Game Week: vs. Michigan State

NEBRASKA vs. MICHIGAN STATE
Oct. 4, 2025 | MEMORIAL STADIUM
LINCOLN, NEB. | 3 PM CT

HUSKERS
Record: 3-1, 0-1 B1G
Last Game: vs. No. 21 Michigan (L, 30-27)
Rankings: AP-NR/Coaches-RV
Head Coach: Matt Rhule
Career/NU Record: 62-57 (10th Year)/15-14 (3rd Year)
Record vs. Michigan State: 0-1

SPARTANS
Record: 3-1, 0-1 B1G
Last Game: at No. 25 USC (L, 45-31)
Rankings: NR
Head Coach: Jonathan Smith
Career/MSU Record: 42-43 (8th Year)/8-8 (2nd Year)
Record vs. Nebraska: first meeting

SERIES HISTORY
All-Time Series: Nebraska leads, 9-4
In Lincoln: Nebraska leads, 6-1
As Big Ten Foes: Tied, 4-4
Current Win Streak: Michigan State, 2 games
Last Meeting: Michigan State 20-17, 2023

BROADCAST INFO
TV – FS1 (Tim Brando, Devin Gardner, Josh Sims)
RADIO NETWORK – (Kyle Crooks, Damon Benning, Jessica Coody)
INTERNET AUDIO – Huskers.com
APP AUDIO – Official Huskers App

The Matchup
Nebraska completes a four-game homestand on Saturday afternoon when the Huskers play host to Michigan State at Memorial Stadium. The contest also serves as Nebraska's 2025 Homecoming Game in Lincoln. Kickoff between the Huskers and Spartans is set for 3 p.m. CT, with television coverage on FS1. The game can be heard on the Huskers Radio Network, Huskers.com and the Huskers App.

The Michigan State game completes a stretch of four straight home games over a span of five weeks. Following this week's game, the Huskers will play their first true road game next Saturday at Maryland. Nebraska is away from Lincoln for four of its next six contests. 

Nebraska comes into the game off a bye week and stands at 3-1 overall and 0-1 in Big Ten Conference play. The Huskers fell 30-27 to No. 21 Michigan in their last outing on Sept. 20. Nebraska remains among the nation's top teams both in throwing the football and defending the pass. The Huskers rank second nationally in both passing offense at 351.8 yards per game, and completion percentage at 77.6 percent. Defensively, Nebraska is limiting opponents to a nation-leading 75.8 passing yards per game, and just a 50.6 completion percentage. 

Michigan State, in its second year under Head Coach Jonathan Smith, also stands at 3-1 overall and 0-1 in Big Ten play. The Spartans dropped their most recent game, a 45-31 setback at USC on Sept. 20. Michigan State averages nearly 375 yards of total offense, including 220 yards per game through the air, while scoring more than 34 points per contest. The Spartans also boast one of the nation's best special teams units, ranking among the nation's leaders in net punting, kickoff returns and punt returns.

Huskers-Spartans Have History of Close Games
Saturday's game is the 14th all-time meeting between Nebraska and Michigan State. The Huskers own a 9-4 advantage in the series, with the schools splitting eight games since Nebraska joined the Big Ten in 2011. 

• Saturday's game will mark the first meeting in Lincoln since 2018, when Nebraska defeated Michigan State, 9-6. That marked Nebraska's first win without scoring a touchdown since 1937. 

• The past five meetings have been decided by a total of 15 points, with the margin in each of those five games being five or fewer points. MSU has won the past two games by three points apiece. 

• Nebraska's 39-38 victory over No. 6 Michigan State in Lincoln in 2015 was just the third time in school history an unranked Nebraska team defeated a top-10 opponent.

Offense Showing Efficiency and Balance
Nebraska has established itself as one of the nation's most efficient offenses through the first month of the 2025 season. 

• Nebraska ranks in the top 15 nationally in scoring offense (43.5 ppg, 12th), passing offense (351.8 ypg, 2nd) and total offense (496.5 ypg, 13th). 

• Nebraska is second in the nation in completion percentage. Through four games, the Huskers have completed 118-of-152 passes for a 77.6 completion percentage, just behind top-ranked Ohio State's 77.8 completion percentage. Nebraska's school season pass completion record is 68.3 percent in 2008. 

• The passing attack has been balanced. A total of 18 receivers have caught passes, including five players with at least 13 receptions. 

• Nebraska has thrown for better than 300 yards in three consecutive games (Akron, Houston Christian, Michigan). This marks the first time Nebraska has thrown for better than 300 yards in three straight games since a five-game stretch, including the 2014 Holiday Bowl and the first four games of the 2015 season.

• Nebraska produced a 300-yard passer (Raiola), a 100-yard rusher (Johnson) and a 100-yard receiver (Barney Jr.) against Akron. It marked the first time Nebraska has accomplished that trifecta since a 2022 game against Georgia Southern. 

• Nebraska has 25 plays of at least 20 yards to rank 28th nationally in that category. The Huskers had 11 offensive plays that covered at least 20 yards in the victory over Akron.

Raiola in Year Two as Starting Quarterback
Dylan Raiola has started all 17 games of his Nebraska career. In 2024, he guided the Huskers to a 7-6 record while becoming the first true freshman quarterback in school history to win a bowl game. Raiola has opened the 2025 season in impressive form. He has completed 102-of-135 passes for 1,137 yards and 11 touchdowns with just one interception. Raiola had a career-best 364 passing yards and a career-high four touchdowns against Akron, and added a second 300-yard game with 308 yards and three TDs against Michigan. He has topped 200 passing yards in all four games. 

