Huskers – Page 102 – North Platte Post Archive

Spartans Host Huskers in Crucial Big Ten Matchup

Posted on October 3, 2014

After all the big, era-defining victories Michigan State earned last season, a November win at Nebraska is often overlooked.

Michigan State’s 41-28 victory at Nebraska last year was the Spartans’ last major hurdle en route to the Legends Division title. The Big Ten realigned after that, and these teams are in different divisions now, but a lot will still be on the line Saturday night when the 10th-ranked Spartans host the 19th-ranked Cornhuskers.

Michigan State (3-1) has rebounded from its loss at Oregon and still holds hopes of reaching college football’s new four-team playoff. The Big Ten has taken some criticism for its early-season performance, so if the Spartans are going to impress the nation, this matchup with one of the league’s other ranked teams is important.

Nebraska (5-0, 1-0) didn’t look great while struggling against McNeese State a few weeks ago, but the Cornhuskers beat Miami and routed Illinois.

Huskers Inching Closer to Showdown with Spartans

Posted on October 3, 2014

Lincoln, Neb. – The Nebraska football team went through a 50-minute walkthrough at the Hawks Championship Center on Thursday in preparation for Saturday night’s showdown against Michigan State.

Head Coach Bo Pelini spoke to the media afterward and expressed pleasure with the team’s performance this week.

“It was good,” Pelini said. “It’s not over yet. We have one more day. There are always some mistakes early in the week. I thought we corrected them as the week went on. I thought that walkthrough was very clean. We’ve got some things to clean up. We’ve got our final run-through tomorrow and our guys made a couple of adjustments on both sides of the football today. We’ll practice it tomorrow and be ready to go.”

Pelini mentioned that the team’s focus will be on “us” and that the Huskers need to play loose to have success against the Spartans.

“(We need to) execute our football,” Pelini said. “Don’t treat this any different than we have up to this point. We have to execute our football and do what we are being coached to do. That’s been a constant theme for us. I know they’ll play hard and at the end of the day, we need to execute at a high level and do the things we’ve done up to this point.”

Sophomore Tommy Armstrong enters the matchup with a 12-1 record as the starting quarterback, without a loss on the road. Pelini expressed confidence in Armstrong.

“Tommy is a confident kid and we have a lot of confidence in him,” Pelini said. “I have confidence in this football team. I know we are playing a good football team. It will be a battle. The teams are going to go at it. It’s going to come down to little things. It always does.”

Pelini added that junior linebacker David Santos is “doubtful” for Saturday, but said it shouldn’t change too much with the defense and that the Blackshirts will “go kind of the way (they) did last week.”

The Huskers and Spartans square off on Saturday in East Lansing, Mich., at 7 p.m. (CT) on ABC. NU is seeking its second Big Ten win of the season as the Huskers take on the defending conference champions.

Huskers Not Enough in 3-1 Setback to Michigan

Posted on October 3, 2014

Ann Arbor, Mich. – Senior Mayme Conroy put Nebraska up 1-0 early, but Michigan’s Nicky Waldeck earned a hat trick to lead the Wolverines to a 3-1 win at U-M Stadium on Thursday afternoon.

Conroy’s goal came in the eighth minute, as she rebounded Katie Kraeutner’s blocked shot and shot it to the bottom right corner of the net. Conroy, the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week, continued where she left off from last week and has four goals in her last three games. The Omaha, Neb., native took three shots on Thursday.

The Huskers outshot the Wolverines 13-10, as Kraeutner led the way with four. Caroline Gray had three shots, Jaycie Johnson took two and Caroline Flynn added one for NU.

Michigan’s first goal came in the 31st minute, as Waldeck dribbled past Nebraska’s keeper and tapped it in from three yards out off an assist from Ani Sarkisian. In the 42nd minute, Waldeck scored her second goal to give the Wolverines a 2-1 advantage heading into the locker room.

Despite the Huskers outshooting Michigan 7-3 in the second half, the only goal came from Waldeck in the 65th minute. She received a pass five yards out on the right side and slipped it past the goalkeeper to the left side of the net.

NU falls to 5-5-2 on the season, and holds a 1-3-2 record in the Big Ten. The Huskers continue their road trip by playing Michigan State on Sunday at noon (CT). The game will not be streamed, but live stats are available through GameTracker.

