ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Tommy Armstrong Jr. threw a left-handed, 5-yard shovel pass to Ameer Abdullah for a go-ahead touchdown with 2:03 left and Nebraska’s defense made enough stops to seal a 17-13 win over Michigan on Saturday.

The Cornhuskers (7-2, 4-1 Big Ten) kept their chances alive of returning to the conference championship game.Nebraska can move a big step closer to its goal by beating Legends Division-leading Michigan State next Saturday at home.

The Wolverines (6-3, 2-3) dashed hopes of earning a Big Ten title for the first time since 2004 with their first loss in 20 home games under coach Brady Hoke, turning the ball over on downs during their last possession.

Michigan went ahead 13-10 on Brendan Gibbons’ 40-yard field goal with 8:08 left after Jordan Westerkamp fumbled on a punt return, then its defense allowed the Cornhuskers to convert a fourth down on a 75-yard, game-winning drive.

Lincoln, Neb – The Nebraska football team practiced for 90 minutes in the Hawks Championship Center and on the Ed and Joyanne Gass practice fields on Thursday in preparation for Saturday’s game at Michigan.

Head Coach Bo Pelini spoke to the media after practice and said quarterback Taylor Martinez is out this weekend and Tommy Armstrong Jr. will start on Saturday. Pelini also talked about the interior offensive line.

“I thought (this week) went good (for them),” Pelini said. “We have a number of different combinations we can play. We feel good about it going in. We have a number of different options and you will probably see some different combinations throughout the game.”

Pelini added that he hasn’t determined a replacement for Jake Cotton but will review Thursday’s film and talk with the offensive coaching staff. Additionally, Pelini was pleased with practice overall this week.

“It was good tempo,” Pelini said. “Now we just have to put it to the test on Saturday. I thought we made some progress this week again. We need to play well, take care of the football and make sure we play more efficiently and with more consistency than we sometimes have at points. I know the guys are going to play hard. I think they are excited to play this football game and it’s going to be a heckuva challenge going to Michigan Stadium.”

Pelini also said despite the large stadium, the Huskers need to only focus on the game.

“At the end of the day, the field is going to be the same size,” Pelini said. “There are a few more people in the stands. We have to block all that stuff out and just be ready to play. We have a lot of guys going on this trip that haven’t been there before. We have a few that have. At the end of the day, there are going to be 110,000 people or whatever it is but they aren’t going to be on the field. It’s going to be 11-on-11 and that’s what it’s going to come down to.”

The Huskers and Wolverines kick off at 2:30 p.m. Central, 3:30 p.m. local time at Michigan Stadium. The game will be televised on ABC.

The Nebraska football team had three players named Thursday to the Capital One Academic All-District 7 football team, as chosen by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Each of the three honorees advance to the national ballot, where they will be eligible for the 2013 Capital One Academic All-America Team.

The three honorees are led by senior offensive guard Spencer Long who was named to the academic all-district 7 team for the third consecutive year. Long carries a 3.79 grade-point average in biological sciences. He is on track to earn his degree in December. Long was recently chosen as one of 16 college players who earned a National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athlete Award, which includes an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship. A two-time Academic All-Big Ten pick, Long started 33 consecutive games at offensive guard before injuring his knee earlier this season at Purdue.

Long is joined on the team by his twin brother, Jake, a senior tight end for the Huskers. This marks the second straight year Jake Long has earned academic all-district honors. Long carries a 3.86 cumulative grade-point average in biological sciences and is also on track to earn his degree next month. A two-time academic All-Big Ten pick, Long has been a regular at tight end for Nebraska for the past three seasons.

The Long brothers are joined on the academic all-district team by fullback C.J. Zimmerer. A graduate student, Zimmerer completed his undergraduate work in criminology and criminal justice in December of 2012, completing his degree in just 3 ½ years. Zimmerer had a 3.82 cumulative grade-point average as an undergraduate. On the field, the two-time academic All-Big Ten choice has been a fixture at fullback the past two seasons.

Nebraska’s three honorees were the most among schools in District 7. Each of the three honorees advance to the national academic All-America ballot. Nebraska leads the nation with 307 academic All-Americans across all sports, including 102 in football, the most of any individual team in the country.

