Michigan State Injuries Pile Up In Nebraska Loss

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Michigan State injuries piled up through a 31-13 loss to the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Saturday at Spartan Stadium, and Pat Fitzgerald lost starting running back Cam Edwards in the first quarter.

The Good: Jaziun Patterson Steps Up

After Cam Edwards went down in the first quarter, Jaziun Patterson tried to step up. On 16 carries, Patterson rushed for 54 yards, more than he had gained all season before Saturday. Patterson also scored the Spartans’ only touchdown, a 2-yard run off a direct snap.

The Bad: Michigan State Injuries Pile Up

Cam Edwards headlines the injury report. He started strong, rushing for 16 yards on four carries and adding a 23-yard reception. He went down on that catch, walked to the medical tent, then left the sideline on a medical cart. Edwards came back to the MSU sideline later in the game on crutches, with a brace on his right leg.

The defense took hits from the opening kickoff. Cornerback Tre Bell was ruled out before kickoff after getting injured during warmups. The Spartans were already down eight players, including cornerback Tyran Chappell, who was hurt in the second half of last week’s loss at Notre Dame. NiJhay Burt also went down during Nebraska’s second touchdown, though he returned. Linebackers Jordan Hall, Cam Stodghill and Dion Crawford also went down with injuries.

Dual Quarterback Struggles

The Spartans played both Alessio Milivojevic and Cam Fancher, and both struggled with turnovers. Earlier in the week, Pat Fitzgerald praised Cam Fancher for his play in a limited role over the first three games. Fancher’s night ended early, though, after he threw an interception on the first drive of the second quarter.

Milivojevic also struggled, completing 18 of 26 passes for 208 yards with his third interception of the season. His offensive line did not help. Nebraska sacked him six times, and two of those sacks knocked the ball loose. The Spartans recovered only one of them.

Anthony Colandrea Ran Free

Coming into this game, Nebraska quarterback Anthony Colandrea had already shown off his legs, rushing for 75 yards and two touchdowns through three games. Even with that on tape, the MSU defense could not stop him. He ran 10 times for 66 yards and was not sacked once.

The Intriguing: Big Calls Cause Momentum Shifts

The referees were in the spotlight throughout the game. The Spartans nearly blocked a punt in the first quarter, but safety Evan Young was called for holding, and the flag handed the Cornhuskers a first down. Nebraska made MSU pay later on the same drive with a 44-yard touchdown pass to Kwazi Gilmer.

In the second quarter, the Spartans had Nebraska in a third-and-14 after an incomplete pass. Instead of the stop, MSU edge Kenny Soares Jr. was called for unsportsmanlike conduct, and Pat Fitzgerald screamed at the referees. The Cornhuskers kept the drive alive and scored a 13-yard touchdown pass with two seconds left in the half.

The Spartans will look to work through their injuries and bounce back when they travel to Wisconsin on Saturday, Oct. 3.

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