Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page F2

A Nebraska fan, dressed for Halloween, cheers in the first half of the 24-3 win over Michigan State on Saturday at Lincoln, Neb. It was the first regular-season meeting since 1996 and just the sixth meeting between the teams overall. NATI Press CHILDREN OF THE CORN? NOV. 26 AT TBA TV: TBA NOV. 19 INDIANA TBA TV: TBA NOV.

12 AT IOWA TBA TV: TBA NOV. 5 MINN. Noon TV: BTN SAT. AT NEBRASKA RECORD: 6-2 OCT. 22 WIS.

RECORD: 6-1 OCT. 15 MICHIGAN RECORD: 5-1 OCT. 1 AT OHIO STATE RECORD: 4-1 SEPT. 24 CENTRAL MICHIGAN RECORD: 3-1 SEPT. 17 AT NOTRE DAME RECORD: 2-1 SEPT.

10 FLORIDA ATLANTIC RECORD: 2-0 SEPT. 2 STATE RECORD: 1-0 Schedule 2F WWW.FREEP.COM SUNDAY, OCT.30,2011 SECOND DOWN SPARTANS NOV. 12, KINNICK STADIUM, IOWA CITY, IOWA Spartans at Iowa SCOUTING REPORT: The Hawkeyes somehow lost to Minnesota despite getting 252rushing yards from sophomore running back Marcus Coker. Coker averaged 7.9yards a carry and scored two touchdowns, but never touched the ball again after scoring a touchdown with Saturday. NOON SATURDAY, SPARTAN STADIUM, EAST LANSING, BTN Minnesota at Spartans SCOUTING REPORT: The woeful Gophers (2-6, 1-3 Big Ten) threw a monkey wrench into the hopes of winning the Legends Division with a 22-21 victory over Iowa on Saturday.

Senior running back Duane Bennett rushed for 101yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. On deck for MSU Extra points AT MEMORIAL STADIUM, LINCOLN, NEB. No.13 Cornhuskers 24, No.9 Spartans 3 WHAT HAPPENED: Michigan offense suffered season lows in passing yards (86) and total offense (187). Kirk Cousins completed 11of 27passes with no touchdowns and one interception and was sacked four times. B.J.

Cunningham was held without a a 41-game streak of at least one. Bell led the Spartans with 58 yards rushing on 12 carries. Nebraska running back Rex Burkhead scored three touchdowns, a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs and a 27-yard catch. He finished with 130 yards rushing on 35 carries. KEY PLAY: second 1-yard touchdown run initially was ruled a fumble that would have put MSU on offense.

After the review, Burkhead was awarded the touchdown and Nebraska went ahead, 17-3, with 9:32 left in the third quarter. KEY STAT: Nine penalties for 90 yards. A week after having no penalties in a win over No. 4 Wisconsin, the Spartans committed costly and unforced penalties. Darqueze Dennard gave Nebraska 15 yards on their opening drive of the second half after being called for a personal foul, and the Huskers went on to score a touchdown.

On second offensive series of the second half, defensive tackle Jerel Worthy was whistled offside on third-and-3. Two plays later, Dennard was penalized for pass interference, and that drive also ended with a Nebraska touchdown. INJURY UPDATE: Running back Larry Caper was injured on the opening kickoff and did not return. Worthy was shaken up in the first quarter, but returned. Late in the first quarter, linebacker Steve Gardiner, in for Chris Norman, left with a neck injury.

Johnny Adams and Dennard were shaken up but returned. GEORGE SIPPLE NO. 13 NEBRASKA 24, NO. 9 MICHIGAN STATE 3 Michigan First quarter Nebaska: Burkhead 1 run (Maher kick), 9:12 Nebaska: FG Maher 20, 1:21 Second quarter Michigan State: FG Conroy 28, 1:38 Third quarter Nebraska: Burkhead 1 run (Maher kick), 9:32 Nebaska: Burkhead 27 pass from Martinez (Maher kick), :20 Attendance: 85,641. MSUNeb First 18 Rushing 58-190 Passing 80 7-13-1 Return 22 3-0 9-58 Time of 31:25 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS Rushing: Michigan State, Bell 12-58, Baker 10-38, Martin 2-5, Cousins 6-0.