No. 8 Huskers Welcome No. 3 Penn State, Ohio State

Posted on October 2, 2014

The eighth-ranked Nebraska volleyball team (8-3, 2-0 Big Ten) will look to continue its unbeaten start to Big Ten play this weekend when No. 3 Penn State and Ohio State visit Lincoln. The Huskers are no strangers to big home matches, having already hosted Stanford, Texas and Florida State – who are a combined 34-0 and all ranked in the top five. Yet another top-five challenge lies ahead when the third-ranked Nittany Lions take on Nebraska Friday at 7 p.m. on BTN. Nebraska will have little time to regroup from that battle as an experienced Ohio State squad comes to town for a 5 p.m. match on Saturday on NET.

Media Information
Both matches this weekend will be carried live on television. Friday’s match against Penn State will air on BTN, while Saturday’s match against Ohio State will air on NET and be streamed online with a BTN Plus subscription. Fans can also listen to the action with John Baylor and Diane Mendenhall on the 25-station Husker Sports Network, including B107.3 FM in Lincoln and The Wolf 93.3 FM in Omaha. Fans inside and outside the state of Nebraska will also be able to catch the live audio feed on Huskers.com for free. Live stats will be available at Huskers.com as well.

Series History
Nebraska leads the all-time series with Penn State 13-9, but the Nittany Lions are 3-2 against the Huskers since Nebraska joined the Big Ten. Both Husker wins in the Big Ten era have been in five sets, while all three losses to Penn State have been in four sets. Last year, Penn State won the only matchup on Nov. 30 in Lincoln, 3-1 (22-25, 25-23, 26-24, 26-24). The teams split the regular-season series in 2012. Since 2012, eight of the 13 sets between the squads have been decided by two points.

The Huskers are 11-4 all-time against Ohio State. Nebraska has won nine of the last 10 matches dating back to 1992. The teams met once last year in Columbus with Nebraska posting a 3-1 victory (22-25, 25-12, 25-17, 25-19). Kadie Rolfzen had 16 kills and nine digs, while Cecilia Hall had one of the best matches of her freshman season with seven kills on 15 attacks. Kylie Randall had nine kills as a freshman against Nebraska.

Up Next
Nebraska heads to Michigan next weekend for a Friday match at Michigan State at 7 p.m. and a Sunday match at Michigan at Noon. The Michigan State match will air on BTN.

Noting the Huskers
• Kadie Rolfzen leads the Huskers with 3.51 kills per set and ranks fifth in the Big Ten. The 2013 AVCA All-American has three of Nebraska’s four double-doubles this season (Mary Pollmiller has the other). Rolfzen is second on the team in digs with 2.84. She has double-digit kills in eight of her last 10 matches. Over her last 10 matches, Rolfzen is averaging 4.0 kills per set and hitting .321.
• Nebraska ranks second in the Big Ten with 2.84 blocks per set. Meghan Haggerty is fifth in the Big Ten with 1.30 blocks per set. The Huskers have just four solo blocks against them all season. The next closest Big Ten team is Penn State at seven.
• Amber Rolfzen began Big Ten play on a strong note, posting 21 kills with just one error last week on 35 attacks, giving her a .571 hitting percentage in the two matches against Iowa.
• Justine Wong-Orantes leads the Big Red in digs with 4.03 per set and ranks ninth in the conference. She had a career-high 29 digs against No. 2 Texas on Sept. 20, the most by a Husker since Kayla Banwarth’s 32 against Baylor on Nov. 18, 2009.
• Mary Pollmiller, the Huskers’ lone senior, has 394 set assists for 10.37 per set. She also adds a defensive presence at the net with 28 blocks to rank tied for second on the team.
• Alicia Ostrander has found the form that put her in the starting lineup at the beginning of the season, posting double-digit kills in each of the last three matches with 14, 10 and 11, respectively. In her last four outings, Ostrander is averaging 3.23 kills per set.
• Melanie Keil posted a career-high 13 attacks in both matches against Iowa last week. Over her last three matches she is hitting .421 with 19 kills and 10 blocks.
• Nebraska is 8-0 this season when recording as many or more service aces than its opponent.
• The Huskers are 229-0 when hitting .300 or better under John Cook. Nebraska is also 371-15 when winning the first set under Cook.
• John Cook is 138-40 (.775) against ranked opponents at Nebraska. Just over one-third of Cook’s total victories at Nebraska (421) have come against ranked teams.
• Nebraska volleyball leads the nation with 208 consecutive sellouts, the longest sellout streak in the history of NCAA women’s athletics. NU owns a 192-16 record during the streak. The Huskers will be seeking sellouts No. 209 and 210 this weekend.

