MSU's Top Offseason Priority Should be Trench Play
The Michigan State Spartans have missed a bowl game for the third consecutive season, losing to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, 41-14, in the final game of the year.
The Spartans finished the season 5-7 with just one win better than the previous season. Coach Jonathan Smith’s team lost several winnable games in 2024 and appeared lifeless in several others.
If a few things had gone the Spartans’ way, they could be playing postseason football. But those things did not happen, and they will send their senior class out on a sour note.
A lot has to change for this program moving forward. Smith must quickly learn how important football is in the Midwest and how different it is from the West Coast.
Now that the offseason is here, Smith and the Spartans’ top priority should be improving the play in the trenches. The Spartans were outplayed on both lines far too often this season.
Despite adding experienced linemen in the transfer portal and banking on growth from their in-house talent, MSU’s offensive line struggled for most of the season.
Whether it was not opening up running lanes for their backs or protecting Aidan Chiles in the pocket, this offensive line group's performance was unacceptable for most of the season.
Several injuries caused a great deal of shuffling from this group, but largely, the players MSU counted on to improve the line did not. Guards Kristian Phillips and Gavin Broscious both suffered season-ending injuries early in the year, and the team never recovered.
MSU should have both of those guards back next season, which should help. But that should not stop them from pursuing talent in the transfer portal and developing some of their top talent.
Offensive Line Coach Jim Michalczik has work to do to get this offensive line back to a respectable level. Developing offensive linemen takes a long time, but MSU has had bad offensive line play for years.
Smith and Michalczik must figure something out quickly, or the offense as a whole will continue to struggle.
It was not the season many Spartan fans hoped for. The team is once again not playing in a bowl game, and there are several reasons for this.
One of them is bad offensive line play. Smith and his staff must exhaust every resource possible to improve it before 2025.
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.
