Nebraska vs. Michigan State: 6 Ways the Cornhuskers Can Beat the Spartans

How the tables have turned. Before the season started, everyone had penciled in Nebraska as the favorites to win the Legends division in the Big Ten. Everyone had thought that the mighty blackshirts would reign supreme and they would show their new conference how defense was done. There were aspirations of being Big Ten Champions and playing in the a BCS Bowl Game. 

Now, everyone has already labeled Nebraska as an over-rated disappointment. They had people worried in early season non-conference play, got trounced in Madison and had to come back against Ohio State. To top it all off, they lost their defensive stud, Jared Crick, for the season.

Nebraska is a team against the ropes.

But, many fighters do their best under pressure. Nebraska isn't done just yet, and this Saturday, they have their chance to prove to the country just how resilient and strong they are. 

Nebraska faces a must-win game against Michigan State, the new favorite to represent the Legends division in the Big Ten Championship game. 

Here is what the Huskers need to do in order to win and reclaim their role as the team to beat in the Big Ten Legends.

Hit Kirk Cousins

Michigan State isn't going to wow you on offense. They are not going to put a whole heaping pile of points on the board. They're 57th in the country in points scored, and they don't necessarily have many explosive players on their roster.

Their offense is all about being methodical and taking care of the football. Cousins has only four interceptions so far this season, and he's a big reason why Michigan State is on top of the division right now. 

In order for Nebraska to get the Spartans off their rhythm, they need to get to the quarterback. Defensive coordinator Carl Pelini is going to have to get a little creative and force Cousins to make mistakes. He needs make sure his corner backs play on lock down and must cycle through his blitz packages in order to get Cousins on the ground. 

With Cousins uncomfortable, this offense becomes limited in what it can do.

The Blackshirts Need to Come Back

This season's Nebraska defense, which is usually touted as one of the best units in the country, hasn't played with the fire and intensity that we are used to seeing. They've been pretty average all year. 

What happened to the Blackshirts? Where is Bo Pelini's standard, smash-mouth defense?

These guys need to wake up. They need to get angry. They've been embarrassed and beaten time and time again. They rank 70th nationally against the run and 27th against the pass. A team that usually stands firm as a top five defensive team comes in at 42nd. 

This isn't the defense we are used to seeing. LaVonte David is playing lights out, and Alfonzo Dennard has done his job at blanketing his receiver, but it seems like the rest of this defense is playing uninspired. 

They Need to Keep Momentum on Their Side

Teams always seem to get an extra shot of adrenaline when their home crowd is psyched up. The Huskers need to feed off of that energy and never let go of it. 

Every play the Huskers make, they need to keep that positive energy flowing through each other. When they find themselves in a hole, they need to be able pick themselves up and keep each other going.

Momentum means everything in college football. If a team isn't firing on all cylinders and allow a kick return for a touchdown or a pick six, the whole stadium deflates. The Huskers need to harness all that energy in Memorial Stadium and focus it into playing a solid, tough and physical game.

It is essential that the Sea of Red keep their team motivated and riled up. If Nebraska allows themselves to start feeling down, it's going to end up being a long day.

Feed the Ball to Rex

Rex Burkhead is definitely the staple of the Huskers offense, and is one of the most talented players on the field. He's 5'11", but you wouldn't know it watching him run. He runs so low to the ground and with such ferocity, he's tough to bring down. 

Burkhead already has 10 rushing touchdowns, which is second in the Big Ten. So far this season, he's ran for 752 yards, which is third in the conference. 

In order to have a shot, the Huskers must establish the run with Burkhead early and often. They cannot let themselves fall into a hole and allow their running game to fade. Nebraska is a run-first team, and they won't win many ball games if they have to sling the ball around.

However, it's going to be tough running the ball against the Spartans, which boasts the eighth-ranked rushing defense in the country. 

This is what leads me to my next point...

Get Those Creative Juices Flowing

Against such a good defense, an offensive coordinator must have a few tricks up his sleeve. Remember last week against Minnesota when Kenny Bell showed off his brilliant speed in that reverse that went 82 yards for a touchdown?

I'm talking about plays like that.

The Huskers must get creative and have to keep this Spartan defense on their toes. The worst thing Nebraska can do is become to predictable. Option up the middle. Hand off to Burkhead. Incomplete pass by Taylor Martinez. Three and out. Punt.

This cannot happen.

Let the speedsters make some plays. Set up a wide receiver screen to Jamaal Turner or Aaron Green. Get Martinez on some roll outs where he can either make a short throw or tuck it and run. Have some end-arounds going on. 

Whatever Nebraska does, they need to keep Michigan State guessing.

Allow Taylor Martinez to Do What He's Good at

I don't care what people say about Taylor Martinez. I believe in him. The poise and resiliency he showed when Nebraska was down 27-6 against Ohio State was awe inspiring.

Even when his chips were down, Martinez never stopped believing. After the game, center Mike Caputo said of Martinez, ""Taylor was smiling and confident. He kept coming up to the offensive line and saying that we're going to win this game when we were down a couple touchdowns. His confidence was really high."

That night, Martinez showed he had matured from his up and down freshman season. He was done causing drama for the Cornhuskers.

Martinez has stepped up and has become a leader for this team. Despite a questionable throwing motion and wayward accuracy at times, there's no denying his sheer athleticism and speed.

Martinez needs to stay comfortable enough in the pocket to be able to put his throws on receivers, but he also can't be afraid to use his feet and take off.