It was fourth-and-6 . Michigan State football forced a three-and-out after taking the lead nearing the end of the first quarter. Nebraska had just six offensive plays for nine yards through two drives. The Spartans were in control. The Cornhuskers lined up to punt, but junior special teamer Jack Yanachik flew in to block the punt and send Spartan Stadium into a frenzy.
The momentum favored the Spartans until the referee's whistle signaled the play was coming back — an agonizing holding penalty by sophomore safety Evan Young sucked the life out of everyone instantly. Inexplicably, Young wrapped up a Cornhusker at the line of scrimmage, turning what would’ve been a game-changing turnover into first-and-10 the other way.
“Just a lack of focus and discipline, and that’s on me," Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald said. “We’ve been really good up to this point, and we lost our cool at times. I thought we overreacted at times.”
Coming into the game, MSU's 10 penalties ranked fourth in fewest penalties committed in the country. The group had established itself as one of the most disciplined programs in the nation under its new leadership. That identity vanished Saturday night.
Despite only tallying five penalties on the night to Nebraska's seven, each penalty prevented the Spartans from sustaining drives and getting off the field. Self-inflicted errors have hurt MSU all season, but never penalties. Still, the Spartans couldn't get out of their own way.
Had MSU blocked the punt, it would’ve already had the lead and the ball back in enemy territory, but instead, the Cornhuskers accepted the penalty and stormed down the field. In three plays, Nebraska went from its own 39-yard line to the end zone, headlined by the 44-yard deep-shot touchdown to junior wide receiver Kwazi Gilmer.
MSU’s defense took the field almost immediately after the offense posted a three-and-out of its own. Senior quarterback Anthony Colandrea kept the Spartans guessing, mixing his arm talent on the move with his ability to make plays with his legs. It frustrated MSU’s defenders, specifically graduate cornerback Charles Brantley, who laid a late hit on Colandrea. It was another completely controllable penalty that added another 15 yards to the gain.
The penalty fueled 6 points for the Huskers. Running back Mekhi Nelson punched in the four-yard score, concluding a 14-play, 74-yard drive.
“You can’t beat yourself,” Fitzgerald said. “Now it’s my responsibility to get fixed. We turn the ball over, we have untimely penalties, yeah, we block a punt and we get called for holding. Those things you can’t do.”
Later in the second quarter, MSU had another opportunity to come up with a stop. Sophomore defensive lineman Mikeshun Beeler broke up a pass intended for Nelson that would’ve set up third-and-14. But at the bottom of a pile, graduate edge rusher Kenny Soares Jr. punched an opposing defender in the groin, resulting in unsportsmanlike conduct and another automatic first down.
Soares, the recipient of the No. 1 Spartan jersey, is supposed to serve as the team’s defining leader and character who symbolizes what it means to be a Spartan. Not only did the penalty turn into another eventual touchdown-scoring drive, but it went against all the reasons he received that preseason honor.
“I just got to be better,” Soares said. “I talked to my guys and told them that they didn’t get the best Kenny today and told them that tomorrow is a new day.”
The final two MSU penalties didn’t ultimately affect the game, mostly because the other three already put the Spartans in a hole they couldn’t escape. Nebraska went on to defeat the Spartans, 31-13.
For a team that entered the night priding itself on discipline, the free penalty yardage in high-leverage situations is unacceptable. Against Big Ten opponents, MSU cannot afford to hand out extra possessions, especially as it continues to rebuild its program to its previous heights.
“We were beating ourselves, and the guys kept battling,” Fitzgerald said. “We’ve just got to get them to play cleaner, play smarter and play with more discipline. You can’t do the things we’re doing right now and expect to win.”
The Spartans have to ensure that Saturday was an outlier, and that penalties like that won’t ever decide the outcome. MSU will have the opportunity to clean things up and return to its formerly disciplined self in Madison, Wisconsin, against the (3-1) Badgers at 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 3, at Camp Randall Stadium. The game will be broadcast on Big Ten Network.
