Michigan State: Winners and Losers in the Spartans' Loss Against Nebraska

Spartans, what is your profession?

Well, it's obviously not beating Nebraska.  The Cornhuskers beat Michigan State on Saturday, tallying up the series record to 6-0 all-time. 

The Spartans failed to step up against the Cornhuskers, on offense, defense and special teams—in every aspect of the game.

There are many reasons to attribute to why the Spartans lost—whether the tough month of October finally caught up to them, or if they just couldn't focus on Nebraska after beating Wisconsin.

Whatever the reason, the Big Red stepped up and took this win.  

Who were the winners and losers in the Spartans' loss against the Cornhuskers?

Loser: Michigan State Offense

The last time Michigan State's offense was held to three points or fewer was back in the 2003 Alamo Bowl game, where they lost 17-3 to—who else?—the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

They couldn't get anything going offensively. There was either no protection to give Cousins time to throw and the plays run didn't amount to anything.

This was the first time this year that the offense wasn't able to score a touchdown, and the Spartans were held to 187 total yards—their second-worst offensive total of the season.

They couldn't get any momentum going, and there was a lack of urgency during the third and fourth quarters. They could not convert many plays and they only got 12 first downs.

In this game, the offense didn't play smart football, and they did not play their best.

Winner: Nebraska Defense

The Cornhuskers' defense pulled one of its best performance of the year. They held the Spartans to 187 total yards and didn't allow any touchdowns (the first time they didn't allow an opponent to do so this season).

They made it seem as if the Spartans had never played a college football game before.

They sacked Cousins four times and forced him to throw the ball away several times. They did well to hold Michigan State down to only 86 passing yards, when the Spartans usually average about 229.6 passing yards per game.

Michigan State also only completed 3 of their 14 third-down conversion attempts. 

Nebraska's defense shut down Michigan State's offense and closed the mouths of the Cornhuskers' critics.

Loser: Kirk Cousins

Last week, Kirk Cousins led his team to an amazing victory over Wisconsin and became the winningest quarterback in the Spartans' history.

This week, as he often does on the road, he couldn't get even a spark going within his offense. 

He completed 11 of 27 passes for only 86 yards. He threw one costly interception at the beginning of the game that led to a scoring drive for the Cornhuskers. He didn't have much protection and was forced several times to either throw the ball away or get sacked. He kept throwing into double or triple coverage and was close to being picked off at least three more times.

Regardless, Cousins failed to get his team into the end zone—apart from Johnny Adams' interception that had the Spartans start on Nebraska's 28-yard line, where he led Michigan State to kick a field goal. 

Cousins struggled to lead his offense, and the result was a costly loss.

Winner: Nebraska Offense

While Nebraska's passing offense struggled, their rushing game shined. Thanks to an early turnover, the Cornhuskers rushed for a touchdown on a scoring drive that began at the Spartans' 25-yard line.

Taylor Martinez struggled in the first half and only completed 7-of-13 passes. He stepped up in the third quarter and led his team on an 80-yard scoring drive, which resulted in the last touchdown of the game in the third quarter. 

They did well to put away two scoring drives in the third quarter that ate up a lot of time, making sure the Spartans didn't have a chance to retrieve the ball. They scored three TDs, kicked a field goal and tallied up 270 total yards.

They performed their best against a top defense.

Loser: Michigan State Defense

This defense only allowed an average of 88.9 rushing yards a game, yet the Spartans let Nebraska rush for 190 yards—the second most they've allowed this season (the first being Wisconsin).

While they did well in limiting Nebraska to 80 passing yards, it was still costly as those passing yards led the Cornhuskers to a TD. 

They allowed Nebraska too many time-consuming rushing yards, which didn't allow a chance for the offense to have enough time to play in the third quarter.

While they only allowed 7-of-15 third-down conversions, it wasn't enough to give the offense time to work with in the second half.

While they only limited the passing yards to 80 (the second fewest they've allowed this season), Michigan State couldn't stop Nebraska's rushing attack and gave the Cornhuskers the chance to rack up the scoreboard.

Winner: Rex Burkhead

Rex Burkhead was a strong warrior in this division game.

He ran for 119 yards and scored two touchdowns for the Cornhuskers in the third quarter. He did well to push his way through one of the best rushing defenses in the nation.

In the third quarter, Nebraska fans held their breath as they saw Burkhead lying on his back in pain, holding his left leg after a run.

Thankfully, it was only a cramp, and he proved his toughness by going back into the game after being sidelined for one play and scored the touchdown that sealed the win over Michigan State.

Burkhead proved to be the Cornhuskers' Superman.

Loser: MSU Penalties

Maybe this is harsh, but considering they didn't allow any penalties last week, they committed nine against the Cornhuskers... for 90 yards.

For the most part, the penalties committed by the Spartans were at the wrong time.

One was during the third quarter, on Taylor Martinez's 80-yard scoring drive. It was second down for the Cornhuskers and Martinez had been tackled for a loss of two yards.

Instead of it being 2nd-and-12 on the Nebraska 31, it went to 1st-and-10 on the Nebraska 44. A personal foul gave the Cornhuskers a 15-yard gain and killed the momentum of the Spartans defense.

One penalty was costly to Michigan State's offense in the fourth quarter. The Spartans were on Nebraska's 18-yard line and it was first down. Edwin Baker rushed for three yards to the 15-yard line.

Baker then pulled a dumb move, committing a facemask penalty which resulting in a loss of 15 yards. It is understandable to push against a man's facemask when trying to rush, but he must have the discipline to let go. 

The next play, Cousins threw a pass to Le'Veon Bell for a gain of 10 yards. Then, on 3rd-and-12, they committed a holding penalty.

Really?

They were in the red zone, where you do not ever want to commit a penalty. Those two penalties killed the slight rhythm the offense had managed to find in the game, and occurred where it mattered most: in the red zone.

Winner: Michigan State's Tough Month of October

No one expected Michigan State to finish the month of October 3-1.

While it would have been great for the Spartans to finish this tough month in excellence, they proved that they are an imperfect football team. They beat Ohio State in Columbus, 10-7. They beat the then-No. 11 and undefeated Michigan Wolverines, 28-14. They pulled off an amazing win over then-No. 6 and undefeated Wisconsin, 37-31.

But it's hard to keep the momentum going against four consecutive tough teams, and it's tough to have a crushing defeat at the end of the month.

On the bright side for the Spartans, November looks to be a month where they will be able to finish strong. If they can finish the season with wins, they will be able to overcome their loss in Nebraska.

As for the Cornhuskers, they have a tough November ahead, with games against Penn State and Michigan. While all of them are important, the games against Michigan, Northwestern and Iowa are of most importance if Nebraska wants to stay alive in the Legends division and finish out on top.