Michigan State football jumps to No. 17 in AP Top 25 after Nebraska win

If you watched Michigan State football this weekend, chances are you’ll need to schedule an appointment with a therapist.

Against unranked Nebraska, No. 20 Michigan State had a total of zero first downs in the second half and one offensive yard in the fourth quarter. Nebraska led time of possession by almost fifteen minutes in that last half. They controlled the clock, the ball, and MSU’s defense could not get them off the field.

Thankfully, the Spartans’ special teams stepped it up and Jayden Reed had a massive punt return touchdown in the final minutes of the game to send it into overtime. Michigan State escaped with a 23-20 victory.

How battle-tested is this Michigan State football team?

Before this week, the Spartans haven’t been challenged by an in-game situation. Against both Northwestern and Miami, Michigan State played from ahead. In the fourth quarter against Miami, they really ran Miami into the ground in the fourth quarter. They were never pressed with a situation where they had to try something different or play from behind.

Still, Michigan State did not flinch. Safety Xavier Henderson went as far as to say, “We never really felt like we didn’t have a chance.”

The Spartans host Western Kentucky for Homecoming next week. They’re 4-0, ranked No. 17 in the AP Poll, and have exceeded all expectations. Meanwhile, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers come to East Lansing looking for an upset after dropping two to Indiana and Army, while winning against FCS power, UT Martin.

The next few weeks will be important for Michigan State to stay on track as they could be 7-0 by the time they play Michigan in East Lansing on Oct. 30.

What have we learned?

First of all, the defense looks rough. That’s the key takeaway from playing Nebraska. They were able to run up and down Michigan State’s defense in that second half. We knew the offense was going to carry this team, but watching it is just infuriating.

Next, Payton Thorne needs to step it up. He’s looked great this season, especially against Northwestern and Youngstown State. Against Nebraska, he looked rough. He was 14-for-23 with 183 pass yards, and a touchdown. Assuming the run game holds up, not so much.

Michigan State had 71 rushing yards, led by Kenneth Walker III, who had 61 of those yards. When the Spartans played Youngstown State, we almost thought they had some rushing depth when Jordon Simmons ran for 121 yards.

The offense is going to have to step up for the offense in big spots, especially once they play a big opponent such as Michigan.

It’s certainly exciting that Michigan State has a watchable team this year, but the expectations are higher after a strong start. Let’s see how high they go.