Michigan State Must Capitalize on Scoring Chances in Oregon Game
Michigan State is nearly halfway through a brutal stretch of games in which it faces two of the best teams in the country in consecutive weeks and another one of the best teams in the nation just a few weeks later in a rivalry game on the road (Michigan). The Spartans will undoubtedly have their work cut out for them over the next few weeks.
The Spartans' offense has struggled mightily in the red zone, and that can't be the case if it hopes to overcome another one of the top defenses in the country.
Kevin Erickson of USA Today believes Michigan State is in for another challenging game this week when it faces the Oregon Ducks. Erickson noted the overall difficulty of Michigan State’s schedule, alluding to the fact that playing two of the best teams in the country in less than a week will catch up to the Spartans.
“Michigan State is experiencing a very difficult stretch, facing a top-10 team for a 2nd consecutive game in a 6-day span,” Erickson said. “We saw Ohio State drop Sparty 38-7 last Saturday in East Lansing, and it’s hard to envision Michigan State faring much better against Oregon’s high-octane offense.
“The Ducks have scored 34 or more points in all 3 of their games against FBS this season, while the Spartans have scored 19 or fewer points in 3 of their 4 games vs. FBS foes. QB Aidan Chiles has a bright future for Michigan State, but he and the offense is a bit limited at the moment.”
Michigan State still has a long way to go to be the program Coach Jonathan Smith is trying to build it into. While the Spartans’ three-game winning streak confirmed progress has been made last week’s game against Ohio State proved the Spartans still have work to do. Their upcoming matchup with Oregon will likely confirm that as well, unless Michigan State can shock the world and upset the Ducks who have been on a roll the last couple of weeks.
However, no matter how bad the losses get, the progress Smith and Michigan State have made over the last 12 months cannot be overlooked. While this stretch of games may not go how they would like, the Spartans are still in position to win enough games to make it to a bowl game this season. Considering all the program has been through recently, a bowl game would make this season a success.
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Ezekiel is a former Sports Editor from the Western Herald and former Atlanta Falcons beat writer.