Mistakes, injuries sink Michigan State in frustrating loss to Nebraska
· Yahoo Sports
EAST LANSING – Already beset with a bevy of injuries, Michigan State football linebacker Jordan Hall looked like he got shot out of a cannon coming out of the locker room after halftime and made an immediate hit on Nebraska’s first play of the third quarter.
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And appeared to twist his left foot in the process.
It was that kind of day for the Spartans.
Running back Cam Edwards and left guard Conner Moore left the game in the opening quarter and did not return, and Hall, like Edwards, also had to be carted to the locker room and missed the rest of MSU’s Big Ten-opening 31-13 loss to the Cornhuskers on Saturday, Sept. 26, at Spartan Stadium.
The Spartans (2-2, 0-1) also lost two starting cornerbacks before the game, with Tyran Chappell ruled out after appearing on the availability report Wednesday and then Tre Bell suffered an undisclosed injury during pregame warmups. NiJhay Burt started at corner and also left the game after getting hurt in the second quarter and briefly attempting to return. Cornerback Keyshawn Williams was also taken to the locker room with an injury in the first half.
MSU also already playing without starting linebacker Brady Pretzlaff, and his replacement Dion Crawford also left the game in the fourth quarter with an apparent right arm injury. Linebacker Caleb Wheatland also left the game in the second half.
Edwards was shown on crutches on the sideline during the BTN broadcast. Moore returned after halftime without his pads and uniform but in his jersey while mingling with his teammates on the bench.
Meanwhile, the Spartans’ offense struggled as quarterback Alessio Milivojevic was sacked five times and fumbled twice before throwing a fourth-quarter interception in the red zone, while backup Cam Fancher threw an interception and was sacked another time. The Spartans managed just 257 total yards and just 60 rushing after losing 50 yards on the six sacks allowed.
Quarterback Anthony Colandrea was 15-for-27 for 212 yards passing with two touchdowns and ran for another 66 yards on 10 carries for Nebraska (4-0, 1-0). MSU’s defense gave up 369 yards, including 157 on the ground.
It was over when ...
The reality is the game changed for the worse for MSU with 9:41 left in the first quarter as soon as Edwards got toppled on a screen pass and immediately grabbed his right knee. Away from the play, Moore also suffered an injury and woozily was led to the injury tent. Neither returned.
The Spartans finished that drive with a 48-yard Liam Boyd field goal after Milivojevic got sacked on second-and-5 from the Nebraska 17, then lost 10 more yards on a second straight sack a play later when he tripped over left tackle Ben Murawski’s foot and fell untouched.
But perhaps the single play that altered the game most was on the Huskers’ next drive. MSU’s defense appeared to force a second straight three-and-out, and Jack Yanachik broke through to block the ensuing punt. MSU would've gotten the ball deep in Nebraska territory, but Evan Young got flagged for defensive holding for bear-hugging a Husker as Yanachik went for the ball.
Nebraska got a first down, quickly hit a 20-yard pass from Colandrea to Kwazi Gilmer on the next play. Two plays after that, the two connected again over the top for a 44-yard touchdown pass over the late-reaction coverage of cornerback Charles Brantley and safety Devin Vaught.
Player of the game
With Edwards out, and potentially for a long stretch, Jaziun Patterson got the bulk of the carries for MSU. The fifth-year senior Iowa transfer showed vision and power, finishing with 54 yards on 16 carries. Patterson also scored a 2-yard touchdown with 6:07 left in the second quarter on a direct snap behind a massive offensive line that included linemen Rustin Young and Antonio Johnson occupying two tight end spots. That touchdown cut Nebraska’s lead to 17-10.
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While Milivojevic struggled mightily, receivers Chrishon McCray and Fredrick Moore both showed sure hands for him in the passing game. The two combined for eight catches for 90 yards, five of them for first downs. Brennan Parachek also caught three balls for 40 yards, and fellow tight end Jaydan Savoury had two catches for 24 yards and also made an incredible catch that was overturned by review.
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All of the momentum coach Pat Fitzgerald built since December got doused by a massive dose of roster reality Saturday.
The top of MSU’s depth chart is decimated with all of the injuries. On top of the players who sat out after getting hurt, Murawski, backup guard Luka Vincic, Wheatland, defensive end Isaac Smith and defensive back Cam Stodghill all left the game with injuries but returned.
But the Spartans’ discipline they showed in the first three games waned dramatically with each player leaving the game. MSU had five penalties for 60 yards, including a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct call on defensive end and captain Kenny Soares Jr. after he punched Nebraska left tackle Elijah Pritchett in the groin. That helped move the Huskers toward their 13-yard touchdown pass from Colandrea to running back Vincent Genatone with 5 seconds left before halftime to go into the locker room leading 24-10.
On offense, Milivojevic struggled with his reads and ball protection. His first strip-sack fumble in the third quarter stopped an MSU drive after it crossed midfield, while his second was recovered by Vincic on a third-and-12 at Nebraska’s 33. Boyd missed the 52-yard field goal after. Milivojevic’s interception, on a telegraphed pass to Samson Gash with 6:43 to play again ended a drive that had moved to Nebraska’s 18.
Next up
The Spartans return to the road to face Wisconsin next Saturday, Oct. 3 in Madison, Wisconsin (12:30 p.m./BTN). This will be the first time MSU has faced a Luke Fickell coached team since he spurned the Spartans for a chance to replace Mark Dantonio after he retired in February 2020. Fickell instead remained at Cincinnati until he took over in Madison in 2023.
The Badgers (2-1, who lost their opener to Notre Dame), opened conference play at No. 14 Penn State on Saturday concurrent with the MSU-Nebraska game. The Badgers trailed 17-0 at one point, but stormed back for a 24-20 win on the road. Fickell, in his fourth season at Wisconsin, entered Saturday with a 19-22 overall record and a 10-17 Big Ten record. Dantonio and MSU beat Ohio State, 10-7, in 2011 when Fickell was interim head coach after Jim Tressel's firing.
Contact Chris Solari: [email protected]. Follow him @chrissolari.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Mistakes, injuries sink Michigan State in frustrating loss to Nebraska