Couch: 3 quick takes on Michigan State football's 31-13 loss to Nebraska
· Yahoo Sports
1. MSU's momentum, hope and health disappears against Nebraska
EAST LANSING — Saturday couldn’t have gone much worse for Michigan State’s football team. Not the injuries. Not the calls (even if correct). Not the pass protection.
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All the momentum from last week and a lot of promise for this season was lost in Saturday’s 31-13 loss to Nebraska. If there’s something for MSU to hold on to, it’s the Spartans’ willingness and ability to stay in the fight in ways they haven’t in recent years. That’s a small consolation for a team that had earned hope of being competitive in the Big Ten after its battle with Notre Dame.
With Cam Edwards, Jordan Hall and its top three cornerbacks, MSU may or may not have the goods to be that team. Without them — if the Spartans are shorthanded for any length of time — they’re likely in trouble. Edwards doesn’t look like someone who’s going to play football in the coming weeks. We’ll see on the rest.
This game, and probably this MSU season, changed when Edwards took a shot to his right knee with 9:41 remaining in the first quarter, following a 23-yard gain on a screen pass. The Spartans were struggling to get started on their first two drives. With that play, for a split second, it looked like MSU had found some life. Then the life went out of the stadium.
Edwards, who was carted out of the injury tent and returned in the second half on crutches, was MSU’s best offensive playmaker through the first three games and 10 plays of the fourth. He gave the Spartans’ offense reliable juice in the backfield. Iowa transfer Jaziun Patterson had some strong runs Edwards’ place, behind an offensive line that grew into the game run blocking. But Edwards was the gem of MSU’s transfer portal class. He’s the Spartans’ best chance at a difference-maker at running back. It’s hard to imagine his absence not catching up to MSU, if it hasn’t already.
MSU lost Hall in the third quarter to what looked like an ankle injury. He, too, got a ride to the locker room. MSU knew it was down one of its top cornerbacks entering the game (Tyran Chappell). The Spartans lost another in warmups (Tre Bell), and another (NiJhay Burt) during the game. Corner Charles Brantley, who’s struggled at times this season, had some of his best moments since his one-handed grab against Michigan in 2021, forcing one fumble (that went out of bounds) and coming up with another pass break-up on what, at the time, was an important third down. Again, no one will question MSU’s gumption. Gumption, as we saw in the fourth quarter, only means so much.
There’s a lot of season left. A lot still to play for. Some winnable games, we thought. But after Saturday, it’s harder to imagine the Spartans — or what’s left of them — winning them.
2. MSU has to find ways to protect Milivojevic
MSU quarterback Alessio Milivojevic struggled more than his numbers showed Saturday — 18-for-26, 208 yards, one interception and no touchdowns. He had some good moments and found rhythm as MSU picked up the pace. Offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan had no choice. The offensive line couldn’t protect him otherwise.
Nebraska sacked Milivojevic six times Saturday. A couple of those were partly on Milivojevic, but he took a beating and rarely had a clean pocket.
As MSU enters the rest of its season — perhaps without Cam Edwards in the backfield — MSU’s offensive line is going to have to pass protect better than it did Saturday, or this team won’t win two more games. This is a group up front that’s beat up itself and did show growth as the game went along in creating space for MSU to run the ball up the gut. But Nebraska got home way too easily, way too often in the passing game. You can’t survive that way.
3. This MSU defense has to find a way to create turnovers
Not since a forced fumble by Chuck Brantley against Eastern Michigan has the Spartans’ defense created a turnover. They did come up with a fourth-down stop Saturday (when the game was still in doubt) that was as good as one. But MSU isn’t talented enough to win football games without at least breaking even in the turnover battle.
The Spartans’ offense coughed up two more against Nebraska, after also losing 2-0 in turnovers against Notre Dame. That stat will have to flip for MSU to think about winning these games.
MSU’s defensive front is one area the Spartans have an advantage. That’s shown up the last two weeks. Kicker and punter might be the other two. But it’s hard to find another (that’s healthy) right now. So if that’s all you’ve got that separates you, you’d better start knocking the ball loose a few more times each week.
Contact Graham Couch at [email protected]. Follow him on X @Graham_Couch and BlueSky @GrahamCouch.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Couch: 3 quick takes on Michigan State football's 31-13 loss to Nebraska