Nebraska football head coach Matt Rhule may not have faced Pat Fitzgerald since coming to Lincoln, but that doesn’t mean he’s in the dark about what the Michigan State head coach plans to do on defense when the two teams meet on Sunday afternoon.
“He's going to limit explosives,” Rhule said about Michigan State defensive coordinator Joe Rossi during his Monday press conference. “He's going to stop the run. He's going to try to win the turnover battle. He's not afraid to play man. They're going to play press all day. They're going to play press outside all day.”
Rhule added that Nebraska's wide receivers better be ready for how the Spartans will try to shut them down. “They're going to get their hands on you. We have good wideouts. They're going to have to win versus those things. Their front plays really, really hard.”
Rhule also pointed out a couple of Michigan State defenders he’s especially watching and who strike fear in his heart. Linebacker Jordan Hall is right at the top of that list. “Jordan Hall, I think he's as good a player as there is in the Big Ten.”
Hall came back from injury last week, but he didn’t show any rust. Against Notre Dame, the linebacker piled up 13 tackles. That number gave Hall his third double-digit tackle game of the season, second-most behind his 15-tackle outing against Boston College last season. In other words, it looks like Hall came back even better than before. Perhaps he used the injury to rest and recoup for one of the toughest stretches of the Michigan State season.
His head coach certainly thinks Hall is an impact player that Nebraska will need to account for at all times: "He's an All-Big Ten-level player," Fitzgerald said Saturday night. "He's gonna be a pro. He's a captain. He's a war daddy. I'm really, really, really proud of him. I mean, he is a hell of a player and a better person. We need him. He played great."
Rhule also made it clear that the Spartans offer a unique challenge on special teams. The Huskers have struggled a bit in that department. They’ve especially struggled in the return game, where the group has been flagged for holding on returns far too often. Special teams will need to be sharp on Saturday, thanks in no small part to Michigan State’s ST coordinator LaVar Woods.
“LaVar's a great coach. I interviewed him at one point when I was in the NFL. I thought he was one of the best that there is in college. Obviously, Kenneth Williams is there. We're always rooting for Kenneth … “I know he's had some great returns for them, so I'm always rooting for him.”
Williams played for Rhule in 2024 and 2025. Last season, he returned 12 kickoffs for 395 yards and had one 95-yard KO return for a touchdown. So far this season, he’s returned 3 kicks for 90 yards with a long of 47.
Nebraska started Monday as nearly a touchdown favorite, despite playing its first road game of the season. The Huskers need to watch the dangers the 2-1 Spartans offer.
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