5 things learned from Nebraska football’s commanding win over Michigan State

Good teams win. Great teams cover. After four games, Nebraska football looks like it might be a great team after covering the spread for the fourth consecutive game.

The Huskers covered the spread against three teams outside of the Power-4 to start the season, so there were questions about how Nebraska would do in the Big Ten.

So far, so good. Nebraska was a 5.5-point favorite and won by 18. The final score could have been even uglier, too. The Huskers turned it on downs twice inside the MSU 40 in the second half. One was a fourth-down stop, but the other Nebraka just allowed the clock to expire.

It was the first win in East Lansing for the Huskers since Taylor Martinez was the quarterback.

Nebraska was expected to win the game. But the way Nebraska went about it was impressive, and here are five things we learned.

Anthony Colandrea can do it against Big Ten teams, too

There was a report this week that Nebraska was working on a new deal with Colandrea for next season. Some fans said the Huskers should wait to see what he does in the Big Ten.

Well, in his first Big Ten start, Colandrea was as smooth as he was during the non-conference portion of the schedule, throwing for 212 yards and running for 66. Colandrea threw a 44-yard touchdown in the first quarter and ran for multiple first downs with a long of 17.

Colandrea was clutch, too. After Michigan State scored a touchdown to trim the lead to 17-10 in the second quarter, the Nebraska QB led a touchdown drive right before the half that was huge. He converted a third-and-six with his legs, then converted a third-and-eight by completing a pass to Luke Lindenmeyer. It was one of three third-down pickups on the drive.

If Nebraska punts there, maybe the score is tied at half. The Spartans got the ball to start the third quarter, so it was a critical score that came with two seconds left. Colandrea waited for the clock to tick down, never got rushed, and got the ball to a playmaker, who made a play (Vincent Genatone).

The Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year has exceeded expectations. Some fans are still skeptical, but the quarterback is who he is at this point, and he’s a good one.

Rob Aurich is a dude

I’ve been singing the praises of Aurich since the day he was hired. It felt like a home run then — it feels like even more of one now.

Michigan State scored 1o first-half points on Saturday. In the second half, the Spartans managed just three. The adjustments were great. Nebraska stopped the run, pressured the quarterback, and took the football away three times.

You couldn’t ask for a better performance from the defense. It was the third time this season that an opponent has only managed a single touchdown against the Blackshirts.

Nebraska football controlled the line of scrimmage

There was some tough sledding for Nebraska early in the game. Colandrea faced some pressure. Jamal Rule only managed a few yards before leaving with an injury.

Yet, 157 yards rushing is 157 yards rushing. Michigan State ran for 39. Even if you take the sacks away, Michigan State’s non-quarterback runs generated 76 yards on 25 attempts.

Mekhi Nelson carried the ball 15 times for 61 yards in the win with a long run of 19. Nelson also scored a touchdown. Isaiah Mozee carried the ball seven times for 23 yards, too.

Nebraska’s running backs only averaged 3.2 yards per carry for the game, but Colandrea is a huge part of the run game. His impact was felt Saturday. He also wasn’t sacked.

Defensively, the Huskers notched six sacks and allowed 39 rushing yards with 1.2 yards per attempt. If that’s not dominating the line of scrimmage, I don’t know what is.

The linebackers are special

Nebraska’s linebacker room is one that reminds you of when Bo Pelini was the head coach. Owen Chambliss came up with a second-quarter interception, showing why he was a First-Team All-Mountain West defender in 2025.

Dawson Merritt continues to flash. He knifed into the backfield in the first quarter on a third down for one of Nebraska’s six sacks. He’s becoming hard to keep off the field. Shavers had three solo tackles. Dexter Foster had a quiet day, but man, this feels like one of the best units on the team.

The defensive line has taken a noticeable jump this season. So have the linebackers, which was evident again on Saturday.

Matt Rhule’s offseason promises are coming true

Nebraska built an experienced team. Rhule said repeatedly this was his best Nebraska football team, and we saw another example on Saturday.

The Huskers weren’t perfect. The offense was sluggish in the second half. Michigan State blocked a punt. It was negated by a holding call on the Spartans, but that hold had nothing to do with it being blocked, so that’s a concern.

This is a tough team, though. It’s physical. The lines are solid. Are they good enough to beat Ohio State, Oregon, or Indiana? That remains to be seen.

Nebraska can win every other game on the schedule, though. The O-line, the quarterback, the DC, and the defense as a whole are all legit. They have all looked how Rhule said they would, even down to the running backs.

Rhule has been right about everything, and it feels like there’s a good chance he will be right about this being his best team.

More importantly, it feels like the upward trajectory Nebraska football fans have been craving, is finally happening. That’s not just about beating MSU, either. It’s about the way Nebraska did it. That’s why it has to give fans confidence moving forward.

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