• Raiola completed his first nine passes against Akron after completing his final 11 against Cincinnati. The 20 consecutive completions are a Nebraska record, bettering the previous record of 15 straight by Dave Humm against Kansas in 1974. 

• Raiola has completed 75.6 percent of his passes, and his completion percentage ranks fourth nationally. He has completed better than 70 percent of his passes in 10 of 17 career games, including seven of the past eight contests. 

• Raiola's 364 passing yards against Akron bettered his previous career high of 297 yards against Illinois in 2024. It was the most passing yards by a Husker since Adrian Martinez threw for 384 yards at Wisconsin in 2018. 

• The four passing touchdowns against Akron surpassed his previous high of three touchdowns last season against Illinois. It was the first time a Husker quarterback had four passing touchdowns since Ryker Fyfe had four at Purdue in 2015. 

• Raiola's 33 completions against Cincinnati were the fourth-most in school history and just three shy of the school record. His 78.6 completion percentage was the best of his college career. He added a second game with 30 completions in a 30-of-41 effort against Michigan. 

• With 1,137 passing yards this season, Raiola has increased his career total to 3,956 yards, moving him into ninth place on the Nebraska career passing list. 

• Raiola threw for 2,819 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2024 with a 67.1 completion percentage. His completion percentage and passing yardage were both NU freshman records. Overall, Raiola ranked third in school history in season completion percentage and seventh in passing yards. 

• Nationally, Raiola ranked 13th in completion percentage among all FBS quarterbacks in 2024, and he led all FBS freshmen in completion percentage. Raiola also led all true freshmen and ranked third overall among all freshmen in passing yards. 

• Raiola's 2,819 passing yards were the most by a true freshman Big Ten quarterback since 2013 and marked the second-best passing season by a Big Ten true freshman this century.

Johnson Thriving in Husker Backfield
Junior running back Emmett Johnson has been one of the Big Ten's most productive backs over the past eight games since Dana Holgorsen became Nebraska's play-caller. Johnson had a career-high 140 rushing yards against Akron on Sept. 6. Johnson also reached the end zone a career-best three times, including two rushing touchdowns and a touchdown catch. He added a pair of rushing touchdowns against Houston Christian. 

• Johnson posted back-to-back 100-yard rushing games to open the season (140 vs. Akron, 108 vs. Cincinnati). Johnson is the first Husker to rush for 100 yards in back-to-back games since Anthony Grant topped the century mark in each of the first three games of the 2022 season. 

• Johnson had a career-long 47-yard touchdown run to open the scoring against Akron. That bettered his previous career long of 42 yards against UTEP last season. Johnson added a 36-yard run in the second quarter and had 134 of his rushing yards before halftime. 
• Johnson ranks 17th nationally with 97.8 rushing yards per game and 17th nationally in yards from scrimmage at 116.0 yards per game. 

• Johnson took over the lead back role in the final four games last season when Holgorsen joined the Nebraska staff. Over the last eight games, Johnson averages 118.5 yards from scrimmage per game, including 88.1 rushing yards and 30.4 receiving yards per game. He averages 5.4 yards per carry in that stretch.

Blackshirts Stifling Opponent Passing Game
The Nebraska Blackshirts posted their first shutout in 16 seasons against Akron on Sept. 6, continuing their recent dominant play. That effort is the highlight of a solid start to the 2025 season for the Husker defense. 

• Nebraska leads the nation in pass yards allowed per game at 75.8 per contest and also ranks in the top 25 nationally in total defense (249.3 ypg, 14th) and scoring defense (13.5 pgg, 16th). 

• The Huskers held each of their first three opponents to less than 70 yards passing, including Cincinnati (69 yards), Akron (62) and Houston Christian (67), before Michigan threw for 105 yards on Sept. 20. It marked the first time Nebraska held three straight opponents to fewer than 100 passing yards since 1990, when the Huskers held their first four opponents below the century mark in passing yards. 

• The 50.6 percent opponent completion rate is the fourth-best in the country. 

• Nebraska has not allowed a pass play of 20 yards or more this season–the only team in the country yet to allow a 20-yard pass. Every other FBS team has allowed at least four passes of 20 yards this season. 

• Nebraska has yet to allow an opponent to throw for a touchdown in 2025, one of just two FBS teams yet to allow a passing touchdown. 

• Both Houston Christian and Akron were held to less than 200 yards. It marked the first time Nebraska held an opponent to less than 200 yards in consecutive games since 2017. 

• Under Head Coach Matt Rhule, Nebraska has held opponents to 14 or fewer points 16 times in 29 games. 

• Houston Christian scored on a rushing touchdown in the third quarter, ending a streak of eight straight games at Memorial Stadium that Nebraska had not allowed a rushing touchdown.

This Week’s Numbers
5 – Each of the past five meetings between Nebraska and Michigan State have been decided by five or fewer points dating back to 2014.

15 – Nebraska's offense ranks among the top 15 nationally in numerous categories including passing offense (2nd), completion percentage (2nd), scoring offense (12th), and total offense (13th).

114 - Saturday's game will mark the 114th Homecoming game in University of Nebraska history. The Huskers are 86-23-4 all-time on Homecoming and have won 13 of their last 15 Homecoming games. NU is 10-2 against Big Ten schools in Homecoming games. This is the first-ever Homecoming game against Michigan State.