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LINCOLN, Neb. – Connor Heyward took a transfer and sprinted without being touched for an 80-yard touchdown.
That was two weeks ago in a Maryland victory. It was also the last time Michigan State scored a touchdown.
Michigan State (6-5, 4-4 Big Ten) was ruled out for the second time in a row and scored two field goals in a 9-6 loss to Nebraska (4-7, 3-5). a windy and snowy Saturday at Memorial Stadium. The defense has done its part to limit the Cornhuskers to a season-low total, but the offensive has not reached the end zone in 131 minutes of play time since Heyward's score.
Saturday's game represents the fewest points the Spartans have allowed in a loss since their 6-3 loss to Illinois on October 20, 1973.
"I think there is a level of frustration, it would also come from the head coach," said Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio, whose team's Is tipped 26 to 6 against the Ohio State last week. "So yeah, I'm frustrated with the points … but the call of the game was good.There is a factor of execution that is involved here.Some are the weather, others ( Nebraska) are playing games on the ball, others are from us. "
Nebraska rallies late for 9-6 win over Michigan State
Michigan State made a change at the quarterback while Rocky Lombardi replaced Brian Lewerke, who suffers from a shoulder injury. However, Red Rookie has not been able to bring to life an offense that has been kept under 20 points in five games this season.
"We just felt like we had to rest Brian this week until he was able to organize a little and stall himself on his shoulder," Dantonio said. About the absence of Lewerke for his second game at quarterback since his injury to October 13 Penn State. "He could have played."
Lombardi had 15 assists in 41 assists for 146 yards and one interception and had 53 yards on nine occasions.
"We had opportunities sooner or later," said Lombardi, "and we did not exploit them. "
Lombardi did not blame the weather for not seeing drops from its recipients. However, there were many on Saturday and forward Matt Dotson exchanged two assists in the end zone.
"We had too many drops, I felt," said Dantonio. "If you had to report something in football, you have to watch the loose passes."
Michigan State triumphed in the red zone in the game, but scored just six points on Matt Coghlin's goals in the first and fourth quarters to give them a 6-0 lead before Nebraska scored. the last nine points of the match in three kicks. Coghlin also missed a 41-yard attempt in the wind in the second quarter after the Dotson attack for unsportsmanlike conduct that supported the Spartans at 15 yards.
"At the end of the day," said Dantonio, "you have to put the ball in the end zone in the red zone."
Rocky Lombardi starts at QB for Michigan State in Nebraska
After Nebraska's Barret Pickering scored three goals in a row in the fourth quarter to give the Cornhuskers their first lead of the game with 5:13 to play, Michigan State had two other possessions. The Spartans hit the first goal and returned the ball the second goal before the Cornhuskers ran out of time.
Facing the fourth and fourth of the 29-yard Nebraska line, Dantonio kept the attack on the field and Lombardi's pass for Matt Sokol was not complete. Coghlin had 49 career rushing yards, but the Spartans battled in the same wind as he could not convert 41 yards in the second quarter.
"I felt a bit like, for example … we could not score a goal shot at 46 or 47 yards because of the wind," Dantonio said. "We had to reach 20."
Michigan State dominated Nebraska on the field (143 to 103) and in the air (146 to 145) and won the time-of-possession battle (34:39 to 25:21), but did not still done enough in attack to take it away.
"You have to be able to sort everything out and look and say, OK, what's the underlying factor here?" Said Dantonio. "But, you have to score points.We are all understood.This is a football team.We do not keep the results for the offensive and the defense, it is a football team. We are going to win together and we are losing together, there are teams losing 42-41, they are going in the opposite direction with frustration. "
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