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EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Michigan State is off to a historic start on offense and welcomes another high-scoring team Saturday night when it begins Big Ten play against Nebraska at Spartan Stadium.
The Spartans (3-1) are ranked No. 10 in the AP poll and have scored 201 points, the most in school history through the first four games. Nebraska (5-0, 1-0), ranked 19th, is averaging 45.4 points.
"Two competitive football teams, two teams that don't want to lose," Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said. "You can feel the emotion from both football teams. That's what makes college football so great, so unique."
Emotions will be higher than usual in a possible preview of the Big Ten title game in Indianapolis. Michigan State must run the table in conference play if it hopes to earn a playoff berth, and Nebraska might be the toughest remaining opponent on its schedule.
This is certainly a game with big postseason implications for both teams.
"I think it's gonna be a classic Big Ten game," said Michigan State left tackle Jack Conklin. "It's a night game with another great Big Ten team, especially for me going against a guy like (Nebraska defensive end) Randy Gregory. It doesn't get much better for me competition-wise."
The Spartans are first in the Big Ten in scoring offense, while the Cornhuskers are No. 2 - an interesting dynamic considering Dantonio and Nebraska coach Bo Pelini are former defensive coordinators. Nebraska ran for 313 yards in a 28-24 win at Spartan Stadium in 2012, and this game should feature more offensive highlights.
"It doesn't seem like it's out of the norm in this day and age in college football," Dantonio said of high-scoring games. "There are so many different ways people are lining up and creating motion and creating different formations, and it's sort of cutting edge. You see that from our offense as well."
Michigan State showed some new wrinkles on offense during a 56-14 win over Wyoming on Saturday. Co-offensive coordinators Dave Warner and Jim Bollman called a variety of end-around plays for the wide receivers and stretched the defense in different ways.
Five different players had rushing touchdowns, and wideout Keith Mumphery ran for 46 yards and one score on three carries. The Spartans have gained over 300 yards on the ground in each of the last two games, but Nebraska still boasts the top rushing attack in the conference.
"We definitely want to keep up our run game and we want to be known as the run team in the Big Ten," Conklin said. "We're supposed to be this power team that runs the ball right at you, and it's gonna be a good game with two strong, physical teams."
Nebraska is looking to stay atop the West Division after a 45-14 win over Illinois on Saturday in which star running back Ameer Abdullah racked up 208 yards and three touchdowns. Backup tailback Imani Cross also ran for over 100 yards.
Abdullah and quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. are among the Big Ten's top five rushers, so the Huskers offer a tough challenge for a defense that's giving up more big plays than in 2013, when the Spartans' defense was No. 1 in the nation most of the season.
"We've had some success, but they've had some success, too," Pelini said. "I don't worry a lot about what's happened in the past or anything like that. It's about what's going to happen Saturday night and how two football teams are going to play Saturday night."
Dantonio said he isn't concerned considering he has six new starters on defense.
"Last year's defense set the bar very high," the coach said. "I know that we gave up a whopping 14 points last week, but our defense is not broke."
Michigan State defensive end Shilique Calhoun isn't satisfied with the defense so far, so Saturday is the perfect opportunity to make a conference-wide statement.
"We have been giving up too many points," Calhoun said. "Can we be at our best this week? They're a great team and we want to be known as a great team. It's time for us to fix our mistakes."
