No More Cupcakes! Let’s Go!

The Huskers are 3-0. It’s time to see if that record is substance or frosting.

Sunday Morning Quarterback

After three generous servings of Ohio, Bowling Green, and North Dakota, Nebraska finally begins Big Ten (and P4) play Saturday at Michigan State.

The Huskers did exactly what they were supposed to do during their non-conference schedule. They won all three games convincingly, scored 139 points, and played the part of the older brother who politely runs roughshod over his smaller siblings.

That was the easy part.

Nebraska leaves Lincoln for the first time and faces a Michigan State team that may be better than its 27-10 loss to Notre Dame suggests. Or maybe they’re not. The Spartans trailed the No. 3 Irish by only seven at halftime and showed enough defensively to make things uncomfortable…but they also defeated Toledo by only 10 points, after trailing in the 4th quarter.

Nebraska’s offensive numbers look like they were created in a video game:

• 520.7 yards per game
• 263 rushing yards per game
• 7.4 yards per play
• 46.3 points per game
• 57% on third down

Anthony Colandrea has completed nearly 69% of his passes with eight touchdowns and one interception. Jamal Rule is averaging 8.7 yards per carry. Jacory Barney Jr. and Kwazi Gilmer have given Nebraska reliable receiving options, while the offensive line has allowed only three sacks.

Those numbers are impressive. We’re just not sure what they mean yet.

Ohio, Bowling Green and North Dakota were never going to provide the answer. Michigan State should.

Pat Fitzgerald knows exactly how to make Nebraska uncomfortable. His Northwestern teams specialized in dragging the Huskers into strange, unpleasant football games where every possession felt like the SMQ team arguing whether “predictions” and “gambling” are the same thing (hint: they are.)

Expect more of the same Saturday. Michigan State will try to shorten the game, pressure Colandrea, and force Nebraska to execute in a hostile environment.

The solution is the same one we’ve been suggesting all season:

RUN THE DAMN BALL.

Nebraska doesn’t need Colandrea to throw it 40 times. Give Rule and the other backs the football, make Michigan State stop the run, and let Colandrea punish the Spartans when they bring an extra defender into the box. If Nebraska gets to an early lead, Michigan State should have trouble keeping up.

The Spartans’ clearest path to victory involves dragging Nebraska into a rock fight, harassing Colandrea, and keeping it close. SMQ thinks that will not happen.

Are the Huskers really a more mature, better-coached team? We’ll find out Saturday!

Will it be pretty? It definitely won’t be Bowling Green.

Does Nebraska has the better quarterback, the better running game, and the better defensive front? SMQ thinks so!

Our prediction?

Nebraska for the win and the cover. We’ll take the under, too.

Nebraska 28, Michigan State 17

A 4-0 start wouldn’t prove that Nebraska has arrived. But it will allow us to scream GO BIG RED just a little louder!

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