Photo by: Matthew Mitchell/MSU Athletic Communications
Post-Game Notes: Nebraska
9/26/2021 2:11:00 AM | Football
-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 14th 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.
-Fifth-year senior Bryce Baringer averaged 58.8 yards per punt (six punts for 353 yards) vs. Nebraska, the second-highest single-game punting average in Big Ten history. Baringer had a career-long of 67 yards, a new season-long for the second week in a row after a 65-yarder last week at Miami, and part of a career-best five punts over 50-yard for the night, including three of 60-plus yards . . . he placed two inside the 20 . . . Baringer is averaging 50.3 yards per punt in four games, including four of 60-plus yards and 11 of 50-plus yards, with seven inside the 20 and four inside the 10 . . . he is one of only two punters in the Big Ten and one of five in FBS averaging over 50+ ypp. . . . only former Spartan All-American punter Mike Sadler had a higher single-game punting average in the history of the Big Ten (minimum four punts; 59.2 avg. vs. Indiana on Oct. 12, 2013; four punts for 237 yards). Prior to the game, Michigan State and Nebraska honored the memories of Sadler and 2015 Big Ten Punter of the Year Sam Foltz as Mike's mother, Karen, and sister, Katie, along with Sam's parents Jill and Gerald Foltz, participated in the coin toss. Mike Sadler and Sam Foltz were both tragically killed in a car accident on July 23, 2016, while working a kicking camp near Waukesha, Wisconsin. It marked the first time Nebraska had played in East Lansing since the tragic accident.
-Michigan State honored the memory of former Spartan Mylan Hicks prior to the game. Hicks was tragically killed in a shooting five years ago on Sept. 25, 2016, in Calgary, Alberta. Hicks, a native of Detroit, Michigan, was 23 (1993-2016). A three-year letterwinner from 2012-14, Hicks played cornerback, safety and linebacker for the Spartans and was a member of the Big Ten and Rose Bowl Champion Spartans in 2013. He earned his bachelor's degree in psychology in August 2014 and was named the defensive recipient of MSU's Biggie Munn Award (most inspirational player) as a senior.
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-Saturday marked MSU's 14th 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.
-Fifth-year senior Bryce Baringer averaged 58.8 yards per punt (six punts for 353 yards) vs. Nebraska, the second-highest single-game punting average in Big Ten history. Baringer had a career-long of 67 yards, a new season-long for the second week in a row after a 65-yarder last week at Miami, and part of a career-best five punts over 50-yard for the night, including three of 60-plus yards . . . he placed two inside the 20 . . . Baringer is averaging 50.3 yards per punt in four games, including four of 60-plus yards and 11 of 50-plus yards, with seven inside the 20 and four inside the 10 . . . he is one of only two punters in the Big Ten and one of five in FBS averaging over 50+ ypp. . . . only former Spartan All-American punter Mike Sadler had a higher single-game punting average in the history of the Big Ten (minimum four punts; 59.2 avg. vs. Indiana on Oct. 12, 2013; four punts for 237 yards). Prior to the game, Michigan State and Nebraska honored the memories of Sadler and 2015 Big Ten Punter of the Year Sam Foltz as Mike's mother, Karen, and sister, Katie, along with Sam's parents Jill and Gerald Foltz, participated in the coin toss. Mike Sadler and Sam Foltz were both tragically killed in a car accident on July 23, 2016, while working a kicking camp near Waukesha, Wisconsin. It marked the first time Nebraska had played in East Lansing since the tragic accident.
-Michigan State honored the memory of former Spartan Mylan Hicks prior to the game. Hicks was tragically killed in a shooting five years ago on Sept. 25, 2016, in Calgary, Alberta. Hicks, a native of Detroit, Michigan, was 23 (1993-2016). A three-year letterwinner from 2012-14, Hicks played cornerback, safety and linebacker for the Spartans and was a member of the Big Ten and Rose Bowl Champion Spartans in 2013. He earned his bachelor's degree in psychology in August 2014 and was named the defensive recipient of MSU's Biggie Munn Award (most inspirational player) as a senior.
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