Written by T.J. Inman
Game 5 Primer – Michigan State Spartans
What: Indiana (3-1) at Michigan State (3-1)
Where: Spartan Stadium
When: Saturday, September 28 at 3:30
How to Watch: The game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network. You can also listen to the game on the IU Radio Network with the legendary Don Fischer on the call.
Series History: The two Big Ten rivals have played 65 times and battle for the Old Brass Spittoon. While it is not nearly on the level of the Old Oaken Bucket, it is a “trophy game” and the winner of this game will have the traveling relic for a year. MSU has won 47 of these contests, IU has won 16 and the two have tied twice. The Hoosiers have not won in East Lansing since 2001 and MSU has won nine of ten in the series.
What’s at Stake: Beyond playing for the Old Brass Spittoon, this is a big game for both sides. After an impressive and dominant win at Northwestern, the Spartans are ranked in the Top 25 (25th) and the vulnerability of Michigan has to have their fans thinking of another nine or ten win season. With a difficult schedule to come, Michigan State cannot afford a loss at home to Indiana. The Hoosiers have a chance to improve to 4-1 heading into an open week and a win would be a major building block as Tom Allen continues to try and build IU’s program into a consistent winner. Perhaps most importantly, this would be a victory that most were not counting on in IU’s quest to reach a bowl game.
What to Watch For
1. Scoring on the Immovable Object
Indiana is hoping to have Michael Penix back at quarterback. He has missed the past two games with a shoulder injury but Tom Allen said on Monday that Penix would practice this week and they hoped he could play on Saturday. With left tackle and leader Coy Cronk out, IU will need every weapon they can get because they will be playing on the road against perhaps the nation’s best defense. The Spartans have not allowed more than 17 points (Western Michigan) in a game this season and they are the top ranked defense in the S&P+ rankings. Watching the two most applicable games the Spartans have played (vs. Arizona State and at Northwestern) and studying the box scores gives a very clear idea of just how tough this defense is. Arizona State had 140 passing yards and could only muster 2.9 yards on 26 carries. They had one play of 40 yards and no other play of more than 16 yards. Northwestern was similarly stunted. They had runs of 17 and 21 and managed 3.2 yards per carry on 44 attempts (!) but only threw for 126 passing yards and had a long pass play of 20. Michigan State keeps everything in front of them and they tackle extremely well. If you are able to find any space, the Spartans close that space and bring the play to an end before big gains can occur. Opposing offenses have to be extremely efficient over a long drive because Michigan State is going to make you use 12-15 plays to move the ball down the field and into scoring territory. Offensive coordinator Kalen DeBoer is going to have come up with some creative plays to give IU a chance at explosive plays and the Hoosiers will have to execute them without miscues (remember the missed wheel routes the past two seasons against MSU?).
2. Convert Scoring Chances
Even if the Hoosiers are able to have a great day against the Michigan State Spartans, the game is likely going to be played at a pace that will put scoring chances at a premium. Simply put, if Indiana is able to get into scoring territory, finishing with points will be a requirement. IU will need to convert on any field goal opportunities and ideally, all red zone opportunities will end in touchdowns. The Hoosiers have been fairly successful this season in the red zone. 82.35% of red zone drives (14 of 17) have resulted in scores and 11 of the drives have ended in touchdowns. The margins for success will be very small in this area and the Hoosiers will likely need their veteran receivers to make competitive catches.
3. Keep the Spartans Offense Struggling
If Michigan State could be judged on only one side of the ball, they would be College Football Playoff contenders. However, football requires offense as well as defense and the Spartans continue to struggle on that side. Brian Lewerke has looked more like the player he was last season as opposed to the standout season he had in 2017. He is very capable of making really tough throws and they have some decent weapons in Darrell Stewart and Cody White but Lewerkemakes a lot of mistakes and misses throws he should not be missing at this stage of his career. This is particularly true if you can apply pressure to him and get past the less than stellar offensive line. The running game, much like Indiana’s, is not explosive enough. IU has been fairly efficient but the Spartans are still trying to find that. The primary running back is going to be Elijah Collins and he had 4.5 yards per carry against Northwestern. Indiana’s defense cannot let Michigan State’s offense get comfortable or confident and keeping the Spartans behind schedule (forcing 2nd or 3rd and longs) will be paramount.
