Nebraska Football Tailgate Talk: This is the Spartans?!

The Nebraska Football team takes on the Michigan State Spartans in what is about to be a run of 11 a.m. games, so get up and get tailgating with us.

The onslaught of morning football games has begun. The Nebraska Football team travel north to battle the Michigan State Spartans at 11 am, televised on FS1.

The weather forecast is for 52 degrees and cloudy by the end of the game. In case you haven’t been keeping up on the competition, Sparty was one of the teams that lost their coach unexpectedly at the beginning of the season.

They are 2-6, but it’s Senior Day for them due to the last “homegame” against Penn State being at a neutral site. I don’t expect them to go quietly into the morning. On the other hand, with a team that still has to face Ohio State, Indiana and Penn State after trying to go head-to-head with Nebraska Football, there’s not a lot to be playing for in East Lansing.

The scoop on the green team led by interim Head Coach, Harlon Barnett, is deceiving for a team that is 2-6. They seem to start fast and score in the 1st quarter. They have 2 quarterbacks that played last week.

Redshirt freshman Katin Hauser started the last 3 games. He can sling it. He had a 61-yard pass versus Washington. The other guy (and most likely playing against the Huskers) is freshman QB Sam Leavitt. He threw for his first career TD last week and is mobile.

The Blackshirts will need to keep him contained and out of sync. There were 3 turnovers for Sparty last week against Minnesota also. I’m hoping they continue that trend.

For an offense that isn’t that great (according to some critics), they also have senior grad student, Tre Mosley who has 2 TDs on the year, and 28 catches for 288 yards. I’d pay good NIL money for one of those guys right now. Rushing the ball for them is sophomore, Nathan Carter.

He’s currently 3rd in the B1G and averages 76.1 yards per game. I look for the Huskers to put a BLACK mark in that stat by the end of Saturday. (see what I did there?)

The Spartan defense is aggressive. Let’s be honest, they have nothing to lose. It’s doubtful they are even going bowling this year after playing for the B1G title game just a couple years ago. Nebraska Football has been there, Frost that.

Michigan State had 3 takeaways against Minnesota last week. Redshirt junior, Cal Haladay is their version of Huskers Linebacker stud, Luke Reimer. Cal averages 7.4 tackles per game. Overall, Huskers will need to be better this week with their ball control (rinse – repeat).

Let’s talk about the good guys now. As for Nebraska Football, well it’s another week to get better than last week. Huskers are on the verge of bowl game eligibility with 1 more win. Coach Rhule said he wasn’t going to let them focus on it, but when something could happen that hasn’t happened since 2016, how can you not think about it a little bit?

Huskers offense should be paying for supper for the Blackshirt defense the rest of the season and through Christmas. Once again, a stout Blackshirt defense helped seal the deal despite some 4th quarter puckering against Purdue.

Some of what we learned from last week is that O lineman Teddy Prochazka is a little rusty. Don’t worry, he’s going to be better and will continue to improve through the last 4 games.

Nebraska Football running back Emmett Johnson is fast when he gets rolling! It was great to watch him make moves like his Minnesota high school days. Big Red Wide Receiver Jaylen Lloyd also looked strong in his magic moves into the end zone. Coach Rhule told the press that in the week prior to the game Lloyd had told him he was catching 2 touchdowns against the Boilermakers. “He’s a confident little guy,” ~ Husker Head Coach Matt Rhule. Stay that way, young man.

I’d like to pretend it’s going to be a blow out but I think if the dropsies continue to continue, this game goes into the second half. Huskers are favored by only 3 points. I’d take that action. Although Huskers kicker Tristan Alvano looked great last week, I’m hoping it’s a much more comfortable lead by the end of the 3rd quarter and he can rest up.

Nebraska Football quarterback, Heinrich Haarburg needs to avoid the big hits, and the targeting strikes that don’t end up in an ejection because people wearing black and white are bad at their jobs. Tight ends and Receivers need to keep playing with intensity and good things will happen. Huskers have a strange way of coming out on top in the ugly ones and I’m just fine with it.

Lagniappe: In other news, Iowa Hawkeye Offensive (adjective more than a title at this point) Coordinator, Brian Ferentz is done at the end of the season. There is an interim AD across the river and it’s possible Head Coach Kirk Ferentz is going to pack up his ball and go home too.

He intimated as much in a press conference following the news release, but why leave a good paying gig that doesn’t care about results? Another interesting tidbit is that there was apparently some thievery going on in the Colorado locker room when they played at the Rose Bowl last week. Several players were relieved of their jewelry.

Does NIL swag come with an insurance rider? Wait, is that the Karma train I hear chugging along?

Since it’s a morning game (get used to it) my cocktail of choice is named Thebes. (it’s a history thing, google it, i.e. Spartan killer). In a highball or champagne flute, pour 1 1/2 ounce vodka, 1/2 ounce triple sec, 1 ounce Midori, and fill up with Orange juice. It’s rather tasty and will get your blood pumping for one Husker touchdown after another.

What the Huskers need to do is have 2-3 explosive plays in yardage or into the end zone, continue to play their stellar BLACKSHIRT defense, and set the tone early. Scoring first will go a long way toward convincing Michigan State that they really don’t want to put up much of a fight. Then Big Red needs to put their foot on their throat and finish it decisively.

Next week the game is also at 11 and on a streaming service. BOOOOO. In the meantime, plan that watch party, cheer on the Nebraska Football team to a victory reward of a bowl game, and as always, GO BIG RED!