Nebraska Football
Postgame Quotes vs. Michigan State
Oct. 4, 2025 (Lincoln, Neb.)
Nebraska 38, Michigan State 27

Head Coach Jonathan Smith

Opening Statement
“I got respect for Coach (Matt) Rhule and their program. Congratulations to them, they played better than us, especially in the fourth quarter. They earned the win. We’ve got to find a way to play better for four quarters. I think about that first half, we’re fortunate to only be down seven going into halftime with a punt block for a touchdown. We turned that thing over. We gave up a 50-yard punt return. Again, credit to them, maybe schematic or whatnot. Starting with me, I’ve got to have this team ready to go faster than they did in the first half. I was pleased defensively getting around the quarterback throughout the whole night. This was the top passing offense maybe in the country coming in. I thought we got a lot of that done. Credit to our guys, start the third quarter, get a stop, get a score, turnover, take the lead. Some of those fourth down plays were impressive. We had to finish drives, I think we were four-for-four on fourth down at that point, so I liked that part of taking the lead. Then they go right down and score, and then they begin to break. Go no answer offensively to match the score, let alone the kickoff return. And this ain’t easy, the wind was blowing pretty good, but then they tied the game up. The ball catches the wind, we don’t field it. Short field position again. Defensively, I thought bowed up, held them to a field goal, but we still had no answer offensively. Big thing offensively, is two of 14 on third down. You aren’t going to have much success doing that. We’ve got to give them a better plan. We’ve got to execute it better. We’re back to the balance. Didn’t love some of the run game to start the third quarter. That’s why some of the fourth downs came out so huge. We’ve got to find a way to keep pushing, staying together. This is what I told them, “if we want to finish better, we’ve got to stay together, we got to play better.”

On Special Teams
“It wasn’t to our standard. Let’s start with punt, obviously the returns, obviously the protection part. We want to be better with our accuracy on some of those punts, not giving them the ball right down in the middle of the field. Kickoff, in the return game, we turn it over there. When they’re kicking off to you, you’ve got to start and end the play with the ball.”

Linebacker Jordan Hall

On best stretch of defense this year between second and third quarter
“First and foremost, thank you Jesus for another Saturday with no serious injuries. We kind of found a groove. We were able to get to the quarterback, get off the field on third down. Something that we kind of struggled with in the first quarter getting off the field and generating pressure well.”