Nebraska Cornhuskers

Michigan State, Nebraska trade accusations about dirty play

Published Nov. 11, 2015 4:37 p.m. ET

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Looks like the term "upset" applies to more than the score of the Nebraska-Michigan State game last weekend.

Star MSU defensive end Shilique Calhoun told reporters in East Lansing this week he had to be calmed down by fellow senior Joel Heath after not getting a holding call on a play on which the Cornhuskers scored a touchdown en route to an eventual 39-38 victory.

"When I came back to the sideline I was infuriated, I was just pissed off. And he was like, 'Man, you need to get your head back into it. You need to focus back up. I understand they held you, but that's the game of football, things are gonna happen.'"

Calhoun was also angry about a hit by Nebraska offensive lineman Nick Gates on Heath as a play was ending that knocked Heath out of the game.

"It wasn't anyone else's doing, it was my own. My mind wasn't focused, and I was just in a crisis that one of my friends got hurt from a dirty play from one of their offensive lineman, and that kind of just hurt."

The continuing frustration led Calhoun to post a couple of examples of what appear to be illegal blocks on his Instagram page, saying he took that action "for the integrity of the game."

Calhoun's comments and actions came two days after Nebraska defensive coordinator Mark Banker told reporters in Lincoln the MSU offensive line was getting away with some things in his view.

"That offensive line, big and strong and then not only that they were filthy from a standpoint of holding," Banker said. "I can't believe -- I don't even know if we got one call on holding, and there was some stuff that was right out in the open that wasn't called.

"That's the game and again our guys didn't complain about it, not at least out loud. They just kept battling in the trenches."

According to the box score, an unidentified Michigan State offensive player was called for holding on a rush attempt in the fourth quarter, but it was declined.

Nebraska offensive lineman Dylan Utter was called for holding on a pass play in the second quarter, and each team was flagged for defensive holding once.

If a rivalry is brewing between the Spartans and Cornhuskers, it might be a while before they get to take out their frustrations against each other on the field again. They could meet in a future Big Ten championship game but are not scheduled to play in the regular season next year or in 2017.

(H/T Lansing State Journal, Huskers.com)