Nebraska, Burkhead 35-130, Marlowe 1-39, Martinez 12-23, Aa.Green 4-8, K.Bell 1-4, Legate 1-0, Heard 1-(minus 7), Team 3-(minus 7). Passing: Michigan State, Cousins 11-27-1-86. Nebraska, Martinez 7-13-1-80. Receiving: Michigan State, Martin 5-58, Bell 3-12, Linthicum 2-16, Anderson 1-0. Nebraska, Kinnie 2-23, B.Cotton 2-5, Burkhead 1-27, K.Bell 1-19, Marlowe 1-6.

Summary TOP TACKLERS: Defensive ends Marcus Rush and William Gholston (who returned after a one-game suspension for punching Taylor Lewan) combined to make 26 tackles in the 24-3 loss to Nebraska. Gholston had four solos and 11assists, plus a sack and two tackles for loss. Rush had a team-high seven solos and 11total tackles, and ateam-high three tackles for loss. knew this defense was probably going to be the most physical defense played all said Nebraska tight end Ben Cotton. was probably the best defense in the Big Ten.

proud of the guys for how they handled the NOT SO WELL GROUNDED: Michigan three road games have produced their three lowest rushing performances. Bell and Edwin Baker combined for 96 yards on 22 carries, each with along run of 11against Ne- braska.The Spartans finished with 29 yards on 23 carriesin a31-13 loss at Notre Dame, 71 yards on 31carries in a 10-7 win at Ohio State and 101 yards on 30 carries Saturday. BURKHEAD PRAISED: Nebraska running back Rex Burkhead should earn national respect after his performance against what was the No.2 defense in the country. a really good running said Rush. plays hard.

I like the way he plays a lot. just got to stop a guy like that. got to stop him from moving his Hot topics GEORGE SIPPLE See more photos from loss Did Michigan State get outcoached? I hate that word. a loaded term it implies incompetence on one end, and that fair. Having said that well, the reality is that coaches have good days and bad days, and just say Nebraska was one step ahead of Michigan State for almost the whole game.

It happens sometimes. Unfortunately for MSU, this was one of those times. What was wrong with Kirk Cousins? A bit of everything. He finished with 11completions in 27 attempts for just 86 yards, and that is not the kind of performance we have come to expect from Cousins. On many plays, he had nowhere to go with the ball.

But he also took a sack that a senior quarterback simply take, threw an interception and almost threw another. bounce back. He always does. After getting crushed at Iowa last year and Nebraska this year, we must know: Who does Michigan State play on Halloween weekend next year? First of all, you forgot a loss at Minnesota two years ago. Anyway, to answer your question: Next Oct.

27, the Spartans visit Wisconsin. Three questions with Michael Rosenberg FREE PRESS COLUMNIST TACKLES THE BIG ISSUES AFTER SECOND LOSS What Michigan State fans were saying on Saturday played well and had a good game plan. The Spartans came out a bit flat. Our schedule becomes a bit easier now so now a race to the finish line.Time to reload. Go jayboiler loss to a very average Nebraska team.

The offensive play calling was baffling. They really miss GoodtobeGreen were outplayed and ESPECIALLY out-coached today. End of spartaninflorida was right it WAS the LDRSnBST is it about road games that brings out the real Kirk RXEngery win out and at 10-2 look attractive to the bowl selection committees. If you play in the Big Ten title game, awesome, if not 10-2 with wins over Michigan, Ohio State, and Wisconsin is a good mrknowitall post game comments: State played stupid Hard to argue with coach on this ParFour7th they played a great game last week without penalties and won, but they were back in thug mode this week and lost as a tonyn1 game really tightens things up for the final four games of the season. MSU has shown they can be beat anyone and also can lay an egg on the road.

I think the season will comedown to who can come up with a victory in Rowdy831 for first with the easiest schedule left what else can you ask been a great run, but I still believe our team was good enough to be standing with a perfect record at this date in the season. Granted WI was a lucky finish, but when been flat, we get up off the mat. I think we been contenders and this was supposed to be our Wine- CountryCowboy DAVE Press Kirk Cousins.