Scouting the Penn State Nittany Lions
No. 3 Penn State’s (14-1, 2-0 Big Ten) only loss this season came in five sets at Stanford. In its 14 victories, Penn State has dropped just two of 44 sets. The Nittany Lions started Big Ten play on the road last week with a sweep at No. 5 Wisconsin and a 3-1 comeback at No. 17 Minnesota. Freshman Ali Frantti leads the team with 150 kills (3.26 kills per set). Senior setter Micha Hancock is a two-time AVCA First-Team All-American and has 11.49 assists per set and a nation-leading 54 service aces. Hancock is coming off an AVCA National Player of the Week honor earlier this week. The Nittany Lions lead the conference in hitting percentage (.372) and opponent hitting percentage (.124). They are the only Big Ten team hitting over .300.

Scouting the Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State is 9-5 overall and 0-2 in the Big Ten entering a match at Iowa on Friday. The Buckeyes took No. 17 Minnesota to the wire last week before getting swept at No. 5 Wisconsin. Erin Sekinger has a team-high 161 kills for an average of 3.16 per set. Middle blocker Taylor Sandbothe has 126 kills and and a team-high 61 blocks despite missing four matches. Ohio State is fourth in the Big Ten in digs (14.44 per set).

Nebraska’s Randy Gregory Keeps Opponents Guessing

Posted on October 1, 2014

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s defensive coaches have kept opponents guessing when it comes to how they use Randy Gregory.

The 6-foot-6, 245-pound Gregory has been a down lineman at left and right end, he’s blitzed as a linebacker, he’s lined up as a stand-up rush end on the left side, he’s dropped into pass coverage.

And he just might do something new Saturday night when the No. 19 Cornhuskers (5-0, 1-0 Big Ten) visit No. 10 Michigan State (3-1).

Gregory is back in top form after he tweaked an old knee injury in the season opener and had minor arthroscopic surgery Aug. 31. The 2013 Big Ten sack champion recorded two against Miami and 2 ½ last week against Illinois.

Huskers Journey to Michigan for Two Matches

Posted on October 1, 2014

The Nebraska soccer team (5-4-2) looks to ride momentum from last week’s victory when the Huskers takes a trip to the Great Lakes State to battle Michigan and Michigan State.

The Huskers face the Wolverines on Thursday at 2:30 p.m., at U-M Stadium in a Big Ten Network-televised game. On Sunday, NU squares off with the Spartans at noon at DeMartin Soccer Complex. Live stats for both games are available on GameTracker.

The matchup between Nebraska and Michigan will be the seventh meeting all time, with the Wolverines holding a 4-1-1 advantage. Michigan State leads the series against Nebraska, 2-1-0.

Last Time Out: Conroy Leads NU to Win, Tie
Nebraska got back to its winning ways on Sunday, Sept. 28 at the Nebraska Soccer Field as the Huskers posted a 4-3 overtime win over Maryland after tying No. 25 Rutgers on Thursday, Sept. 25.

Against the Scarlet Knights, senior Mayme Conroy scored in the 37th minute off a pass from Jourden Casey to tie the game at 1. Neither team scored for the remainder of the game, as goalkeeper Kelly Schatz registered a career-high seven saves.

Conroy scored two goals, including the game winner in the 96th minute, against Maryland in Sunday’s match. Caroline Gray and Jacyie Johnson also scored for the Huskers, and Casey earned two assists.

Scouting the Michigan Wolverines
Michigan is 8-3-0 on the season and holds a 4-1 record in the Big Ten. The Wolverines opened the season with wins over Cal State Northridge and Bowling Green before dropping back-to-back games against San Diego and San Diego State. U-M responded over the next five games with victories over Toledo, Central Michigan, Minnesota, then-No. 9 Wisconsin and Maryland before falling to Rutgers on Sept. 21. Michigan won its most recent game, a 2-1 triumph over intrastate rival Michigan State.

Nicky Waldeck leads the Wolverines in goals scored with five and has three assists as well. Ani Sarkisian has also a stalwart for the Wolverine offense, scoring four goals and adding six assists. Madisson Lewis (3 goals), Corinne Harris (2) and Taylor Timko (2) also have multiple goals for Michigan this season. Goalkeeper Megan Hinz has started eight games in net and holds a 7-1 record, while Taylor Bucklin has a 1-2 record in three games at goalie.

