Overlooked Aspects of Michigan State's Matchup with Michigan
Michigan State is coming off its biggest win of the season.
It will head to Ann Arbor looking to secure an even more significant victory. After beating a formidable Iowa team last weekend at home, the Spartans will try to start another winning streak with a win over Michigan.
The Action Network’s Stuckey believes Michigan State can pull off the upset.
“Similar to last week against Iowa, this matchup sets up well for the Michigan State defense, which has excelled at slowing down opposing rushing attacks (26th in Success Rate),” Stuckey said.
Stuckey wisely points out that Michigan State’s defense excels in an area where Michigan’s offense struggles. Michigan State’s defense could use improvement against the pass, but Michigan struggles to move the ball through the air — the Wolverines average under 130 yards per game.
Michigan has one of the worst passing attacks in the country. The Wolverines have struggled so badly on offense that their quarterback situation has been undisclosed this week.
“The Spartans have had issues in coverage, but that's not a concern against the Wolverines, who are averaging a paltry 128.3 passing yards per game," Stuckey said. "Only Air Force and Kennesaw average less than Michigan's 5.4 yards per attempt.
" ... The Michigan defense is still very good but might be down star cornerback Will Johnson, who usually takes away one-half of the field,” Stuckey said. “I'm just not sure where the Wolverines are at mentally after suffering their third loss of the season. They have no offense to speak of, and the defense may start to wear down as the season progresses. They're not even getting any help from a subpar punt team."
Stuckey noted that Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith does a solid job of preparing the Spartans for games. He credits Smith with setting Michigan State up for success early in games with a productive list of scripted calls.
“It's also worth mentioning that Michigan State has been excellent in the scripted portion of the game under Jonathan Smith,” Stuckey said. “In a game where points should come at a premium (total of 40), an early score or two could end up deciding this game. Give me the battle-tested Spartans on the road with the much better coach and quarterback with a defense that can hold its own against Michigan's running backs.
"It's shocking to even type, but I actually have Michigan State power-rated as the better team on a neutral field right now by a slim margin. Prior to the season, I had Michigan closer to -20."
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Ezekiel is a former Sports Editor from the Western Herald and former Atlanta Falcons beat writer.