'We’re not fine right now, but we’re going to be fine’: Fitzgerald confronts MSU’s mistakes after Nebraska loss

The Spartans went 79 yards in 10 plays, with Jaziun Patterson finishing the drive on a 2-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to 17-10.

Patterson became increasingly important after Cam Edwards left the game. He finished with 54 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries, while Edwards had 16 yards on four attempts before departing.

“I thought Jaziun Patterson ran his tail off,” Fitzgerald said. “I thought he ran with some physicality and some violence.”

At 17-10, Michigan State had worked its way back into the game. Then came another damaging sequence.

Nebraska possessed the ball for nearly the final six minutes of the half, putting together a 14-play, 74-yard drive. A false start had backed the Cornhuskers into second-and-14 at their own 43, and Colandrea’s next pass fell incomplete – which should have left Nebraska facing third-and-14.

Instead, Kenny Soares Jr. was called for unsportsmanlike conduct.

The 15-yard penalty gave Nebraska a first down at the Michigan State 42. The Cornhuskers eventually reached the MSU 13, where Colandrea found Vincent Genatone for a touchdown with just two seconds remaining.

Instead of going to halftime within one score, Michigan State trailed 24-10.

“The late touchdown that we gave up in the second quarter put us back, now we’re in chase mode again,” Fitzgerald said.

Soares, one of Michigan State’s captains, did not deflect responsibility afterward...