Rossi's Impact on MSU Defense Was Felt in First Season
When Jonathan Smith was hired as the next Michigan State football coach, he needed to find someone for his staff to help him lock down the Midwest.
Smith and many of the coaches he brought to East Lansing came from the West Coast, so they did not understand the landscape they were entering much. Finding someone who knew the area was an important task early in Smith’s time as a Spartan.
He quickly identified Minnesota defensive coordinator Joe Rossi and brought him a few states east. Many Spartan fans were unaware of what Rossi would bring to MSU, but his resume was impressive.
The Spartans struggled defensively in the years prior to Rossi taking over. They regularly finished near the bottom of college football in pass defense and failed to get after the quarterback.
Rossi turned MSU in the right direction in his first year leading the defense.
In just one year, Rossi elevated the Spartans from 80th in total defense (389.7 yards per game allowed) to 33rd (332.0), 88th in pass defense (237.8) to 46th (206.9), 71st in rushing defense (151.8) to 32nd (125.1) and 87th in scoring defense (28.3 points per game allowed) to 77th (26.1).
It was a rough few years for MSU defensively, but Rossi made an immediate impact.
Despite multiple injuries to important positions, it was obvious that a scheme change worked well for this Spartans team. They flew around to the football and defended passes at a much higher level.
Rossi's next step is to find a way to improve MSU’s pass-rush production. The Spartans ranked 16th in the Big Ten in sacks (19.0), a significant drop from 2023, when they had 29. MSU will not be a bowl team if it cannot rush the passer at a higher level.
Rossi also brought linebacker commit Brady Pretzlaff, a Gaylord, Michigan, native, with him from the Golden Gophers. Pretzlaff has a chance to play a bigger role in 2025.
With improved health at important positions, the Spartans can be one of the better defenses in college football next season. Rossi’s significant improvements for this defense show this is a real possibility.
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