Husker Film Room

Week 4Road trip to East Lansing

NebraskaatMichigan State

Sat., Sept. 26, 2026 · 4:00 PM CT · BTN · Spartan Stadium, East Lansing

199 plays · 3 games · 2026, before the Nebraska game

· Numbers are from play-by-play and film charts; they don't account for injuries after Michigan State's last game before Sept. 26.

Michigan State mostly ran the ball but rarely broke big plays, with just 18 explosive gains in three games.

Source: [2]

The bottom line

Michigan State's offense, 199 plays from the ESPN play-by-play over 3 games (2026 games before Nebraska: Toledo, Eastern Michigan, Notre Dame): 56% run, 5.2 yards a play, 51% success and 18 explosives (run 10+, pass 20+).

Open the interactive fieldFull report (PDF)

The film room

Michigan State offense, 199 plays, ESPN play-by-play in 3 games, 2026 games before Nebraska: Toledo, Eastern Michigan, Notre Dame. Tap a zone on the field, pick a down & distance, and read what they like. [2]

Start here
Down & distance
Field zone (or tap the field)
QB on the field
NEBRASKANEBRASKA101020203030404050504040303020201010

Replays show the ball path from the snap spot to the charted spot; no formation or routes are drawn (none charted).

Success = 40% of the yards needed on 1st down, 60% on 2nd, all of it on 3rd and 4th. Explosive = a run of 10+ or a pass play of 20+ yards (the play-by-play definitions; Week 7's film grids use 12+ / 16+). Source: the ESPN play-by-play, scrimmage plays only. There is no result column (touchdown, interception, fumble), so results are not shown. Formation, personnel, motion, coverage, front, blitz and hash were not charted for this week, so replays show only the ball path and those sections are hidden. [2]

What they are

199
Plays
3 games · ESPN play-by-play [2]
Post on X
56%
Run rate
111 run / 88 pass (of 199) [2]
Post on X
5.2
Yards per play
run 4.7 · pass 5.9 (incl. sacks) [2]
Post on X
51%
Success rate
102 of 199 · 40/60/100 rule [2]
Post on X
18
Explosive plays
of 199 · run 10+, pass 20+ [2]
Post on X

Top tendencies

  • 1st & 10: 45 runs, 33 passes (58% run, 78 plays).
  • 3rd & 5+: pass on 15 of 20 (75%); 5 hit the success bar.
  • Red zone (20-in): run on 24 of 35 (69%).
  • Top ball carrier: C.Edwards, 60 of 111 runs, 4.8 a carry.
  • Top target: R.Bullard Jr., 19 of 88 pass plays, 9.6 a target.

Sources: [2]

Sources

Stats through kickoff: Michigan State's 2026 games before Sept. 26 (Toledo, Eastern Michigan, Notre Dame). Every number on this page ties to one of these. Film charting is our own work from broadcast-angle cut-ups; no film or broadcast images are published here.

Top of page: The bottom line [2].

  1. [1] ESPN: Nebraska 2026 football schedule (date, kickoff, TV, venue)
  2. [2] ESPN play-by-play: Michigan State offense, scrimmage plays only, Toledo, Eastern Michigan, Notre Dame. Down, distance, spot, gain, ball carrier/target, direction; success and explosive flags computed by the Husker Film Room scouting desk