Michigan 'Showed Us What It Needs to Look Like': Husker Coordinators Discuss Fixes, Michigan State

Nebraska's coordinators recognize what needs fixing from the Michigan game. The first chance to put those plans into action comes Saturday against Michigan State.

Nebraska offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen looks on from the sideline against Michigan. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

With extra time to think about the loss through a bye week, Nebraska's coordinators agree that the Michigan game provided a blueprint for what needs to get better going forward.

"They showed us what it needs to looks like," offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen said Tuesday.

Holgorsen said he had his offensive players watch what Michigan was doing offensively.

"I think that taught us something," Holgorsen said. "There's a lot of people on that team that played and won a national championship.

"What do we got to do to fix it? How are we gonna fix it?"

Michigan ran for 286 yards on Nebraska, led by Justice Haynes' 149 yards. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

Defensive coordinator John Butler said his side of the ball needs to work on stopping explosive plays, which are coming from just one portion of the game.

"They're only happening in the run game," Butler said. "It's very specific. It's not like they're running the ball for 50 yards and throwing the ball for 50 yards. I think we have a good plan in terms of what we're doing when we think they're going to throw the ball.

"We've got to solve the obvious, which is not just the run defense, but the explosive plays that we're giving up in the run defense. And really, it comes down to guys being in their gaps, guys having the ability to get off blocks."

The Spartans will follow the lead of the Wolverines with running the ball with a pair of big running backs: Makhi Frazier (5-10, 218 pounds), Brandon Tullis (6-1, 227 pounds).

"A back that has power and has elusiveness and has the ability to hit the home run, they're they're tough to deal with," Butler said. "That's just about us getting more people around the ball and having more population. If one guy misses—guys miss tackles all the time—but if one guy misses, somebody's got to be there to overlap and get them on the ground.

"That's what we've got to really do a good job of. What we've really been emphasizing is not just the tackling piece, but the population getting more people to the ball."

Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles has thrown for 868 yards, with nine touchdowns and one interception, adding 154 yards and two scores on the ground. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Michigan State's Aidan Chiles is another quarterback who can run on designed calls but is also dangerous in keeping plays alive with his legs. Butler said Chiles is a "great athlete".

"He can throw in the pocket. He can throw on the move. He can run design," Butler said. "They have the quarterback draws that we've seen out of Cincinnati and that we've seen out of Michigan. They have the same exact structure that we've. Then they have some they run him a lot in the red zone and then he takes off a lot just in scrambles.

"He's very difficult to tackle. You can see he's got strong lower body. You can see he's a very, very good competitor, which that's really what it comes down to in these games is the competitors stand out."

Back to the offense, Holgorsen said he wants to see more balance in the offense, but he isn't going into a game saying there needs to be so many rushing or passing yards.

"How I call plays: I call what's working," Holgorsen said. "It's all about how the flow of the game is. With that said, our running game needs to improve against an opponent like that. It didn't look the way it needs to look.

"If you want more rushes, then when I call it, it's gotta look better. I'm not gonna keep calling things that aren't working for us."

Emmett Johnson is the undisputed RB1 for Nebraska, but he managed only 65 yards on 19 carries against Michigan. | Kenny Larabee, KLIN

On the injury front, Matt Rhule said Monday that defensive back Malcolm Hartzog Jr. is "doubtful" for this week. Butler added that it is "unfortunate" for Hartzog right now and that he's continuing to fight to get back on the field. Two players that were mentioned as part of the secondary depth were Rex Guthrie and Donovan Jones.

"Rex, he's a developing young player that's playing a lot," Butler said. "Donnie, a young player that's playing a lot and playing well for us."

You can watch the full media session from Tuesday below. Continue scrolling for more coverage.

Coverage

• Nebraska On SI | Rocco Spindler Sheds Light on O-Line’s ‘Kill or Be Killed’ Mindset
• Nebraska On SI | 'There's Money Down There, Got to Go Get It': Dylan Raiola Previews Michigan State
• Husker247 | You call what's working, Holgorsen says, but Huskers know running game needs bigger punch
• Husker247 | Quick hits from John Butler and Dana Holgorsen
• Hastings Tribune | Nebraska still searching for answers in red zone
• Lincoln Journal Star* | John Butler touts Gabe Moore as potential solution to Nebraska’s run-stopping woes
• Omaha World-Herald* | Dana Holgorsen's blunt assessment of Nebraska's run game and his definition of 'balance'
• Omaha World-Herald* | Another running quarterback is on deck for Nebraska. Have the Huskers learned from the past?
• HuskerOnline* | Tuesday nuggets: Huskers hope to bounce back on both sides of the ball vs. MSU
• HuskerOnline* | Holgorsen says Michigan "showed us what it needs to look like"
• Refresh this page to see the latest updates. Asterisk indicates the item may require a subscription.

More info

• Depth charts: NU | MSU
• Gameday flip sheet
• NU-MSU stats matchup
• Game predictions
• Series history
• HuskerMax game page

From the Other Side

• Michigan State On SI | MSU's RB Room at Advantage Against Nebraska
• Detroit Free Press | Why injury-plagued Michigan State OL could still romp vs. Nebraska
• Spartan Mag | Consistent production a focal point for Michigan State running backs ahead of game at Nebraska
• Spartan Mag | TE Jack Velling looking to carry motivation from USC loss, Wayne Matthews injury into game against Nebraska
• Detroit News* | Devil in the details as Michigan State offense looks for next level
• Michigan On SI | Watch for This Michigan State Star to Break Out vs. Nebraska
• Spartans Wire | Jonathan Smith updates Nick Marsh's injury status, explains low production last game
• MLive | Michigan State takes ‘deep look’ at schemes, personnel
• Michigan On SI | This MSU Left Tackle Can Step Into Important Opportunity
• Michigan On SI These MSU Defenders Crucial for Nebraska Showdown
• Spartan Mag | Michigan State facing another explosive offense in Dylan Raiola-led Nebraska

Nebraska Football 2025 Schedule

• Aug. 28 Nebraska 20, Cincinnati 17
• Sep. 6 Nebraska 68, Akron 0
• Sep. 13 Nebraska 59, Houston Christian 7
• Sep. 20 Michigan 30, Nebraska 27
• Oct. 4 vs. Michigan State 3 p.m. FS1
• Oct. 11 at Maryland 2:30 p.m. BTN
• Oct. 17 (Friday) at Minnesota 7 p.m. FOX
• Oct. 25 vs. Northwestern TBA
• Nov. 1 vs. USC TBA
• Nov. 8 at UCLA TBA
• Nov. 22 at Penn State TBA
• Nov. 28 (Black Friday) vs. Iowa 11 a.m. CBS

Home games are bolded. All times central.

Have a question or comment for Kaleb? Send an email to kalebhenry.huskermax@gmail.com.

---

---

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.