{"id":54226,"date":"2023-11-06T09:00:15","date_gmt":"2023-11-06T14:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/?p=54226"},"modified":"2023-11-05T20:27:32","modified_gmt":"2023-11-06T01:27:32","slug":"spartans-stun-the-huskers-in-east-lansing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/2023\/11\/06\/spartans-stun-the-huskers-in-east-lansing\/","title":{"rendered":"Spartans Stun The Huskers In East Lansing"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Saturday, \u00a0the Huskers’ path to bowl eligibility under head coach Matt Rhule <\/strong>got a lot harder with their 20-17 loss to Michigan State. Let’s take a look at what factors contributed to this rough day for the\u00a0 Cornhuskers, as the Spartans stun the Huskers in East Lansing.<\/p>\n

Turnovers Hamper The Nebraska Huskers Offense<\/h3>\n

After a worrisome first drive from sophomore quarterback Heinrich Haarberg<\/a> and the rest of the Nebraska offense, the Huskers found success in the running game with freshman running back Emmett Johnson<\/a> and his 11-yard sprint. And on the next play senior running back Anthony Grant<\/a> charged ahead with a 16-yard gain. But then, the Big Red’s momentum vanished. On third and 18, Haarberg’s wobbly pass intended for wide receiver Alex Bullock<\/a> got intercepted.\u00a0 In the second half, the Huskers offense managed to spark their offense with wide receiver Malachi Coleman’s<\/a> 30-yard grab. This led to a 43-yard run by Haarberg as well as Johnson’s second score of the season. But, it would be all in vain. At the end of the game, Haarberg fumbled. Because of all these issues with Haarberg’s ball security, does Nebraska take quarterback Jeff Sims<\/a> off the bench? It’s certainly an option that offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield<\/strong> will have to consider at this juncture in the season.<\/p>\n

Read more about Nebraska’s quarterback problems in How Nebraska’s Offense Can Explode This Week\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

The Nebraska Huskers Defense Regresses<\/h3>\n

Throughout his tenure as the Huskers defensive coordinator, Tony White<\/strong> has been spectacular. But in the matchup against Michigan State, the efforts from the Blackshirts secondary were not enough. In the first half,\u00a0 MSU freshman quarterback Katin Houser\u00a0<\/a> routinely burned Husker defenders by completing long passes to both Spartan tight end Brennan Parachek<\/a> and wide receiver Jaylan Franklin<\/a>.\u00a0 And the second half wouldn’t be much better, as wideout Tyrell Henry<\/a> would chip away at the Cornhuskers secondary to keep the MSU offense alive. As a result of this, field goal kicker Jonathan Kim<\/a> would make a 50-yard field goal. But, White\u2019s unit would slowly start to feel like themselves again when\u00a0 MSU\u2019s offense was faced with pressure.\u00a0 Talented freshman defensive lineman Cam Lenhardt <\/a>sacked Houser on second down. And walk-on sophomore James Williams<\/a> continued his steady production with a sack on third down as well. But unfortunately, the Spartans were able to weather the storm with backup quarterback Sam Leavitt<\/a>. Early in the fourth quarter, he was able to throw a touchdown pass when senior wideout Montorie Foster<\/a> beat senior cornerback Quinton Newsome<\/a> for MSU\u2019s final score of the day. As one of the Nebraska Huskers’ worst performances of the season on defense, it hampers the team’s confidence going into the Maryland matchup. But, there is hope since they have been dominant up to this point.\u00a0 Because of this, defensive backs coach Evan Cooper<\/strong> and the rest of Nebraska’s staff needs to make more adjustments. And they also need to motivate their units to double down on their process once again.<\/p>\n

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Final. pic.twitter.com\/aXYmCv91gw<\/a><\/p>\n

— Nebraska Football (@HuskerFootball) November 4, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n