WHOA. This game snuck up on me. Nothing posted since the Michigan game. Also, for those UM fans out there, Pat is at a wedding and will unable to post anything. It helps that Michigan has a bye week... So, let us jump right into to East Lansing.
I will start by saying that the reason that they have nets up on College Gameday is that in about 1997 I want to say, fans pelted Herbstreit with beer cans. GO STATE!
What are three things to watch out for?
1: The play of Russel Wilson.
For MSU to win this game, they need to stop Wilson from making plays. Russel is is both an upgrade and a down grade from Denard Robinson, he is a less dynamic runner but a better passer. We need to get to Wilson early and get some hits on him. Any way to rattle the quarterback and disrupt some timing on his passes will go a long way to winning this game. On that note, Wilson is still very capable of running and going out on passes to catch the pass. Which brings me to my next point
2: Defensive line play.
This Wisconsin offensive line is just about a complete 180 from the Michigan offensive line. These are big boys. Wisconsin is best known for their massive offensive linemen and their ability to pound the football. Without William Gholston, the MSU offensive line is going to need to step up their play. We need to find ways get through their line and stop that initial push. If Wisconsin is constantly getting a good 2 or 3 yards of push in the trenches it is going to be a long day for the Spartans. I am looking for the defensive line to blitz more linebackers both on the edge and up the middle and keep the defensive backs in coverage to limit Wilsons ability to pass the ball on blitzes.
3: Can we score some points?
This is a HUGE game for our offense. The offense has been very much a lame duck. At times they have looked good, and other times have looked downright awful. Wisconsin has been scoring at a clip of about 40 ppg. Does the MSU offense need to match that? No. But we are going to need to get some points with touchdowns - not field goals. Like the UM game, I expect Kirk Cousins to attack the edges in the passing game and after Keshawn Martins game last week, I see more plays aimed at him...DO NOT FUMBLE THE BALL!!!!!!!!!! With that, it is pretty obvious that we need to be able to run the football and when MSU is unable to run the football, MSU gets stomped. Edwin Baker looked like a man possessed last week. Will he still have that speed, and will our offensive line still have that push? I sure hope so. If you cant get up for a game like this, you might as well stay home. If Kirk can get the ball on the edges and open up some dump passes in the middle to the TE. We will be very effective on offense.
This game is at night, in Spartan Stadium. The place is going to be rocking. I think this favors us a lot. However, I think Wisconsin is legit. They are big, their running back is fast, and the ability of Wilson to scramble adds another dimension to their offense. As much as it pains me to type this I do not think MSU wins this one. 31-27 Wisconsin. Prove me wrong State!!
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