With the bye week officially in the rearview mirror, Michigan State football will head out to Lincoln, Neb., on Saturday afternoon to face the Cornhuskers.
Nebraska, like Michigan State, is 3-1 on the season, but the Cornhuskers’ lone loss was at home two weeks ago against the Michigan Wolverines. The Spartans also lost to a ranked team, but that came on the road against USC. These teams are on the same level heading into the game, but Nebraska is a heavy favorite (12.5 points, in fact).
What disadvantages are the Spartans facing heading into the big game in Lincoln?
1. Nebraska’s pass defense
Unfortunately, Michigan State will be facing the No. 1 passing defense in the nation on Saturday afternoon. The Spartans’ passing attack has been a bright spot this year with Aidan Chiles improving drastically and the receiving corps being one of the best in the Big Ten. But they’re facing their toughest test to date.
Chiles has to be ready, because Nebraska has yet to allow a touchdown pass this season.
2. Dylan Raiola vs. Michigan State’s secondary
Dylan Raiola is one of the best quarterbacks in the Big Ten, passing for over 1,100 yards and 11 touchdowns with one interception through four games. And he’s played strong defenses like Michigan’s and Cincinnati’s. That doesn’t bode well for the struggling MSU secondary.
Michigan State’s pass defense made Dylan Lonergan look like a Heisman front-runner and it did the same for Jayden Maiava. I have a bad feeling Raiola is going to have a monster game.
3. The crowd
This almost goes without saying for any road game, but playing at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln is one of the toughest spots for visiting teams in the country.
Memorial Stadium is known for being sold out, even when the Cornhuskers are, well, bad. This year, they’re not bad, so you can just imagine how energized the sellout crowd is going to be. If you thought USC was a tough environment, it’s nothing compared to what the Spartans are going to see on Saturday afternoon in Lincoln.
The crowd could become a real factor.