HUSKER FOOTBALL: Nebraska Comes Up Short In Overtime At No. 20 Michigan State

EAST LANSING, Mich. (NU Athletics/AP Sept. 25) –Chester Kimbrough intercepted Adrian Martinez’s pass in overtime and Matt Coghlin made a 21-yard field goal to keep No. 20 Michigan State unbeaten with a 23-20 win over Nebraska.

The Spartans won despite not converting a first down in the second half. Michigan State’s special teams came up big late in regulation. Jayden Reed returned a punt 62 yards for a touchdown with 3:47 left in regulation to tie it 20-all. This was Nebraska’s 14th straight loss to a ranked team. The Huskers haven’t beaten a Top 25 opponent on the road since 2011.

Nebraska’s loss dropped the Huskers to 9-3 all-time against Michigan State, including a 4-3 record as Big Ten opponents, and evened the series at 2-2 in East Lansing.

The Huskers, playing their first overtime game since 2018 at Northwestern, lost their fifth consecutive overtime game, falling to 8-6 all-time in overtime.

Nebraska’s defense held Michigan State to 18 plays for 36 yards after halftime, including 15 plays for 14 yards in the second half. Michigan State’s only first down after halftime came on the first play of overtime.

Nebraska out-gained Michigan State 234-14 in the second half, including 122-13 yards in the third quarter. Nebraska had eight first downs in the second half while not allowing a MSU first down.

Quarterback Adrian Martinez had a 45-yard run in the second quarter, marking his third run of the season of at least 45 yards (75 at Illinois, 71 vs. Buffalo).

Martinez had 19 carries for 59 yards in the game, to increase his career rushing total to 2,125. Martinez moved into 10th place on the Big Ten’s all-time quarterback rushing list, passing Ohio State’s Cornelius Greene. Martinez also tied Steve Taylor (2,125 yards) for the fourth-most rushing yards by a quarterback in Nebraska history.

Adrian Martinez had 248 passing yards and 59 rushing yards to account for 307 yards of offense. Martinez has had at least 250 yards of offense in a school-record six straight games, eclipsing the previous record of five by Joe Ganz in 2008 and Tommy Armstrong Jr. over the 2014 and 2015 seasons.

Freshman receiver Zavier Betts had five catches for 62 yards. The five receptions tied a career high (5 at Purdue, 2020) and the 62 yards bettered his previous career high (61 last week at Oklahoma).