Scouting the Michigan State Spartans
Michigan State is 6-4-1 and still seeking its first Big Ten win after an 0-4-1 start. The Spartans have suffered one-goal losses to Michigan, Rutgers, Minnesota and Wisconsin, but tied Maryland on Sept. 21. MSU opened the season with six consecutive victories, three of which were shutouts.

Jamie Cheslik has led the MSU offense with six goals, while Mary-Kate Fiebernitz (3 goals), Allyson Krause (2), and Rachel Van Poppelen (2) have each scored multiple goals. Goalkeeper Courtney Clem has started all 11 games at net for the Spartains and has 59 saves, while surrending nine goals.

Conroy Collects Big Ten Honor
Senior forward Mayme Conroy earned Big Ten Offensive Player-of-the-Week accolades on Monday, Sept. 29, after scoring three goals in two games during the previous week.

Conroy, an Omaha, Neb., native, tallied two goals in Nebraska’s 4-3 overtime triumph over Maryland, including the game winner in the 96th minute. Her first score of the game came in the 22nd minute off an assist from Katie Kraeutner.

On Thursday, Sept. 25, Conroy delivered in the 37th minute against No. 25 Rutgers, helping the Huskers’ to a 1-1 tie at the Nebraska Soccer Field. She took three shots in 105 minutes of action while facing the Scarlet Knights.

Casey Provides Crucial Assists Over Weekend
Senior defender had a career day on Sunday, Sept. 28, against Maryland when she assisted on two goals, including the game winner in the 96th minute. Casey earned the first assist of her career in the previous game, a 1-1 tie against Rutgers on Thursday, Sept. 25.

Huskers Showing Ability to Score Late
Nebraska has scored in the 75th minute or later in seven of its 11 games this season. Jaycie Johnson has scored twice in the 75th minute or later, while Courtney Claassen, Caroline Flynn, Katie Kraeutner, Mayme Conroy and Sydney Miramontez have each added one during that time stretch.

The Huskers failed to score down the stretch against Wisconsin, Illinois, Oklahoma and Rutgers, but made late goals in each of their first four games of the season. Overall, NU is 5-1-1 when scoring in the last 15 minutes. The Huskers are 0-3-1 when they don’t.

Schatz Filling Goalkeeper Role
Sophomore Kelly Schatz has started all 11 games at goalkeeper for the Huskers this season, playing more than 1,009 minutes. Schatz has 32 saves and has earned two complete game shutouts. She also contributed to a third NU shutout as she played the first 48 minutes against North Dakota. Schatz has given up 17 goals on the season and holds a .653 save percentage.

Johnson Continues to Produce on Offense
Nebraska’s leading goal scorer from 2013, Jaycie Johnson, started 2014 where she left off from last season and has seven goals through 11 games.

Johnson scored two goals in each of the first three weekends, managing a pair of scores in both the Marquette and North Dakota matches. She scored once against SMU, DePaul and Maryland.

A Lake Winnebago, Mo. native, Johnson has taken 43 shots this season, 28 of which have been on goal.

Huskers Fall to No. 13 Wisconsin, 3-0
Nebraska outshot Wisconsin 10-7 at McClimon Soccer Complex in Madison, Wis., but fell by a 3-0 margin on Saturday, Sept. 20. The Badgers scored goals in the first, 20th and 86th minutes.

Jaycie Johnson (three shots on goal), Caroline Gray (two shots on goal), Mayme Conroy (one shot on goal) and Caroline Flynn (one shot on goal) led Nebraska’s offense.

NU Ties Big Ten Opener, Falls to Illinois
Nebraska opened its Big Ten season with a pair of home matches on Thursday, Sept. 11 and Sunday, Sept. 14. The Huskers tied Northwestern in the first game, 1-1, before dropping a 3-0 decision to Illinois.

Against the Wildcats, Northwestern’s Sami Schrakamp struck first in the 12th minute to put the Wildcats up 1-0. With time winding down in the game, Katie Kraeutner scored off an assist from Jaycie Johnson in the 88th minute to tie the game. Neither team scored in the extra time.

Against the Fighting Illini, the Huskers took six shots but failed to score in a 3-0 setback. Illinois’ Allison Stucky scored in the 40th minute, while Jannelle Flaws added two goals, scoring in the 71st and 80th minute.

