Mistakes, injuries sink Michigan State in frustrating loss to Nebraska

EAST LANSING – Michigan State football made too many mistakes and suffered too many injuries to have a chance in a 31-13 Week 4 loss to Nebraska at Spartan Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 26.

The Spartans lost their best player on offense ( Cam Edwards , knee), their best player on defense ( Jordan Hall , leg) and were playing without the top-four cornerbacks in the frustrating game vs. the Cornhuskers . They also had two fumbles (one lost) and two interceptions, not to mention multiple costly penalties.

At times, the Spartans looked like they belonged, but there were some bad mistakes and some bad breaks that ultimately were too much to overcome in what ended up being an ugly game.

See Michigan State football open Big Ten play vs Nebraska at home

MSU's defense, which has been decimated by injuries at cornerback and already playing without starting linebacker Brady Pretzlaff before the injury to Hall, held in the fight, producing stops on the first three drives to start the second half.

After scoring a field goal on their first drive after the break, the Spartans fumbled on their second drive and then were driving down the field on their third drive when tight end Jayden Savoury made what looked like an incredible catch to get the Spartans into prime scoring position, but the catch was ultimately overturned by a tough review.

Quarterback Alessio Milivojevic , who was under pressure all day with six Nebraska sacks, fumbled again and though it was recovered by MSU this time, the Spartans missed their 52-yard field goal attempt to come out empty handed, and the Cornhuskers cruised to a victory from there.

The Spartans return to the road to face Wisconsin next Saturday, Oct. 3 in Madison, Wisconsin (12:30 p.m./BTN). This will be the first time MSU has faced a Luke Fickell coached team since he spurned the Spartans for a chance to replace Mark Dantonio after he retired in February 2020. Fickell instead remained at Cincinnati until he took over in Madison in 2023.

The Badgers (2-1, who lost their opener to Notre Dame), opened conference play at No. 14 Penn State on Saturday concurrent with the MSU-Nebraska game. Fickell, in his fourth season at Wisconsin, entered Saturday with a 19-22 overall record and a 10-17 Big Ten record. Dantonio and MSU beat Ohio State , 10-7, in 2011 when Fickell was interim head coach after Jim Tressel's firing.

Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com . Follow him @chrissolari .