This Particular Area Will Be Crucial for Spartans' Defense the Rest of the Way
One of the factors that played a role in Michigan State's loss to Michigan last weekend was the fact the Spartans didn't record any takeaways.
The Spartans had forced at least one turnover in each of their previous seven games, a huge reason they got out to a 4-3 start going into their meeting with their arch rival.
That trend is going to have to pick back up as Michigan State still has some impressive offenses on its schedule, starting Saturday with Indiana.
"Anytime you can take the ball away from the offense, your chances of winning go up tremendously," said Spartan defensive tackle Alex VanSumeren. "So, that's definitely been a point of emphasis, and that's something we want to improve on."
Spartan linebacker Jordan Hall said getting takeaways is something the defense has stressed throughout the season.
"That's kind of been our M.O. the whole year," Hall said. "I know it hasn't happened necessarily as much as we wanted it to as of recently, but it's always, I think for any defense, it's always and forever going to be -- the emphasis for the defense is getting the ball back to the offense."
As far as the secondary goes, Coach Blue Adams' unit takes the necessary steps to make sure it can execute when given a chance at an interception. His group works on its catching in practice so that it's ready when that opportunity presents itself.
"We work on that like every day," Adams said. "Because at the end of the day that's -- all the great DBs that [are] Hall of Famers, their ability to get to all this is key. And so, I just see the same on this level as well. We want guys that can affect the game, and the way that you affect the game is to give the ball back to our offense. So, we're working on a day-in and day-out basis."
It seems obvious -- forcing turnovers is the best-case scenario for a defense. But we saw in Week 9 what difference turnovers can make.
The Spartans' turnover against Michigan came just before halftime and completely changed the trajectory of the contest. The Wolverines were able to pull out the win despite the drastically lopsided time of possession comparison, which favored Michigan State. Just one takeaway for its defense could have ultimately resulted in a Spartan victory.
Keeping the ball out of Indiana's hands will be crucial on Saturday. It's not absolutely essential, but at least one forced turnover would greatly help Michigan State's chances of pulling off the upset.
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