Peterson: Nebraska Rides The Rollercoaster In 38-27 Win Over Michigan State

Nebraska's 11-point win over Michigan State had high highs and low lows. How were the Huskers able to pull out of the offensive woes of the second and third quarters?

Jacory Barney made some of the biggest plays of the game in Nebraska's 38-27 win over Michigan State. / Kylie Graham-Imagn Images

Imagine, if you will, that you don’t engage with Nebraska football on a minute-by-minute basis.

You’re watching Vanderbilt/Alabama or Penn State/UCLA on the first Saturday afternoon in October. You see the score updates occasionally; Nebraska quickly up 14-0, a slow comeback by Michigan State giving them the lead in the second half, before the Cornhuskers rip off a few touchdowns. Not only does Nebraska win, they cover* the spread, even with a backdoor Michigan State touchdown, making it 38-27.

*Depending on when you got your bet in, of course. Circa Sports actually opened this game at Nebraska -8 before it was quickly bet up north of 10 points. The line ultimately settled at Nebraska -10.5; the two-point conversion miss by Michigan State being the decider.

You see the final score before moving on with your day, none the wiser that for two quarters, the entire 2025 Nebraska football season was suddenly up for grabs.

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It was 3rd and 10 late in the third quarter. Nebraska’s previous six drives* had gone 23 plays for a combined 19 yards, three ending on punts, two ending on downs, and one on an interception. The drive that ended on that INT was just one play, and it had just happened. The Spartans took over at Nebraska’s 38-yard line and scored a touchdown seven plays later. After trailing 14-0 in the first quarter, they had their first lead of the game, 21-14.

*All into the wind, for the record. After I finished my first draft of this column, I realized I hadn't even mentioned the story of the day for many. And this will be the only time I mention it. Both teams had to deal with it, and more points were scored with it at the back of both Nebraska and Michigan State, but I don't think that totally explains the problems either team had in this one.

Nothing was going right.

Cut to the drive that changed everything. Nebraska was facing a 3rd and long. There was little doubt that a missed conversion here could allow the game to get away from them completely. The offensive line couldn’t protect Dylan Raiola, and when they did, he was tentative to throw. Why would you trust Nebraska’s offense to start moving the ball again if they picked up another three-and-out? How could you?

And then Raiola rolled right, stepped up, and fired off a throw to Jacory Barney, who was wide open 25 yards downfield. Barney ran a great route, leaving a defender in the dust, raced deep into Michigan State territory, picking up 45 yards. Two plays later, Emmett Johnson was in the endzone. Kyle Cunanan made the extra point, and it was 21-21, everything having changed over the course of three plays.

It was the first of four scoring drives for Nebraska over the course of their next five possessions. They’d kick a field goal minutes later; a botched kickoff return (with some help from the wind) led to great field position* for Nebraska. The teams traded a few punts before Nebraska’s Nyziah Hunter broke free on a 59-yard touchdown reception. Ditto Johnson, a couple of minutes later, as he rushed in for his third touchdown of the day.

*Great field position was one of the stories of this game. Nebraska’s average starting field position was their own 45-yard line. Three times in the second quarter, Nebraska started in Michigan State territory. Two more times in the second half. They finished those five drives with just ten points.

In a game of runs by both teams – 14-0 by Nebraska in the first quarter, 21-0 by Michigan State over the next two – it capped off 24 consecutive points for Nebraska and allowed everyone to breathe a whole lot easier. The garbage time touchdown by Michigan State didn’t even ruin the mood. The Huskers recovered an onside kick, took a few knees, and for the second consecutive season, moved to 4-1 after five games.

And yet, I can’t stop thinking about those two quarters in the middle of the game, when everything seemed lost. I wondered what answers could be found for the entire offensive operation.

When the season seemed to be teetering.

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I’ll take the low-hanging fruit; the 2024 Cornhuskers don’t win that game. Neither does the 2023 group. Or 2022, 2021, and on and on.

This one did, which shouldn’t be minimized. But it also shouldn’t paint over the very real concerns that continue to show up for this year’s group.

Coming into the game, Michigan State had six sacks all year long, including a couple goose eggs in their only two games against Power Four schools. They finished with five against Nebraska. The offensive line continues to be a problem. The pocket presence of Dylan Raiola continues to be a problem. Frustrations boiled over for the second consecutive game for Raiola, as he slammed the ball down to the turf and showed visual anger at all the things that didn’t go right.

Nebraska’s third offensive drive of the game, in particular, was offensive malpractice. Following Jacory Barney’s 57-yard punt return, Nebraska took over at the Michigan State 26-yard line. They’d eventually punt it from their own 42-yard line on 4th and 42. How’d they get there? Sack for seven yards, sack for five, false start on Gunnar Gottula, and finally, one more negative play* of 15 yards, a bad snap to boot.

*Technically not a sack, but we might as well count it as one.

