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A week after becoming Michigan State's winningest quarterback, Kirk Cousins endured perhaps his worst game as a Spartan.
Cousins went 11 of 27 for only 86 yards in a 24-3 loss at Nebraska on Saturday. He was sacked four times and threw an interception - a sour way for the fifth-year senior to finish a brutal October schedule that included wins over Ohio State, Michigan and Wisconsin before the loss to Nebraska.
Now tied with two other teams for first place in the Legends Division, the 15th-ranked Spartans enter the final month of the regular season still hoping for a spot in the Big Ten title game. Michigan State hosts Minnesota next weekend. Cousins and his teammates can ill afford another slip after their disappointing trip to Nebraska.
''We learned from it,'' Cousins said. ''We'll have a much better plan going forward.''
Two Saturdays ago, Cousins won his 22nd game as Michigan State's starting quarterback, and he did it in dramatic fashion, beating Wisconsin with a last-second heave to the end zone. Cousins broke a tie atop the school's career list with Jeff Smoker, who had 21 wins for the Spartans, and Michigan State remained unbeaten in conference play.
But the Cornhuskers had an answer for seemingly everything Michigan State (6-2, 3-1) tried a week later.
''They had us walled up and covered,'' Spartans coach Mark Dantonio said. ''They always had somebody underneath a player. They did a nice job recognizing the routes that we were running, and they walled us up.''
Cousins finished the game with a passer rating of 60.1, the worst of his Michigan State career.
''It was tough on Saturday, and I think it was pretty clear that there wasn't a lot open on the field to throw the ball to,'' he said. ''It wasn't just on our receivers. I think it's a combination of a lot of factors, but you've got to credit Nebraska.''
Cousins led Michigan State to a share of last year's Big Ten title, and he's having a productive season in 2011 as well. He's completed nearly 64 percent of his passes, with 11 touchdowns and five interceptions. B.J. Cunningham has 48 catches for 723 yards, and Keshawn Martin has emerged as a primary target as well.
Martin caught five passes against Nebraska, but Cunningham was held without a reception as the Spartans struggled to adjust to what the Cornhuskers were doing.
''The middle of the field was open a lot,'' Cunningham said. ''On the outside, they were just doubling the whole time. When that happens, you've got to find ways to get the ball over the middle.''
Minnesota (2-6, 1-3) is coming off a surprising win over Iowa, but the Golden Gophers were blown out by Nebraska, Purdue and Michigan. Michigan State returns home hoping to get back on track.
Cousins was clean shaven after practice Tuesday, saying he was looking for a ''fresh start'' after the loss to Nebraska. On the field, however, he's not expecting a major overhaul.
The experienced quarterback has shown plenty of poise throughout his career, whether he was leading a dramatic, come-from-behind win over Purdue last year or delivering his much-acclaimed speech before this season at a Big Ten kickoff luncheon.
Now he's eager to put last weekend behind him and try to finish his college career with a flourish.
''I always feel a sense of urgency - it's more trying to enjoy it,'' Cousins said. ''In my last four games, I'm going to forget about the sense of urgency so much, and just try to have fun and try to take all the pressure off myself and just enjoy the process - and make sure I don't regret not enjoying it more.''
