Blackshirts lead the way in 9-6 Senior Day win

On a cold and blustery Saturday afternoon in Lincoln, Nebraska was forced to play the epitome of an old-school November Big Ten game against a team built for exactly that in Michigan State.

With a stingy defense, some timely offense, and a career day from a freshman kicker, the Huskers followed that recipe to perfect to pull out a 9-6 victory.

The Blackshirts held MSU to just 289 yards of offense, while true freshman Barret Pickering drilled three field goals, including the go-ahead kick from 47-yards out with 5:13 remaining.

Michigan State made one last push when it faced a fourth-and-4 from the NU 29 with 1:59 left, but an incomplete pass sealed the victory and gave the Huskers their fourth win in their past five games and sent their 19 seniors out on a high note.

Nebraska punted on its first drive of the game, snapping a streak of six straight opening possessions with touchdowns. Led by quarterback Rocky Lombardi, who got the start over previous No. 1 Brian Lewerke, Michigan State was able to strike first on a 34-yard field goal by Matt Coghlin.

The Huskers found a spark with Martinez’s legs, as he rushed two times for 27 yards to move the ball deep into MSU territory. But the threat ended when NU failed to convert a fourth-and-5 from the Spartan 27.

A stop by the Blackshirts and a good return by Stanley Morgan Jr. got Nebraska the ball back, but a 14-yard completion to Kade Warner ended with a fumble recovered by MSU at its 47. The defense able to hold again, but the Huskers’ offense tripped up with another costly fumble, this time by Martinez that Michigan State recovered at the NU 21.

Despite a costly and questionable personal foul on Mohamed Barry that extended the drive, Nebraska stepped up once more on defense to force a field goal, and this time Coghlin’s kick bounced off the left upright no good.

The Huskers drove all the way to the Michigan State 33 on their ensuing series before being faced with another fourth down, and Martinez missed a near touchdown pass to Morgan to give MSU the ball back on a turnover on downs.

Lombardi converted consecutive third-and-longs on QB draws, and a pass interference on cornerback Lamar Jackson got Michigan State into Husker territory in the final seconds of the half. But senior safety Antonio Reed picked off Lombardi at the goal line to send Nebraska into halftime down 3-0.

The teams combined for just 261 total yards in the half, including only 106 through the air. Nebraska’s seven first-half drives resulted in two punts, two lost fumbles, two turnovers on downs, and one play to run out the final seconds before halftime.

After four straight punts in the third quarter, Michigan State came up with the biggest play of the day on a 36-yard pass from Lombardi to running back Connor Heyward. That led to a 26-yard field goal by Coghlin to push the Spartans lead up to 6-0 with 12:13 left to play.

A good kickoff return by Maurice Washington plus a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Michigan State spotted NU’s next drive at its 40. On the first play, Martinez connected with Morgan for a 35-yard pass down to the MSU 20.

The Huskers would have to settle for a 36-yard field goal from Barret Pickering that trimmed the deficit to 6-3 with 11:07 remaining in the game.

Nebraska’s defense needed to come up with another stop, and Reed provided yet another game-changing play when he blitzed around the right end and leveled Lombardi for a sack-fumble, and lineman Damion Daniels recovered at the MSU 20.

Senior running back Devine Ozigbo reeled off a 15-yard run down to the four, but NU couldn’t punch it into the end zone. Pickering was still able to tie it up with a 20-yarder with 8:07 to go.

The defense forced a quick punt and Nebraska moved into Spartan territory to set up another field goal from Pickering, and the freshman drilled it 47 yards down the center to give the Huskers their first lead of the day at 9-6 with 5:13 on the clock.

Michigan State had a chance to tie it up after marching down to the Nebraska 29 on its final drive, but Lombardi’s pass fell incomplete, and the Huskers only had to grind out the rest of the clock to put the game away.

Nebraska will wrap up its 2018 season next week when it travels to Iowa for a Black Friday showdown, which will kick off at 11 a.m. and be televised on FOX.