Nebraska vs. Michigan State: Score and Twitter Reaction
No. 10-ranked Michigan State survived a late surge from No. 19 Nebraska to notch a vital 27-22 victory and stake their claim as the team to beat in the Big Ten.
The Spartans defense was the star of the show. They put constant pressure on the quarterback and held Nebraska running back Ameer Abdullah to just 45 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries.
Here is the quarter-by-quarter score from the Big Ten contest:
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
| Nebraska | 0 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 22 |
| Michigan State | 7 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 27 |
The Spartans front did well to bottle up Abdullah, an early Heisman Trophy candidate, in the first half. Defensive end Shilique Calhoun and linebacker Ed Davis were especially impressive, providing a formidable pass rush while still holding up their end of the bargain against the run.
Davis was particularly aggressive in the first half and made his presence known early with a vicious third-down sack. Calhoun notched a third-down sack of his own early on as well, prompting Brian Christopherson of the Lincoln Journal Star to give his assessment of the Cornhuskers' offensive line:
Nebraska quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. did the best he could behind the porous offensive line, but he wasn't immune from mistakes of his own. He threw a first-quarter interception to cornerback Trae Waynes, an early blemish in what would be a difficult game for the sophomore passer.
The Spartans' offense—second in the nation in scoring with 50.3 points per game entering Saturday—wasn't exactly spectacular, but it did just enough to support the monstrous effort from their defense. Quarterback Connor Cook provided a highlight play early on, completing a 55-yard touchdown pass to wideout Tony Lippett to open the scoring midway through the first quarter.
Big Ten Network's Tom Dienhart called Lippett the best receiver in the conference:
Cook struggled to get in a rhythm after that play, but running back Jeremy Langford gave the offense a jolt with his 31-yard touchdown run, granting the Spartans a 14-0 advantage early in the second quarter.
Michigan State punt returner Macgarrett Kings Jr. gifted the Cornhuskers a golden scoring opportunity with nine minutes to go in the first half when he failed to corral Nebraska's punt and let the ball bounce off his fingertips and into the hands of his opponents.
The Cornhuskers opted to feed Abdullah the ball with paydirt a mere eight yards away, only to watch Davis make another huge play and punch the ball out of his hands and into the arms of Calhoun, preserving the two-touchdown differential in the process.
247sports.com's Chris Vannini was in awe of Davis' play:
The Spartans quickly moved the ball into scoring position, only to have the drive stall out on a steady supply of runs from halfback Nick Hill. Michigan State didn't finish the drive empty-handed, as Michael Geiger hit his first field goal of the day to give the Spartans a commanding 17-0 lead heading into the locker room.
Abdullah finished the first half with just 15 carries for 21 yards. Armstrong Jr. didn't fare well moving the ball through the air, completing just 50 percent of his passes for 60 yards and one interception.
The first-half performance from the Spartans defense was especially impressive considering Abdullah's penchant for ripping off huge chunks of yardage. College GameDay provides the key stat:
The second half continued in a manner similar to the first, with Armstrong Jr. unable to keep his team on the field and the Spartans slowly but surely building upon their already sizable advantage.
Sports Radio 610's Sean Pendergast noted Armstrong's poor mechanics and blamed head coach Bo Pelini in the process:
Of course, the play of Michigan State's secondary certainly had much to do with his struggles. RealGM's Jeff Risdon noted Waynes smothered the Cornhuskers receivers throughout the game:
The two teams traded field goals midway through the third quarter to make the score 20-3, and the game was in serious doubt for the Cornhuskers with little momentum to carry them.
Cook may not have lit up the Nebraska secondary, but he did light up a defender with a crushing low block that sprung Lippett for a 32-yard touchdown run on a well-designed double reverse. Sports Illustrated's Brian Hamilton recapped the play:
Armstrong briefly left the game after taking a hard shot on a scramble up the middle; his absence would be felt when Nebraska finally showed signs of life in the final quarter.
Abdullah finally broke through for a two-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to 18 points. That faint glimmer of hope was quickly snuffed out when quarterback Ryker Fyfe and Abdullah botched the handoff exchange and failed to score on a much-needed two-point conversion.
After three-plus quarters of mostly desultory play, Nebraska finally came to life. The Spartans offense failed to put the game away in the fourth quarter, and Abdullah took advantage, plunging in for a one-yard touchdown with just over four minutes remaining to make the score 27-16.
Armstrong looked much more confident after returning from injury and helped keep the ball moving for the Cornhuskers. The offensive line also did a much better job of protecting him in the late scramble.
The Cornhuskers forced Michigan State to punt on the ensuing drive, and wide receiver De'Mornay Pierson-El took the 43-yard boot all the way back for a 62-yard touchdown, cutting Michigan State's lead to 27-22.
The Spartans had the chance to go up by eight and force Nebraska into a difficult spot, but Geiger missed a 37-yard field goal, leaving Nebraska with one chance to notch a wild come-from-behind victory with just over a minute remaining.
They were able to move the ball into opposing territory, but Waynes corralled a desperate Armstrong pass for his second interception of the day, sealing the win for the Spartans. Matt Charboneau of The Detroit News noted the relief that swept over the stadium:
With Alabama, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Oregon all losing in Week 6, Michigan State now has an outside shot at a College Football Playoff spot with the win over Nebraska. They will need the run the table in a diluted Big Ten conference, but they proved that their defense is among the best in the country and strong enough to take care of business when the offense falters.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