Dylan Raiola was under constant pressure against Michigan State on Saturday. / Kylie Graham-Imagn Images

The offensive line was supposed to be a strength of the team, and instead, they’re the biggest reason to doubt things moving in a good direction this season.

Ditto Nebraska’s QB in Raiola, who finished 16-of-24 for 194 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. The numbers look fine, but you know what you saw. He was less than fine. When you look at the QBR score – 18.9 (out of 100) – as well as the PFF grade – 45.8 (again, out of 100) – Raiola put up the worst day for any Power Four QB in all of week six.

QB play for JUST this weekends games. Up first is the Power 4. Julian Sayin, CJ Bailey and.... NICO IAMALEAVA among your top right QBs of the week! pic.twitter.com/hn4OGuj8uz

— CFBNumbers (@CFBNumbers) October 5, 2025

The throw to Barney kick-started the 24-0 run, and again Raiola had to fight through issues that went beyond him. But he had issues of his own. The way he responds to pressure is a very real concern, and I don’t know how it can be fixed. Players were open at times, and yet he didn’t want to completely rip it to them. Why?

Nebraska is now 118th in the country in sacks allowed with 15. Even worse, all 15 of them have come in the three games against Power Four schools; three in the opener vs. Cincinnati, seven in week four against Michigan, and five on Saturday vs. Michigan State.

This problem isn’t going away.

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What has gone away? Concerns about special teams.

You undoubtedly feel really good about Nebraska’s special teams at the moment. That’s without the 80-yard touchdown return from Jacory Barney early in the fourth quarter that was called back because of an illegal block in the back. Even without that, the impact was so easy to see:

• Following Michigan State’s second three-and-out in as many drives, Jamir Conn sped through two blockers and absolutely destroyed Spartan punter Ryan Eckley. Carter Nelson picked it up for one of the easiest scores of his entire career.
• Two drives later, Barney had the 57-yard return that gave Nebraska the ball deep in Michigan State territory. (We already discussed what happened next; no need to do it again.)
• On the kickoff following Johnson’s touchdown that made it 21-all, John Hohl’s ball got hung up in the wind, confusion ensued by the Spartans, and Mekhi Nelson recovered the muffed ball. It led to three points as Nebraska took a lead they wouldn’t give back.

Even with punts of 26 and 18 yards by Archie Wilson, Nebraska’s special teams still had quite the advantage against Michigan State’s special teams in overall EPA for the game.

The special teams numbers for Nebraska/Michigan State. / GameOnPaper.com

Again, that’s without the Barney punt return for a touchdown. Imagine how much worse those numbers would have looked!

And not that there were any concerns about the pass defense from Nebraska, but I have certainly heard the, “yeah, but who have they even played?” questions asked about Nebraska’s pass group. Well, they did it again. It took until the garbage time drive by the Spartans to surpass 100 yards through the air.

Aidan Chiles, who clearly struggled with the onslaught of pass rushers* from Nebraska, played his worst game of the season. He finished 9-of-23 (the 39.1% completion percentage was 18 points worse than his previous worst effort this season), for just 85 yards, no touchdowns, and a couple of interceptions. He was sacked four times for -43 yards, almost erasing the 66 yards he gained on the ground.

*Hold that thought!

Nebraska’s DBs hounded the Michigan State wide receivers. They tackled well in space, as did the rest of the defense. Overall, Michigan State’s 33 dropbacks averaged just 4.73 yards per play, more than two yards lower than Nebraska’s 6.96 yards per play across 28 dropbacks.

Aidan Chiles was hounded constantly by Nebraska, as the Blackshirts sacked him four times. / Kylie Graham-Imagn Images

Speaking of that pass rush, what do we make of Nebraska’s front seven in this one? Four sacks plus an additional eight tackles for loss for the much-maligned group on that side of the ball. Nebraska was flying around on defense. Their run fits were much better. Their tackling was much better. Frankly, they were a terror for the Spartans at times, with Chiles in particular often dealing with the brunt of John Butler’s group. Even when Chiles was able to escape and pick up first downs, he was usually getting hit hard* in the process.

*Let’s not talk about the four-yard QB sneak where he was barely breathed on.

After two weeks of hemming and hawing about the performance vs. Michigan, that was one of the more impressive outings I’ve seen from a defense that gave up 27 points. Seven drives went three and out for the Spartans, with an eighth going three and out before a sack on 4th and 8. Two of the four touchdown drives from Michigan State started in Nebraska territory.

The defense was by no means perfect, but with a pass defense this great, it gives some leeway to the issues elsewhere.

And now we get to find out if it will travel. Nebraska plays its first true road game of the season at Maryland. Deep into the third quarter, I couldn’t help but wonder if the program would again be licking its wounds midway through the Big Ten season. 15+ minutes later, the Cornhuskers moved to 4-1 and showed reasons for optimism.

So goes the 2025 Nebraska Cornhuskers; a rollercoaster ride of a team, from one drive to the next.

Agree or disagree, if you have a comment for Josh, send him an email: joshpeterson.huskermax@gmail.com.

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