Spartans' Defensive Backs Started the Season Off Strong
Going into its season opener, there were certain areas that Michigan State wanted to improve mightily on when reflecting on last season. The Spartans hoped to make major adjustments and flip the script when it comes down to their defensive unit, leading the charge could be the secondary.
That is exactly what they did in their season opener at Spartan Stadium when Florida Atlantic came into East Lansing. The defense showed promise and made big plays for the collective unit, but the defensive backs were key.
Angelo Grose and Nikai Martinez were not only the two top players with tackles in the game, but also both claimed an interception to their stat line as well. Grose in his redshirt senior year and Martinez, a junior, both used their experience to be ready for the season opener. Providing some knowledge and expertise was a large reason their Defensive Back group did so well.
The secondary only allowed 116 yards through the air while less than half of FAU quarterback Cam Fancher's passes were completed, causing a long night for the Burrowing Owls. There were some great plays made by the Spartan defensive backs, but like all first games of the season, there were some missed opportunities as well.
The biggest one was a miscommunication on a fourth-and-1 pass that resulted in a touchdown in the third quarter. Both defensive backs came up to cover the quick-out route to the flat, leaving a wide-open receiver in the back of the end zone.
Ultimately, the secondary recovered for the rest of the game and did what they had to do to leave the game with a victory. This group has the potential to impact games for the rest of the season, but they will have to keep up the tight coverage and trust each other by communicating thoroughly to help eliminate deep plays for opposing teams' offenses. That is something Coach Jonathan Smith knows will take some time.
“We had some communication misses that opened up a couple of things, were going to play athletic quarterbacks and got to do a great job trying to learn how to detain that, but overall, this ain't a game of perfect and those guys played really really hard for four quarters,” Smith said.
Creating turnovers is something that this team needs to do to improve and grow from last season. Per the Big Ten, the Spartans finished last in defensive efficiency in the conference in 2023. The Spartans have an experienced group returning that is ready to make a statement and controlling the air attack each game will do just that.
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JACK BEULKE