The Nebraska Cornhuskers will suit up for the final time in front of the hometown folks this Saturday and the crowd will be electric. In what has truly been a tale of two seasons, the Huskers will try to complete their second-half run at 5-1, but to do so they will have to win their final two games of the season, starting with the Michigan State Spartans.

Martinez a rising star

If you haven’t heard of Adrian Martinez, you must not be a fan of college football. According to 247 sports, the Huskers freshman quarterback was named the Big Ten freshman player of the week for the second straight game and for the third time this season.

This kid, along with Michigan’s Shea Patterson are bringing excitement to the QB position in the Big Ten in a hurry.

Martinez wasn’t alone in his acknowledgments last weekend. Senior running back Devine Ozigbo was named the Big Ten offensive player of the week. Ozigbo rushed for 162 yards and three touchdowns, while Martinez accounted for 345 yards (290 passing, 55 rushing) of the 600 total offense during their huge 54-25 win over Illinois.

This week the NU offense will face a much stiffer challenge against the defense of Michigan State.

NU offense vs MSU defense

The Spartans have had a disappointing 2018, nevertheless, they are a dangerous team. While the Huskers have scored 100 more points on offense than MSU this season, the Spartans have given up just 197 total points to this point on defense - Nebraska has let up 338.

This is where Martinez and Ozigbo come in.

To crack this defense that is giving up just 19 points per game and leads the Big Ten against the run, giving up just 76 yards per game, is going to be a tough task for Ozigbo, Martinez and the rest of the offense. If they want to keep up their recent success the Huskers will need to find a way.

Martinez poses a duo threat with his ability to run and pass effectively, but the Spartans possess that same threat in Brian Lewerke.

NU coach Scott Frost knows all too well about Lewerke as he was recruiting him out of Pinnacle high school in (Phoenix) Arizona just a few years ago.

If this game turns into a scoring match, the Huskers have the advantage.

If it comes down to a battle of field position, it could get ugly.

Nebraska still has a slim shot at a bowl game this December and after a 0-6 start to the season, finishing 5-1 with wins over teams like MSU and Iowa will look good on their resume.

Saturday's game against the Michigan State Spartans is scheduled for 12 p.m. ET.
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