The Michigan State Spartans played like the best team in the Big Ten conference for three quarters, but then a wild and crazy fourth quarter and comeback attempt by the Nebraska Cornhuskers made it a thrilling finish down to the final seconds as the Spartans held on for a 27-22 win after blowing a 27-3 lead.
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Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook got the scoring started in the first quarter when he connected with Tony Lippett for a 55-yard touchdown on their third possession of the game after forcing two Nebraska punts.
Jeremy Langford would find the end zone on Michigan State’s first offensive play in the second quarter as he ran in for a 31-yard touchdown following a nice punt return by Macgarrett Kings Jr gave the Spartans excellent field position.
Nebraska had an opportunity to put some points on the board after Kings fumbled a punt that was receovered by Nebraska at the MSU 24, but on a second down play from the MSU eight, Ameer Abdullah had the ball poked free by Ed Davis and Shilique Calhoun recovered the fumble and returned it 38 yards to the MSU 45.
Michael Geiger would bot a 28-yard field goal seven plays later to give Michigan State a 17-0 lead at halftime as the Spartans looked to be on their way to their 11th straight Big Ten win by double-digits.
The two teams traded field goals in the opening half of the third quarter but the Spartans answered the Huskers field goal with another Lippett touchdown as he ran one in from 32 yards to take a commanding 27-3 lead.
Nebraska was finally able to crack the end zone after a 33-yard punt return by De’Mornay Pierson-El and a personal foul penalty by Michigan State had the Huskers in the red zone where Abdullah would punch in his first score of the game to make it 27-9.
The Huskers were just getting started in the fourth after they forced a Spartans punt and got a 41-yard reception to Jordan Westerkamp and a pass interference penalty from Trae Waynes to give the Huskers a first down at the two where Abdullah would score two plays later.
Abudullah finished with his lowest rushing total of the season with 45 yards on 24 carries.
Nebraska forced a quick three-and-out and Pierson-El returned the low punt 62 yards for the touchdown, but after the two-point attempt failed, the Huskers still trailed 27-22.
With Michigan State on the field and needing four yards to bleed the clock and win the game, Nebraska forced the runner out of bounds to stop the clock and then the Spartans missed a 37-yard field goal that would have given them an eight point lead.
Nebraska took over and Tommy Armstrong found Alonzo Moore for a 43-yard reception up the right sideline to set the stage for a thrilling and stunning comeback to cap a crazy weekend in college football on what was his best throw of his college career.
Two plays later there would be no comeback as Armstrong threw an interception right into the chest of Waynes for his second pick of the game.
There would be no fourth, fourth-quarter touchdown as Nebraska sought the program’s first win on the road since 1997 against a top-10 team.
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