It’s back to Big Ten Conference play for Nebraska (2-2, 0-1 Big Ten) on Saturday. The Huskers are in East Lansing, Michigan, to face the No. 20 Michigan State Spartans (3-0, 1-0 Big Ten).
Saturday’s matchup between Nebraska and Michigan State will mark the 12th all-time meeting between the two programs. The Huskers currently hold a 9-2 lead in the series.
This is the first meeting between the two in East Lansing since 2014, and only the fourth overall meeting in East Lansing. The Huskers and Spartans most recently met in Lincoln in 2018. Nebraska defeated Michigan State, 9-6, in a game that featured just five field goals. It was Nebraska’s first victory without scoring a touchdown since 1937.
Nebraska-Michigan State football TV channel, time, live stream
TV Channel: FS1
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Date: Saturday, September 25
Live stream: Fox Sports app with cable or dish log in
Radio: Nebraska fans can listen to the game on the new Huskers Radio Network. Internet radio, as well as a Spanish broadcast, will be available at Huskers.com.
Location: Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Michigan
Weather: Fall is finally here and we have a game in East Lansing, Michigan, so it’s going to feel like fall, too. The normal high for East Lansing is 70 degrees, so that is already cooler than we are this time of year in Nebraska. But a cold front will have just rolled through, so temperatures will be knocked down even more.
Full forecast and updates brought to you by Rusty Dawkins of Husker Weather. More here.
Nebraska-Michigan State football picks, odds
The line: Michigan State -5
Over/under: 52
(per the VI Consensus)
Nebraska-Michigan State preview
Nebraska comes into Saturday’s matchup with Michigan State after a 23-16 loss to Oklahoma. While the Huskers didn’t leave Norman with a win, it was a hard fought battle with Nebraska limiting the Sooners to their fewest points in the past five seasons.
The matchup with Michigan State is Nebraska’s second Big Ten game of the season. The Huskers faced Illinois in a Week 0 matchup, falling to the Illini. Since then, Nebraska has allowed just 33 combined points over the past three games. That marks the best three-game scoring defense stretch by the Blackshirts in 11 seasons.
The Spartans come into the game 3-0 on the season. That comes after a 2-5 season in 2020. Michigan State most recently defeated Miami, 38-17, on the road. The Spartans are also 1-0 in Big Ten play, having previously defeated Northwestern 38-21.
Michigan State has a strong running game, which is powered by Kenneth Walker III. Containing Walker will be key for the Nebraska defense on Saturday.
“He’s a really good player. When he gets a head of steam down field he’s hard to tackle,” Scott Frost said of Walker. “It’s hard for one guy to bring him down. He’s been a huge difference for them. I think they’re good all around him, but he’s a pretty special player and trying to contain him will be a big part of the game plan.”
Michigan State is averaging 263.7 rushing yards per game, ranking the Spartans’ third in the Big Ten and 11th nationally. On the other side of the ball, the Spartans have also been tough against the run. They’ve allowed just 112 yards per game on the ground so far this season.
As for Nebraska’s run game, the Huskers will be without Gabe Ervin Jr. Running backs coach Ryan Held confirmed earlier in the week that Ervin is out for the season after suffering a patellar tendon injury against Oklahoma.
What else do you need to know? Here’s a look at what the Huskers said leading up to the matchup with Michigan State:
For more on the matchup, don’t miss the latest I-80 Preview Podcast.
