyd, who has made every field goal attempt except for one that was blocked. He has made every extra point attempt, and his kickoffs generally result in touchbacks. The kick and punt returns have been solid but nothing special for the Spartans this season. The Nebraska punt and kickoff units should not be fearing touchdown returns from the Spartans. Michigan State has had some outstanding punters these past seasons in Ryan Eckley and Bryce Baringer. However, it appears there is a slight drop in production with Iowa transfer Rhys Dakin, as he has not been a difference maker like how Eckley was. However, he only has eight punts on the season, and Michigan State has done a good job in their punt coverage.

This is a different team that Nebraska played in Lincoln last season. This Spartan’s team has a clear identity, and the coaching staff from top to bottom seems to have greatly improved with the preparation and execution on the football field this season for this Spartan team. The Cornhuskers shouldn’t fear Michigan State, but they need to bring their A game to defeat the Spartans on the road. The atmosphere in East Lansing should be electric, as the fans have bought in to this team and the direction the coaching staff appears to be taking them in. Nebraska should have more talent on the field for this game, but Michigan State will be prepared and expect this game to be determined by seven or fewer points. This game also should be a relatively low-scoring game, and the Cornhuskers' defensive play should determine if Nebraska wins this game or not.

More details on the Michigan State game page.

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