After finishing the non-conference slate unscathed, the Huskers are ready for their first true test of the season this upcoming Saturday afternoon, traveling to East Lansing, Michigan to take on the Michigan State Spartans in their Big Ten conference opener.
The Spartans are led by longtime Big Ten head coach Pat Fitzgerald, famously known for his time spent at Northwestern. Fitzgerald is coaching his first season in East Lansing.
Unlike the Huskers, the Spartans have been tested through three games so far, but sit with a 2-1 record after losing to #3 ranked Notre Dame 27-10 this past weekend.
It was a struggle for the Spartans, their offense racked up only 167 yards and committed two turnovers while their defense gave up close to 400 yards while allowing close to 4 yards per carry on the ground.
Despite all of that, no one knows better than Husker fans themselves, that a Fitzgerald coached team coming off a loss is a dangerous team and the Huskers will need to be ready for a 60 minute battle.
What to expect on Offense:
Calling the plays for the Spartans is first year offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan and redshirt sophomore quarterback Alessio Milivojevic, who performed well last season with the Spartans during his four starts.
Milivojevic has yet to find a rhythm this year offensively, ranking 93rd in the country in passing yards (540) and is coming off a poor showing against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, completing just 9 of his 17 pass attempts for 123 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions.
In the run game for the Spartans, it’s been a one man wrecking crew with UConn transfer running back Cam Edwards receiving 50% of the teams total rushes through three games, ranking him 10th in the country in rush attempts.
Outside of that, it’s been a very dull and plain result for the Spartans this season offensively. They rank 108th in the country in total offense, but you can truly never underestimate a pat Fitzgerald coached team.
Key Players to know:
RB- Cam Edwards: 288 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns
WR- Rodney Bullard Jr.: 12 receptions, 182 yards, 1 touchdown
TE- Jayden Savoury: 11 receptions, 129 yards
What to expect on Defense:
Led by defensive coordinator Joe Rossi, a well known defensive mind in college football, the Spartans have shown great promise this season through three games on the defensive side of the ball.
The Spartans allow 295.7 yards per game, good enough for 47th nationally and if you rewatch some of the film from their game last week against the Fighting Irish, they showed some really good stuff in the first half that allowed the Spartans to stay in that game until the second half.
The most notable player on the Spartans defense is senior linebacker Jordan Hall, one of the best at his position in the Big Ten and the Huskers will need to account for this.
After injuring his shoulder in the season opener against Toledo, Hall returned with a dominant performance against the Fighting Irish, racking up 13 tackles, Hall was all over the field.
The Spartans offense is not one to underestimate, but in my opinion, their defense is the sole of this team.
Key Players to Know:
LB- Jordan Hall: 17 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss
DL- Eli Coenen: 12 tackles, 3 sacks
EDGE- Kenny Soares Jr.: 1.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 interception
Special Teams:
The Spartans special teams unit is improving under new assistant coach LeVar Woods, a name that’s far too familiar for Husker fans.
Woods spent the last 18 seasons coaching at his alma mater of Iowa, before getting hired away by Pat Fitzgerald this past offseason.
Many Husker fans remember the famous 2021 edition of Nebraska vs Michigan State, the special teams blunder that allowed the Spartans to return a game tying punt return for touchdown, a game where the Huskers would lose in overtime.
Special teams for the Huskers is still one of the biggest question marks for this team, they will most likely get tested in that aspect this Saturday afternoon.
