MSU vs Nebraska NCAA Football Handicapping
The 17th-ranked Michigan State Spartans will make the trip out to Lincoln to take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Both teams are coming off a win over Michigan, with Michigan’s State’s coming a week ago, so they’ll be fully rested and ready to go in this battle of Big Ten teams.
17 Michigan State Spartans (8-1) at Nebraska Cornhuskers (7-2)
Date: Saturday, November 16, 2013
Time: 3:30 PM ET
Venue: Memorial Stadium
City: Lincoln, Nebraska
O/U Odds: 41.5
Spread: Michigan State -6
Money Line: Michigan State -245, Nebraska +205
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It was Nebraska that faced off with Michigan most recently, beating them 17-13 on Saturday.
With their starting quarterback still on the sideline, Nebraska leaned heavily on running back Ameer Abdullah, who carried the rock 27 times for 105 yards and a score, including a second score through the air.
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He bailed the team out late with a go-ahead touchdown with just over two minutes remaining to put the Cornhuskers ahead for good. That touchdown came from quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr., who hit Abdullah from five yards out. Armstrong Jr. completed 11 of 19 passes for 139 yards and that one touchdown. All told. The Cornhuskers accumulated 273 yards of offense.
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The Nebraska defense was the strong point of the game, swarming Michigan’s ground game. Including sacks, the Michigan ground game generated negative-21 yards on a whopping 36 carries. Running back Fitzgerald Toussaint carried the ball nine times for just six yards, while quarterback Devin Gardner’s 16 attempts produced a net of 32 yards lost. Gardner had more success through the air, completing 18 of 27 passes for 196 yards and a touchdown without an interception. As good as they were, the Cornhuskers failed to force a turnover.
Michigan State’s win over Michigan came a week earlier, and they prevailed by a score of 29-6. The Spartan defense held the Wolverines to just six points on 168 yards of offense, holding the Wolverines off the scoreboard in the second half of the game, and including sacks, holding the Wolverines to negative-48 yards rushing on 29 attempts. Running back Fitzgerald Touissant’s eight carries generated only 20 yards, while quarterback Devin Gardner
The Spartan offense was carried by quarterback Connor Cook and running back Jeremy Langford. Cook completed 18 of 33 passes for 252 yards and a touchdown with an interception, adding another score on the ground, while Langford turned 26 carries into 120 yards and a score. Langford put the final nail in Michigan’s coffin with a 40-yard rushing score late in the fourth quarter.
Both teams beat Michigan in their last game, but the Spartans did so handily, while Nebraska eked by. The Cornhuskers simply aren’t nearly as dynamic without quarterback Taylor Martinez, and that lack of explosiveness isn’t a recipe for success against one of the nation’s best defenses in the Spartans. The Cornhuskers could be in for a long day full of three-and-outs against a Spartan team looking for a convincing win over a Big Ten foe.
The play: Michigan State -6
