MSU Opponent Preview: Prairie View A&M Defense
Jonathan Smith and the Michigan State Spartans look to remain undefeated as they take on the Prairie View A&M Panthers in Spartan Stadium this Saturday.
The Panthers come from a Historically Black College or University, or HBCU. Their football team was founded in 1907, and this is the first time the Spartans and Panthers will ever face off.
Panthers coach Bubba McDowell has led them to two SWAC West Division titles in the two years he has been in charge. He is a former defensive back who won a national championship with the Miami Hurricanes in the late 1980s.
McDowell has brought his expertise as a defensive back to the way his defense plays. The Panthers' defense is fast, physical, and flies around to make plays on the football.
Alvin Fossleman III is the Panthers’ defensive coordinator. He has been with Prairie View A&M for seven years and is entering his second season calling the defense.
The Panthers run a 4-3 base defense with lots of Cover 1 and Cover 4. However, they will change up coverages based on the opposing offense’s look.
However, the Panthers allowed 31 points to Northwestern State in a back-and-forth game, and they eventually won because of their offense. The Panthers will need to bounce back defensively if they want to have any chance at coming close to the Spartans.
The Panthers’ leading tacklers are Ayden Jones and Jayven Jackson, who both have 10 on the season. The Spartans must pay attention to this talented linebacker duo and attack them over the middle of the field.
Jones is one of two Panthers to have an interception on the season. The other is linebacker Warren Shankle. The strength of the Panthers’ defense is their linebacker group. Fossleman is also the linebackers’ coach, and his work with this group is evident.
The Spartans should not have any problems with the Panthers in this game, but that is what the Prairie View A&M players want. They hope Michigan State overlooks them and they can sneak up on them.
The talent discrepancy between these two teams is quite wide, and Michigan State should win the game comfortably. That does not mean the Panthers will not try their best to make it a game.
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CARTER LANDIS