Post-Game Notes: Nebraska - Michigan State Athletics

Matthew Mitchell/MSU Athletic Communications

Football 9/26/2021 2:11:00 AM

-Michigan State defeated Nebraska in overtime, 23-20, Saturday night at Spartan Stadium . . . the Spartans improve to 4-0 for the first time since 2015 . . . MSU has won the last two games against Nebraska in Spartan Stadium, although the last matchup was in 2014 . . . MSU is 2-1 against Nebraska in Big Ten games in East Lansing . . . MSU is 3-4 vs. Nebraska in Big Ten games . . . it marked MSU's third overall win over Nebraska in series history (Nebraska leads, 9-3).

-Saturday marked MSU's 14^th overtime game in school history (7-7 overall record) . . . it was MSU's first overtime game since Oct. 28, 2017, at Northwestern (lost 39-31 in triple OT) . . . it was MSU's first overtime game in Spartan Stadium since Oct. 13, 2012 against Iowa (lost 19-16 in double OT) . . . Saturday was MSU's first overtime win since a 16-13 OT win at Wisconsin on Oct. 27, 2012 . . . it was MSU's first OT win in Spartan Stadium since the "Little Giants" win over Notre Dame on Sept. 18, 2010, when Aaron Bates connected on a touchdown to Charlie Gantt to beat the Fighting Irish.

-MSU improved to 17-7 overall in night games at Spartan Stadium.

-Michigan State trailed 20-13 in the fourth quarter before rallying for the victory . . . it marked the first comeback win in the fourth quarter for the Spartans under second-year head coach Mel Tucker.

OFFENSE
-MSU was limited to a season-low 254 yards of total offense (183 passing, 71 rushing).

-Payton Thorne was 14-of-23 passing for 183 yards and one touchdown . . . he threw his first interception on the season in the first quarter . . . Thorne now has 10 TD passes against just one interception.

-Tre Mosley had a season-high six catches for 70 yards to lead the Spartans.

-Jayden Reed hauled in four passes for 59 yards, including a 35-yard TD catch from Thorne in the second quarter . . . Reed finished with 192 all-purpose yards (69 kick return, 62 punt return, 59 receiving, 2 rushing).

DEFENSE
-Xavier Henderson collected a career-high 17 tackles (10 solo, 7 assists) . . . it marked the most tackles by a Spartan in a single game since Montae Nicholson (Oct. 8, 2016 vs. BYU)

-MSU tallied seven sacks and 11 tackles for loss in the game.

-Jacub Panasiuk had a career-high two sacks, including a strip sack in the fourth quarter . . . Panasiuk finished with seven tackles overall.

-Jacob Slade had a career-high eight tackles, including a 5-yard sack, and tied his career best with two TFLs . . . he also had two TFLs in the Pinstripe Bowl victory over Wake Forest in 2019.

-Simeon Barrow posted a career-high seven stops, including a half tackle for loss.

-Junior Chester Kimbrough, a transfer from Florida, recorded his first career interception with a pick in overtime; he returned the interception 62 yards.

-Michigan State has forced six turnovers the past two games (four at Miami; two vs. Nebraska with strip sack by Panasiuk in fourth quarter recovered by Jeff Pietrowski; interception by Kimbrough).

SPECIAL TEAMS
-Jayden Reed returned a punt 62 yards for a touchdown to tie the game at 20 with 3:47 left in the game . . . it marked MSU's first punt return for a touchdown since Nov. 26, 2011 (Keshawn Martin 57 yards at Northwestern).

-Matt Coghlin connected on 3-of-4 field goals, including the fifth game-winning field goal of his career with a 21-yarder in overtime . . . his four previous game winners include a 34-yarder as time expired to beat No. 7 Penn State in 2017; a 21-yarder with five seconds left to defeat Indiana in 2019; a 33-yarder to beat Maryland in 2019; and a 48-yarder with 3:35 remaining to beat No. 8 Northwestern in 2020 . . . Coghlin now has 69 field goals in his career, just two shy of Brett Swenson's school-record of 71.

-Bryce Baringer averaged 58.8 yards per punt (six punts for 353 yards), including a long of 67 yards, a new season-long for the second week in a row after a 65-yarder last week at Miami . . . he placed two inside the 20 . . . Baringer is averaging 50.3 yards per punt in four games, including 11 of 50-plus yards and seven inside the 20.

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