Check out the grades from Nebraska’s 38-27 win against Michigan State on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
RUN GAME (B)
There was a lot of chatter about who would back up Johnson in this game, but he offered a reminder of why he’s starting. He scored three times, including a tension-easing 23-yard TD in the third quarter that required a split decision to cut outside. He only had 13 carries, which isn’t enough. While the Husker o-line struggled in pass-block, it’s only fair to note that they opened some comfortable lanes for Johnson at times.
PASSING GAME (C)
It’s easier to say after a win, but this was Dylan Raiola’s worst game of the season. Now, the question is why. One reason is that he was sacked five times, but it’s reasonable to assign the quarterback a share of the blame for at least two of them. Raiola had a bad interception in NU territory, a no-no, but did hit Jacory Barney for a 45-yard strike when the home team really needed it. Nyziah Hunter made a whale of a play on the game-sealing 59-yard touchdown on a screen play that looked destined for a gain of only a yard or two.
AGAINST THE RUN (C)
In a game packed with flummoxing moments, Michigan State’s Aidan Chiles’ successful QB sneak up the middle from the 4-yard line (!) was particularly confusing, considering the Huskers barely touched him. NU had the athletic Chiles bottled up in the first half, but he broke through for chunk runs in the second, including two rushing touchdowns. The Huskers held MSU running back Makhi Frazier to 3.2 yards per carry on 18 attempts, which represents a strong effort.
AGAINST THE PASS (A)
It continues to be a no-fly zone in the Husker secondary. MSU repeatedly tried to hit “home runs” with deep balls down the field, but Blackshirt defensive backs stayed glued to their receivers. DeShon Singleton had a big game with two interceptions and a near touchdown. After allowing just 156 yards in the air, NU may well remain the No. 1 team in the country against the pass heading into next week. The Huskers’ pass rush was as active as it’s looked all season with five sacks, a positive sign. Williams Nwaneri continues to prove himself a valuable portal pickup.
SPECIAL TEAMS (A)
The story of the day. In one game, Nebraska’s third phase came up with enough plays to fill a season: a blocked punt for touchdown, a pooch kick recovery and multiple long punt returns by Jacory Barney. On a day the Huskers’ offense hit a speed bump, it was the third phase that bailed them out. Mike Ekeler’s name will be a popular one this week. Archie Wilson got a bad taste of Midwestern wind, hitting a couple of clunkers.
GAME MANAGEMENT (B)
Justin Evans typically isn’t one to let his emotions boil over, but his 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty effectively ended one of NU’s drives. Nelson’s block in the back also negated a Barney punt-return TD that would have been on his career highlight reel. The Huskers tried a fake punt on fourth down that came short by a couple of inches.
PLAY-CALLING (C)
Starting with the positives, Nebraska’s first touchdown of the game came from a slick design that included Heinrich Haarberg handing the ball off to Dylan Raiola, who handed it to Emmett Johnson. Seriously. Dana Holgorsen loves letting Raiola operate, but this was a game to get Johnson more involved. He had five fewer carries than MSU’s running back, which is simply confusing.
OVERALL (B)
Nebraska, clearly the better team, allowed it to get far too sweaty. Would the Huskers have won this game if it were played in East Lansing? Who knows, and who cares, considering it was played smack dab in central Lincoln. NU moves to 4-1 and has a Big Ten win to its name. Onward.
Love
0
Funny
0
Wow
0
Sad
0
Angry
0
Be the first to know
Get local news delivered to your inbox!
* I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
Nate Head
Sports editor
Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily!
Your notification has been saved.
There was a problem saving your notification.
{{description}}
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Followed notifications
Please log in to use this feature
Log In
Don’t have an account? Sign Up Today