Nebraska (4-0, 1-0) passed its first real test of the season in East Lansing, forcing turnovers and using a big-play offensive attack to work past Michigan State, 31-13.
It was far from the Huskers’ most impressive performance, but unlike previous years, they found a way to win on the road. Three turnovers from Rob Aurich’s defense and a steady offensive attack propelled NU to its first conference win of 2026.
Dive into the grades from Nebraska’s road victory:
Passing attack: C+
The accuracy that the Huskers have wanted out of Anthony Colandrea wasn’t present against the Spartans. Despite not having his best stuff, he did what he needed to do on Saturday.
Apart from a deep shot to Kwazi Gilmer which resulted in a 44-yard touchdown, Colandrea was rather unimpressive through the air compared to what he had shown over the first two weeks. At one point, the gunslinger was a measly 9-for-20 and unable to overcome miscues from the receiving corps.
The wide receiver unit had struggles of its own, with Jacory Barney Jr. fumbling and untimely drops from Quinn Clark and Gilmer. Nyziah Hunter continued to be absent from the offensive game plan, earning his only target on a 12-yard catch in the fourth quarter.
Vincent Genatone was a bright spot in the receiving game, giving NU another score with a 13-yard touchdown reception just before halftime.
Colandrea’s confidence and precision improved down the stretch, and he connected again with Gilmer on a 38-yard reception in the fourth quarter. The pass gave Gilmer 101 receiving yards on the day and four catches.
Colandrea finished with 212 passing yards, going 15-for-27 and adding a pair of touchdowns. But if Nebraska wants to have success through the air against big-time opponents later this season, it will need to see a better, more collective effort out of its passing attack.
Rushing attack: B-
It didn’t help that the Huskers lost star freshman running back Jamal Rule to injury after just four carries. Still, Nebraska was serviceable on the ground through its usual combination of Mekhi Nelson and Isaiah Mozee.
Nelson gave the Huskers their second touchdown of the day on a four-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter. He added another to push them ahead 31-13 in the fourth quarter, and finished with 61 yards on 15 attempts.
But it was Colandrea who had arguably the biggest impact on the ground. Whether it was through a designed quarterback run or his ability to work out of the pocket, the senior continued to provide positive runs on the ground, earning a team-high 66 yards.
Genatone found the end zone for a second time in the fourth quarter. After a six-yard carry from Nelson was ruled short, the North Platte, Nebraska native powered through the line for a one-yard touchdown.
As a team, it was the first time this season that Nebraska did not surpass 200 yards on the ground. The Huskers totaled 157 rushing yards, with seven different players earning a carry.
Passing defense: A-
In a lot of ways, Nebraska’s performance was a combination of boom or bust. In the secondary against Michigan State quarterback Alessio Milivojevic, that reigned true as well.
It wasn’t that Milivojevic dominated the Huskers defense, but he did control MSU’s offense to a degree that made it difficult for Aurich’s group to get off the field. The left-hander went an efficient 18-for-26 through the air for 208 yards.
But even with its inability to stop the pass, Nebraska more than made up for it in other ways. One way was through a dominant pass rush, as the Huskers totaled a season-high six sacks, led by two from Williams Nwaneri.
The other was through creating turnovers. The point of emphasis from head coach Matt Rhule and the rest of the coaching staff finally came to fruition against Michigan State.
Owen Chambliss grabbed his first interception of the season, and a Donovan Jones strip-sack and fumble recovery was another big play for the defensive unit. In the fourth quarter, cornerback Andrew Marshall hauled in his first interception of the year deep in Nebraska territory as the Huskers won the turnover battle.
Rushing defense: A
After the Spartans’ Cam Edwards left the game with a leg injury, Nebraska didn’t struggle to contain their rushing attack.
Edwards was NU’s biggest concern coming into the day, after rushing for 288 yards and three touchdowns in Michigan State’s first three games of the season. His replacement, Jaziun Patterson, gained 54 yards on the ground at just 3.4 yards per carry.
Cornerbacks Danny Odem III and Victor Evans III combined for three tackles for loss, contributing to the Huskers’ total of 10.
Nebraska did not allow a carry over 10 yards at any point on the evening, and held MSU running backs to 78 yards on the ground.
Special teams: B
Brett Maher’s unit performed the best it had all season against the Spartans, although thanks to a defensive penalty that negated a blocked punt, it was dangerously close to being a nightmare.
The special teams persevered and, for the most part, put together a relatively strong day. Punter Archie Wilson had three kicks and averaged 43.7 yards per punt, pinning one inside the 20. Kyle Cunanan was perfect in his opportunities and drilled a 32-yarder in the second quarter.
The return game was unimpressive, at best. Barney had one punt return for 12 yards, while Hunter added a kick return for 18.
Nebraska returns to Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 3rd where it will face Maryland. The game will start at 3 p.m. CT and be broadcast on FS1 and Huskers Radio Network.
Kyler Cox is the senior sports reporter and Nebraska football beat writer at The Daily Nebraskan. Follow him on X at @dugoutcox.