Huskers Opponent Michigan State Looks for Improved Quarterback Play

Michigan State second-year coach Jonathan Smith struggled through his first season with the Spartans. MSU was 5-7 and was crushed in its 2024 season finale, with bowl eligibility on the line, losing to visiting Rutgers, 41-14.

Smith, who arrived in East Lansing from Oregon State, knows he has a full plate in restoring Spartan pride. MSU was picked 16th in USA Today’s 2025 Big Ten power rankings.

Nebraska will face the Spartans at Memorial Stadium on Oct. 4, after a bye week, the fifth game of the Huskers’ season.

Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith speaks to the media Thursday in Las Vegas. | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

“There’s been a lot of work from year one to year two,” Smith said Thursday at Big Ten Media Days in Las Vegas. “That’s going to be vitally important because, let’s face it, the Big Ten is, in my opinion, the best conference in America, a gauntlet of nine conference games against big-time opponents.

"We got to continue to be ready to work to challenge, and we accept that challenge of playing in the best conference in America."

Huskers will see an experienced QB

Nebraska will face an experienced quarterback in sophomore Aidan Chiles, who also played for Smith at Oregon State. Last season proved to be one of adjustments for Chiles, who completed 192 of 323 passes for 2,415 yards, 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

“In particular to Aidan, I got a bunch of respect for him and credit for him because, yeah, he had some outstanding plays and some plays that were not good enough,” Smith said.

“It’s our job as coaches to make sure we’re surrounding him with, one, the line of scrimmage and those other 10 guys on that offense making sure we’re putting him in the best positions to have success.

“I look at him statistically from the first half of the season to the second half. It was a whole lot better in the second half. He was improving. Some of that respect I got for him because it wasn't always easy.

“Year one … new staff, new scheme, new school for him. All of that, he was handling. The guy is a big-time teammate and competitor.”

The last five games in the Huskers' series with the Spartans have been decided by four or fewer points. — The last five games in the Huskers' series with the Spartans have been decided by four or fewer points, including this Michigan State overtime win in 2021. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal via Imagn Content Services, LLC

MSU has more than 70 players who returned from last season, including nine starters.

Michigan State was glaringly weak on offense last year, while its solid defense held up its end. Sparty ranked 110th in total offense, and 123rd in points scored per game with 19.3.

On defense, MSU ranked 34th in yards allowed, but 77th in points allowed at 26.08 points per game.

There is room for improvement everywhere.

Nebraska is 9-4 all-time against MSU but has lost the last two meetings.

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