NU Responds to 2OT Loss with 4-0 Win
Nebraska went 1-1 at home in its third weekend of play, falling to No. 20 Oklahoma in double overtime on Friday, Sept. 5, before dominating North Dakota by a 4-0 margin on Sunday, Sept. 7.

Against the Sooners, Katie Kraeutner scored in the sixth minute to put NU up early, but Oklahoma tied the score 1-1 in the 71st minute with Ayana O’Neal’s goal. Despite Nebraska controlling on offense to start the second overtime, Oklahoma’s defense managed to withstand the pressure and scored in the 107th minute for the win.

On Sunday, the Huskers outshot North Dakota 32-2, as Jaycie Johnson scored twice, and Mayme Conroy and Courtney Claassen each added one goal in the 4-0 win.

Both of Johnson’s goals came in the first three minutes of the second half. Conroy scored NU’s first goal of the game in the ninth minute. Claassen scored off a rebound in the 76th minute for her first career goal. Caroline Flynn recorded two assists.

Huskers Sweep Butler, Marquette
Nebraska took down Butler, 1-0, on Friday, Aug. 29 at the Nebraska Soccer Field before defeating Marquette, 3-2, on Sunday, Aug. 31 at Valley Fields in Milwaukee, Wis.

The Huskers outshot the Bulldogs 17-2, but it wasn’t until Caroline Flynn’s goal in the 83rd minute that NU got on the scoreboard. Flynn scored from 30 yards out to the top left corner of the net from the right side of the field. Goalkeeper Kelly Schatz earned two saves during the shutout.

Against the Golden Eagles, Nebraska trailed 2-0 before scoring three goals in the final 26 minutes en route to a 3-2 triumph. Jaycie Johnson scored twice, making her first goal in the 65th minute before adding the game winner off an assist from Caroline Gray in the 83rd minute. Mayme Conroy added a goal for the Huskers in the 69th minute.

Huskers Split Opening Weekend Games
Nebraska opened the regular season on Friday, Aug. 22 with a 4-0 victory over SMU before falling to DePaul, 2-1, on Sunday, Aug. 24 at the Nebraska Soccer Field.

Against the Mustangs, goalkeeper Kelly Schatz earned a shutout in her first career start at the position. She compiled five saves, four of which came in the second half. Caroline Gray, Caroline Flynn, Jaycie Johnson and Sydney Miramontez each scored for the Huskers in the home opener.

Against the Blue Demons, Johnson scored the lone goal for the Huskers in the 89th minute off an assist from Flynn, but DePaul had already built a 2-0 lead. Elise Wyatt scored for the Blue Demons in the 16th minute before Abby Reed added a goal in the 85th minute.

Final Season at Nebraska Soccer Field
The Huskers are in their 10th and final season at the Nebraska Soccer Field before moving into the Nebraska Soccer and Tennis Complex next season. Since moving to campus in 2005, NU has compiled a 67-27-14 record and has three home games remaining in 2014.

2014 Season Outlook
Nebraska’s 2014 team includes five seniors in Head Coach John Walker’s 21st season at the helm of the school’s soccer program. The Huskers also welcomed back All-Big Ten second-team member Jaycie Johnson, who is a sophomore in 2014 after leading the team with 17 goals last season. The Huskers added 12 newcomers in the offseason in addition to their 12 returning letterwinners from 2013.

Huskers Make Three BTN Appearances
Nebraska has appeared on the Big Ten Network twice this season and will make one more showing on Thursday at Michigan at 2:30 p.m. The Huskers appeared on BTN for their matches against Northwestern (Sept. 11) and Maryland (Sept. 28).

Green Selected for NWCA All-Star Classic

Posted on October 1, 2014

Senior 157-pounder James Green will face Kent State’s Ian Miller in the NWCA All-Star Classic at the Palestra in Philadelphia, Pa. on Saturday, Nov. 1.

Green, a three-time All-American, starts his final season in a Husker singlet at the event after earning a silver medal at the University World Championships in July. The Willingboro, N.J., native finished third at the 2014 NCAA Championships, dominating Miller by a 13-1 major decision in his final match of the tournament.

Green collected seventh-place NCAA finishes during his freshman and sophomore seasons at Nebraska. He also won the 2014 Big Ten title at 157 pounds, and finished his junior campaign with a 35-2 record, which included 10 major decisions, five pins and four technical falls.

