Emmett Johnson ran for 83 yards and three touchdowns and Carter Nelson returned a blocked punt for a score Saturday as host Nebraska rallied for a 38-27 victory over Michigan State.
Dylan Raiola also completed 16 of 24 passes for 194 yards and a touchdown for the Cornhuskers (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten).
The Spartans (3-2, 0-2 Big Ten) tied it at 14 in the third quarter when quarterback Aidan Chiles scored on a 16-yard run on a fourth-and-4 play.
On the Cornhuskers’ following possession, Raiola was intercepted by Jordan Hall. Seven plays later, Chiles ran four yards for a touchdown to give the Spartans their first lead, 21-14.
Chiles finished 9 of 23 for 85 yards and two interceptions to go along with the two rushing scores.
Nebraska evened the game with 1:11 remaining in the third quarter when Johnson picked up his second touchdown on a 23-yard run. On the ensuing kickoff, Michigan State’s Sam Edwards fumbled and Neb Nelson recovered at the Spartans’ 28, setting up Kyle Cunanan’s 27-yard field goal with 13:32 left in the game.
Nebraska later added Raiola’s 59-yard touchdown pass to Nyziah Hunter and Johnson’s 11-yard scoring run to go up 38-21.
Michigan State backup quarterback Alessio Milivojevic closed the scoring with a 1-yard touchdown run.
Neither team could get their offense rolling in the first half as they combined for just 138 yards of offense.
On the Cornhuskers’ first possession, Johnson ‘s two-yard run gave the Cornhuskers a 7-0 lead. Nebraska went ahead 14-0 when Jamir Conn blocked Ryan Eckley’s punt and Carter Nelson scooped up the ball at the Spartans 3 and ran it in for a score.
Chiles was forced from the game at the start of the second quarter when he was sacked by Elijah Jeudy on a first-and-goal from the Nebraska 6. Milivojevic replaced Chiles for two plays and tossed a 2-yard touchdown pass to Jack Velling to pull the Spartans within 14-7.
Chiles, who returned to the field on Michigan State’s next offensive series, was intercepted twice by DeShon Singleton in the second quarter, but Nebraska was unable to convert the turnovers into points.