The Nebraska Athletic Department will pay tribute to its academic All-America tradition next weekend. More than 100 of Nebraska’s academic All-Americans will return to Lincoln the weekend of Nov. 15-16. The group will be honored on the field at halftime of the Nebraska-Michigan State football game and will have a private reception, among other activities.

Nebraska (6-2, 3-1) at Michigan (6-2, 2-2), 3:30 p.m. EST, ABC

Line: Michigan by 7.

Series Record: Michigan leads 4-3-1.

WHAT’S AT STAKE

Nebraska, coming off its Hail Mary victory over Northwestern, needs a win here to set up a showdown with Michigan State next week for a share of first place and the tie-breaker in the Big Ten Legends Division. The Wolverines’ hopes for winning the division took a major hit with last week’s loss to the Spartans, and now might be the time to start jockeying for bowl position.

KEY MATCHUP

Nebraska RB Ameer Abdullah vs. Michigan rush defense: The Big Ten’s leading rusher already is over 1,000 yards and has gone for 100 in all but one game. The Wolverines are 14th nationally against the run and didn’t allow a back to top 100 yards until last week, when Jeremy Langford went for 120.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Nebraska: QB Tommy Armstrong has thrown six interceptions in his past two games and was replaced by Ron Kellogg III for the Huskers’ game-winning, Hail Mary drive against Northwestern. Let’s see how the redshirt freshman bounces back.

Michigan: TE Devin Funchess is a tough matchup for the Huskers. The 6-foot-4, 235-pound sophomore is averaging a team-high 19.2 yards on his 29 catches.

FACTS & FIGURES:

Nebraska has overcome double-digit deficits to win five Big Ten games the past two seasons … CB Stanley Jean-Baptiste has been practicing some at wide receiver this week because of injuries at the position. Jean-Baptiste started his Nebraska career as a receiver … Huskers have scored a touchdown on opening drive in all four of Armstrong’s starts … The Wolverines’ 19 straight wins at Michigan Stadium is the nation’s longest active home winning streak … Michigan WR Jeremy Gallon has at least one catch in 34 straight games. Braylon Edwards holds the record of 38 in a row … Michigan CB Blake Countess is first in the Big Ten with four interceptions.

Lincoln, Neb.-  The Nebraska football team continued its week of preparation for Saturday’s Big Ten conference showdown with Michigan on Wednesday afternoon. The team practiced in helmets and shoulder pads for just over two hours inside the Hawks Center and outside at the Ed and Joyanne Gass Practice Fields.

Defensive Coordinator John Papuchis addressed the media after practice, noting that at this point in the season, the Huskers are starting to be smarter with how they are practicing.

“It is that time of the year when you have to make sure you are smart with how you go about your reps, but I thought our guys’ energy was terrific,” Papuchis said. “I think they are excited to go on the road and play a big game in Michigan.”

A concern for NU going into this week’s matchup with Michigan is how the defense will play against the ultra-dynamic pro-style offense the Wolverines run. Led behind junior star quarterback Devin Garner, who has thrown for 1989 yards with 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, the Michigan offense poses a huge threat toward the Blackshirt defense.

Leading receiver Jeremy Gallon, a senior from Apoka, Fla., is another player to keep your eye on during the gameSaturday. Gallon has caught 50 balls this year for 898 yards with seven touchdowns. With all that production, Papuchis knows the Blackshirts need to keep a close eye on Gallon.

“We have a ton of respect for him (Gallon). He is one of the best players in this league obviously and we know what he is capable of doing,” Papuchis said. “We are definitely going to have our hands full, we have a lot of respect for what they do but I like our plans and I think we will be ready to roll.”

You might remember a key interception return for a touchdown in this past week’s game against Northwestern by redshirt freshman Avery Moss. Not only has Moss been making big plays, he has been catching the eyes of the Nebraska coaching staff recently.

“The thing about Avery is this is really his first true year of being healthy and playing a full year of football,” Papuchis said. “He hasn’t played a whole year yet, he keeps getting better every day. He is kind of one of those guys who hasn’t really scratched the surface of what he could potentially be. He brings it every day and works hard at practice.”

Nebraska will hit the practice field again on Thursday as the team moves closer to its fifth conference game of the season. The Huskers will face the Michigan Wolverines on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast nationally on ABC.