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(Photo: USA Today) EAST LANSING, Mich. — Bring six sacks, three takeaways and a run defense that allows 39 yards to any Big Ten stadium and you've packed the essentials. Nebraska left Spartan Stadium with all three in hand. That's how the Huskers beat Michigan State 31-13. It's also how they can become dangerous in a Big Ten that appears to have more open road than many assumed in August. Maybe not an opening as wide as the one Dawson Merritt found on the first sack of the day. But it's there, and you don't have to squint to see it. The encouraging part for Nebraska is how those defensive numbers connected. Take away the run and make the quarterback keep solving problems. Collapse the pocket without offering him an easy exit. Turn hurried decisions into loose footballs and interceptions. Take 3? They took 3. They also took Rob Aurich's message very seriously. "Our DC said something like, 'Make the quarterback see ghosts,'" said Williams Nwaneri after a two-sack night. "So just playing our brand of football, just getting after him." The Huskers had emphasized their rush-lane discipline for three weeks and transition-rush techniques. After four sacks total the first two weeks, they had five sacks last week. After five sacks last week, they had six sacks Saturday. Suddenly, Nebraska ranks fourth nationally with 15 sacks. "Staying top shoulder, getting a hand up and just finishing on the quarterback," Jahsear Whittington said. "And like you said, making them see ghosts." The teaching showed up with the football attached. Donovan Jones produced a strip-sack and recovered the football himself, thwarting Michigan State's momentum. Whittington wasn't surprised. "Donnie has been the most consistent guy since I've been here," he said. "He always shows up — not just showing up when the ball is there, when a play needs to be made, but shows up every day, every recovery session, every film session, every meeting." Consistency created opportunity. Aggression finished it.  And it's what finished off Sparty Saturday. When Michigan State was driving while down 24-13 late in the third quarter, Whittington got home and knocked the ball loose on a third down to force a 52-yard field goal that was blocked. Even with Nebraska leading 31-13 late, Andrew Marshall attacked the football for the Huskers' final takeaway. Matt Rhule highlighted that play afterward. Some defenders might become cautious there, protecting the score and fearing the mistake. Marshall went hunting. That's what Rhule wants throughout his program. Attack. Whittington described the defensive approach more colorfully. "We want to keep punching, keep punching, keep working the cut until we just see you bleed out and just put your hands down," he said. Nebraska did enough punching to move to 4-0 for the first time in 10 years. Meanwhile, the rest of the conference was rearranging itself. There are still big, bad Buckeyes. And Ducks who aren't flying out of the picture. In fact, they have the attention of Husker fans more than ever with Dylan Raiola having a big night for them in a win over USC.  But you saw Penn State lose to Wisconsin, Washington lose at home to Indiana, and Iowa bust out an Iowa special in the Big House. You saw all of that, and it was another reminder that this conference has openings to move through. For those winners. For UCLA. For Nebraska. For any team that can keep building on the formula Nebraska's defense used Saturday, even while imperfections appeared — including some challenges with Michigan State's tempo. A defense that keeps the run from becoming an easy answer can hang in most any game. Now, Michigan State did suddenly get downhill on a couple of series while operating at tempo. And one player whose durability through this Big Ten season will be crucial is veteran Owen Stoudmire. Others are developing, but he's a veteran fire-hydrant defensive tackle who means a lot in this league. "They went tempo. Coach (Phil) Snow, the best there is now, the best there is, on Monday he was like, 'You better practice tempo,' and so we did," Rhule said. "Can't say that necessarily always showed up. But I did like the rush of those guys. I did like them affecting the quarterback." A pass rush that closes instead of merely applying pressure can tilt games. An opportunistic back seven can change the math even when the offense finds quicksand for a few series, as Nebraska's did. But the Huskers won the turnover battle 3-0 and the sack count 6-0. Rhule thought they could have had even two or three more. They allowed 1.2 yards per rush. Even after removing the sack yardage, Michigan State produced only 78 positive rushing yards. Those aren't decorative statistics. They're how road games become yours. The result invites a wider view. Rhule kept his gaze narrow. Just as he didn't panic when outside projections questioned Nebraska this offseason, he isn't ready to make the win anything grander than the day's work. "We just won 31-13 today, and we'll try to be plus one tomorrow," Rhule said. "I don't know if that's boring. But I've learned to be a little bit more boring." Fair enough. Leaving East Lansing and watching the day's events around the Big Ten, there's nothing boring about what awaits Husker football. Not with a defense growing more effective at applying pressure to a quarterback. Saturday was just the next plus one. Understood. The Huskers don't need to announce where this is headed. Pack the defense again and find out.