For his career at Nebraska, Green is 94-17 in three seasons, and holds a 37-7 mark in dual competition. He seeks to become the second wrestler in Nebraska history to earn All-America honors on four occasions, a title currently owned by Associate Head Coach Bryan Snyder, who wrestled from 1999-2002.

Green’s opponent, Miller, went 31-6 last season on his way to a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. He also won the 2014 Mid-American Conference title at 157 pounds after redshirting in 2012-13. Miller will be a junior in 2014-15.

Green becomes the 30th Husker wrestler to compete at the NWCA All-Star Classic and the first since 2009 when Jordan Burroughs, Stephen Dwyer and Craig Brester all competed.

The NWCA has already announced three other matches for this year’s event and will reveal six others over the coming weeks before the competition.

The Huskers open the season by hosting their annual Intrasquad on Friday, Oct. 31 at the Devaney Center at 5 p.m. Nebraska’s first dual is set for Friday, Nov. 7 at Wyoming, starting at 4 p.m. (CT).

NU Defense Ready for Cook, Spartans

Posted on September 30, 2014

Lincoln, Neb. – The Nebraska football team continued its preparations for its Big Ten battle Saturday night with the Michigan State Spartans, as the Huskers conducted a 1-hour and 50-minute practice Tuesday afternoon in full pads inside of the Hawks Championship Center. Nebraska will travel to East Lansing for its first conference road game against the defending Big Ten champions.

Defensive coordinator John Papuchis met with media members after practice, noting the challenges of the Spartan offense including quarterback Connor Cook who has thrown for 837 yards, while completing 69 percent of his passes this season.

“He is actually a lot more athletic than people would give him credit for,” Papuchis said. “What he does a great job of is buying time for himself in the pocket. His mobility doesn’t always translate to rushing yards. But what he is able to do is give ground, avoid pass rush and feel the pocket and step up in it. That he does a really good job of.”

Papuchis added Cook has many great targets in receivers Tony Lippett, R.J. Shelton and tight end Josiah Price. He spoke of their different style, size and physical ability.

“They are big guys, really the same guys we have been playing for a couple years now. Our biggest thing is we have to get our hands on them. If we are physical with them and match their physicality then I think we have a chance. If we allow them to run free down the field and box us out all of the time, then we are going to have some issues,” Papuchis said. “We will have to be good in our technique we will have to execute our fundamentals and we will have a chance to be good.”

When asked what he thinks of the defensive line, Papuchis said they have grown tremendously in the first few weeks and will continue to do so in Big Ten play.

“I think the biggest measuring stick is how efficient we have been in terms of running between the tackles. We have gotten considerably better against the run, but I feel a big part of that is there has been very few successful runs in between the tackles. That is credit to Maliek, Vincent, Kevin Maurice and Kevin Williams,” Papuchis said.

The Huskers will hit the practice field again on Wednesday as the team moves closer to its second conference game of the season. NU will face Michigan State on Saturday at 7 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast nationally on ABC. Check back here or at Huskers.com for updates.

Michigan St, Nebraska have Gaudy Offensive Numbers

Posted on September 30, 2014

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — No. 10 Michigan State is off to a historic start on offense and faces another high-scoring team in No. 19 Nebraska to open Big Ten play on Saturday night.

Michigan State (3-1) has scored 201 points through four games, best in school history. The Cornhuskers (5-0, 1-0 Big Ten) are averaging 45.4 points per game.

It’s an interesting dynamic considering Spartans coach Mark Dantonio and Nebraska coach Bo Pelini are former defensive coordinators.

Dantonio said Tuesday that high-scoring games don’t seem unusual anymore in this day and age.

Huskers Looking to Dent Michigan St. Defense Again

Posted on September 29, 2014

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Michigan State has had one of the nation’s top defenses in recent seasons, and no team has moved the ball better against it than Nebraska.

The 19th-ranked Cornhuskers (5-0, 1-0 Big Ten) hope the trend continues Saturday night when they meet the No. 10 Spartans (3-1) in East Lansing, Michigan.

In 2012, the Huskers ran for 313 yards in a 28-24 victory, with Ameer Abdullah going for 110. Nebraska’s 473 total yards were 90 more than any other team gained against the Spartans.

In 2013, Nebraska totaled 392 yards against what would end up as the nation’s No. 2 defense. Abdullah had 123 of the Huskers’ 182 rushing yards. The Huskers committed five turnovers and the Spartans won 41-28.