Michigan State vs. Oregon; Final Predictions
The Michigan State Spartans are seeking to break a two-game losing streak, but the assignment will be difficult as the Spartans travel to the Pacific Northwest to play the No. 6-ranked Oregon Ducks. Here are the predictions for how game day will go on Friday night in Eugene.
The Spartans will allow points, but not as many as expected by the general public. According to Vegas Insider, the Ducks are favored by 23.5 points by consensus. The score differential will be within that number.
Despite a 38-7 lopsided loss to No. 3 Ohio State a week ago, head coach Jonathan Smith's group was fairly competitive in the first half, specifically the defense. They forced an interception early in the game that led to a touchdown.
Interceptions will be tough to come by as Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel has only thrown one in 135 attempts; recovering a fumble is much more likely. In the first two games, the Ducks fumbled the ball three times and have not done it since.
Based upon the law of averages, the Ducks' offense is due for a costly turnover on the ground.
A slow-moving first quarter will open the contest with both teams figuring each other out, leading to a few punts and stalled drives. Both teams will turn it over once in the first 15 minutes, but the Ducks will get on the board with an early 7-0 lead.
Injuries have plagued the Spartans as they have played most of the season without four of their starting defensive players. Although they have allowed 19 points per game, the defense has battled adversity, which bodes well for a second consecutive game against a top-10 opponent.
To counter the Spartans' stout defense, the Ducks' offense looks to continue finding the end zone at will as they have scored 120 points in the past three games, averaging 454 yards per game.
Offensively for the Spartans, they will find their footing towards the end of the first half but will continue to struggle to get the ball in the end zone. They will heavily rely on sixth-year kicker Jonathan Kim to be involved early and often.
The turnovers will reduce for quarterback Aidan Chiles as he will be a bit more surgical in his passing and sharper when scrambling and deciding to throw on the run or take it himself. He will throw for 150+ yards, one touchdown, and one interception, with roughly 50 yards rushing.
Redshirt sophomore Jaron Glover came back from injury last week, scoring a touchdown, while freshman Nick Marsh is expected to play this week after being out last week as well.
These are two huge skill pieces that will help Chiles and will create several opportunities with Marsh scoring and Glover converting multiple times on third down.
Overall, the Spartans will continue to struggle to score in the red zone and will settle for multiple field goals. The Ducks will take advantage of more skill at a few key positions and maintain a two-score lead for most of the game.
The final score will be closer than expected but too little, too late, as the Spartans score a touchdown to cut the lead to 14 with just a few minutes remaining.
There will be positive aspects to draw from this game, and the experience this team will receive after back-to-back top-10 matchups will benefit them tenfold. The Spartans will enjoy a bye next Saturday and look forward to a less challenging schedule the rest of the way.
Final Score: Oregon 31, MSU 16
Don’t forget to follow the official Spartan Nation Page on Facebook Spartan Nation WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be a part of our vibrant community group Go Green Go White as well WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.
