Michigan State could not run the ball and could not keep Nebraska's pass rush off its quarterbacks, and the 31-13 score followed from that. The Spartans managed 39 rushing yards on 32 carries and gave the ball away three times, while Nebraska sacked them six times without a turnover of its own. Anthony Colandrea threw two touchdown passes, and Kwazi Gilmer caught four balls for 101 yards, including a 44-yard score in Q1 1:45.

1. 1.Nebraska's line decided it: six sacks, two of them from Williams Nwaneri, who also blocked a 52-yard Boyd field goal try in Q3 1:27 that would have cut the deficit.
2. 2.Michigan State's drives kept stalling on the ground, with Patterson's 54 yards on 16 carries the best of a 39-yard team total, and the Spartans settled for Boyd field goals of 48 and 46 yards.
3. 3.Turnovers and timing swung the scoreboard: Chambliss picked off Fancher at the MSU 29 in Q2 11:11, Colandrea hit Genatone for a 13-yard score with 2 seconds left in Q2, and Marshall's interception in Q4 6:43 ended the Spartans' last real push.