3 biggest winners and losers from Michigan State’s Big Ten opener loss to Nebraska

Fans were hoping for a classic Big Ten battle on Saturday evening between Michigan State and Nebraska, but it turned out to be a sloppy one-sided affair. Both teams could have used a statement win, and Nebraska got it with a 31-13 win in Spartan Stadium.

Pat Fitzgerald has a lot of work to do after this loss and a tough stretch of games upcoming but he’s going to work late into the night and make sure this type of ugly loss doesn’t happen again.

Who were the biggest winners and losers from Michigan State’s loss to Nebraska?

Winner: Jaz Patterson

Jaz Patterson got an opportunity under some unfortunate circumstances when Cam Edwards went down in the first half and he looked really solid despite the numbers not showing that. Box score watchers aren’t going to love the Patterson showing on Saturday with his 54 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries, but he ran hard and didn’t shy away from contact on a day when the offensive line struggled.

Loser: Michigan State’s health

Every single drive seemed to include a Michigan State injury. The barrage of injuries started before the game even kicked off as Tre Bell went down during warmups and was in street clothes. We then saw Edwards go down and get carted off, Conner Moore was hurt, Jordan Hall left the game, Keshawn Williams was in the tunnel early, and Dion Crawford and Caleb Wheatland both left the game at one point with what looked to be minor (knock on wood) injuries.

This team’s health took a massive hit on Saturday and has to be considered the biggest loser.

Winner: Chrishon McCray

It was good to see someone other than Rod Bullard Jr. step up in the pass game for the first time since Week 1. Chrishon McCray finally got on the same page as Alessio Milivojevic and caught four passes for 47 yards, including the play of the game. He made an incredible one-handed catch in the third quarter with the Spartans driving, but unfortunately that drive ended in a turnover shortly after.

McCray may have just gotten his confidence back.

Loser: The fans

Not only was the stadium not as packed as it probably should’ve been for the first Big Ten opener of the Fitzgerald era (not saying it was horrible, though), but fans had to suffer through one of the sloppiest games that they’ll see the Spartans play all season. Fumbles, interceptions, injuries, poor officiating, long drives ending in no points — nothing was going Michigan State’s way, it seemed.

Fans that did show up or tune in with optimism were immediately let down as a 3-0 lead turned into a 17-3 deficit in the blink of an eye. The first “big” home game of the Fitzgerald era was unfortunately a dud.

Winner: Andrew Brinson IV

This was the first real impression that Michigan State fans got of Andrew Brinson IV since his true freshman season back in 2024 and he looked really solid. With Tre Bell, Tyran Chappell, and Keshawn Williams all out with injuries, Brinson finally got his opportunity and he really made the most of it.

We saw Charles Brantley really struggle a bit once again so it was good to see Brinson make the most of his extended snaps and he even saved a touchdown on Nebraska’s final offensive play. He may have just earned himself a spot in the regular rotation even when the rest of the cornerbacks return.

Loser: The Cam Fancher package

The Cam Fancher package has been nothing but positive entering the Nebraska game, but it was utilized in the first half and then we didn’t see it again — for good reason.

While the package is great in the red zone, it just wasn’t the move in the first half deep in Michigan State’s own territory. He took a big sack and then threw a really bad interception to give Nebraska the ball in plus field position which inevitably led to another score. It’s doubtful that this package emerges anywhere other than the red zone in the near future.

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