This one was BIG. Michigan State came to Lincoln to play what would essentially be The Legends division championship game. This one had it all. Michigan State brought in a Defense that ranked first nationally in as many as 5 major statistical categories. The Huskers were riding a wave of momentum created by it’s own Defense. More than anything this game was an opportunity for The Huskers to control their destiny and get back to Indianapolis. Well that isn’t going to happen. Nebraska committed Football suicide on Saturday. There is no other way to put it. When a team commits 5, freaking, turnovers they can’t be expected to win. The Huskers, again, tripped over their own feet when the chips were down. Not for nothing, The Huskers fought like crazy and had their chances despite themselves. But The Spartans made plays when they needed to, and secured the Legends division title with a gut wrenching, kick to the groin, victory for Husker fans.
The Defense deserves commendation for its efforts Saturday. Time, and time again, this unit was put in awful situations. In the first half alone, this unit had to come off the bench 4 times after a Nebraska turnover in their own territory. It is remarkable the Spartans only had 20 points at halftime. For the most part The Nebraska Defense got after Connor Cook and the Michigan State Offense. Randy Greggory and company were menacing. Michigan State came out with a terrific game plan against Nebraska’s pressure Defense. Cook deserves credit for putting the ball in tight spots and making crucial plays at pivotal moments against NU’s man to man coverage. The Spartans converted 11 of their 21 3rd downs on the day. Defensively, that just won’t cut it. In particular, the 3rd and 13 TD pass in the 4th quarter was not only clutch, it was thrown with pin point accuracy. It was also a heart breaker. Cook deserves a hell of a lot of credit for his gutsy, accurate, play. My hat is off to him for playing big in this seasons biggest game. The blackshirts weren’t perfect on Saturday. But this unit fought tooth and nail all day long and is largely responsible for this being a game as long as it was.
One of the core tenants of football philosophy is taking care of the ball. It is a must. NU seemed to have forgotten that for the 3+ hours of the game Saturday. There was the dropped pitch fumble by Terrel Newby, the interception thrown by Tommy Armstrong, then 2 fumbles by Armstrong. In all there were 4 turnovers by this Offense. That is a killer. Equally frustrating was the fact that Nebraska had plenty of success against the vaunted Spartan Defense. The patchwork Offensive line more than held it’s own against a vicious Spartan front 4. Ameer Abdullah, once again, had a terrific game. He rushed for 123 yards. I have run out of adjectives to describe his brilliance. Tommy Armstrong, despite his struggles, had moments where he played well. This Offense put up 21 points (minus the junk time TD) on the top rated Defense in the country. I thought 21 would be more than enough. But ultimately it was the 4 turnovers that doomed The Big Red Saturday. That simply cant be overlooked.
The shitty, punch to the gut, reality is that the Huskers had their chances. Unfortunately, the turnovers were just too much to overcome. The Huskers have nobody to blame but themselves. They outgained Michigan State, and in many ways outplayed Michigan State. There were a few portions of this game where it appeared Nebraska was the better team. In the end, The Spartans didn’t have negative plays, The Huskers did, and that was the difference. As usual the wolves will be out this week for Bo Pelini, that comes with the territory. It is on Coach Pelini to get this team ready for next week. A trip to Happy Valley awaits. The Legends division may not be on the line, but his job is.
College Football Junkie 2015 