No. 8 MSU football prevailed on Saturday against No. 21 Nebraska, but it wasn’t an easy game in the fourth quarter.
The Spartans carried a 27-3 lead into the fourth quarter, with players and coaches admitting they had thought the game was in hand. But Nebraska ripped off 19 unanswered points to make it interesting. Lucky for MSU, junior cornerback Trae Waynes was able to make an interception in the final minute to seal the Spartan win.
Before looking ahead to Purdue this week, here are four takeaways from this past week’s 27-22 victory over Nebraska.
Winning without Cook
Saturday’s victory proved a lot of things for MSU, including learning how to win without a great performance from junior quarterback Connor Cook.
Cook finished an abysmal 11-of-29 in completions and recorded 234 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Following the game, Cook said he needed to be more accurate in the passing game and the stats surely supported that statement.
But finding a way to win when Cook didn’t play his best game was important for MSU. Getting back to relying on the defense and running game was huge for this Spartans team, proving to fans that Cook doesn’t need to be perfect for MSU to experience success.
Blowing lead not a trend
Saturday didn’t serve as the first time this season MSU let a late lead slip away. MSU also held a nine point lead in the second half against then-No. 3 Oregon before giving up 28 unanswered points in a 46-27 loss.
MSU was able to still hold on to knock off Nebraska this past weekend, but letting the Cornhuskers sneak back has created doubt in this team’s ability to close out opponents.
However, head coach Mark Dantonio doesn’t consider it a trend that fans should worry about throughout the rest of the season. Following the game, Dantonio said the two games aren’t comparable because of the wider score margin this past week and considered it “uncharacteristic” for his team to blow that lead.
Lippett best in Big Ten
Is it time to start throwing senior wide receiver Tony Lippett into the Heisman conversation? No, it’s way too early for that. But one can definitely make the argument that Lippett is the best wide receivers in the Big Ten as of today.
Lippett had another stellar performance on Saturday, playing a role in both the passing and ground game. Lippett recorded three receptions for 104 yards and had the opening 55-yard touchdown that jump started the Spartan offense in the first quarter. Later in the game, Lippett again found the endzone on a 32-yard end around reverse run for what appeared to be the knockout punch at the time.
Lippett leads the Big Ten in receiving yards and is by far Cook’s favorite target this season. If Lippett continues to post big-time numbers like he has in the first five games, expect him not only to be crowned best wide receiver in Big Ten by the end of the year, but maybe in the country.
Best team in Big Ten
It’s now safe to say MSU is the best team in the Big Ten and is back in the conversation for the College Football Playoff.
The win over potentially the second best team in the league will go a long way for MSU and with a weak schedule ahead in the coming weeks — at Purdue, at Indiana and Michigan — expect Sparty to be sitting 7-1 when the Buckeyes come to town on Nov. 8. Win that one against Ohio State and there’s no reason why MSU can’t make it two straight undefeated Big Ten regular seasons.
