RUSH OFFENSE vs. MSU RUSH DEFENSE
Michigan is tied at #7 in yards per game (241.71) nationally. Coincidentally, UAB has the exact same number of attempts (293) and yards (1,692) this season. Bell cow running back Blake Corum has 901 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns, and backup Donovan Edwards went wild against Penn State two weeks ago and now averages 7.1 yards/carry with 4 touchdowns this season. The offensive line has noticeably improved since the beginning of the season, even with Karsen Barnhart taking over at right tackle for the injured Trente Jones. Michigan State is #80 in rushing defense (153.3 yards allowed/game) and gives up a statistically mediocre (#65 nationally ) 4.0 yards per game. One of their best defensive players, nose tackle Jacob Slade (6’4″, 305), missed four games earlier this year, but he returned for the game against Wisconsin on October 15. Sophomore linebacker Cal Haladay (6’1″, 230) leads the team with 58 tackles, and cornerback Kendell Brooks (6’0″, 215) is second with 57. Former Wolverine Ben VanSumeren is third on the team with 53 stops. The advantage here is clearly Michigan’s.
Advantage: Michigan
Hit the jump for more.
PASS OFFENSE vs. MSU PASS DEFENSE
Michigan is #74 in passing (231.9 yards/game), averages 8.7 yards per attempt (tied for #19), and is #11 in passing efficiency. Starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy has completed 77.1% of his passes for 1,297 yards, 9 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Ronnie Bell leads the team with 35 catches for 429 yards, but he has just 1 score on the year. Tight end Luke Schoonmaker was averaging almost 7 catches per game for the three weeks prior to the Penn State game, but the Nittany Lions held him to 0 receptions. Michigan is tied for #23 in sacks allowed per game (1.29). Michigan State is tied at #42 in sacks (2.43 per game), led by senior UNLV transfer DE/LB Jacoby Windmon (6’2″, 250). The secondary for MSU has been rather abysmal. They have just 2 interceptions on the season, and one of those came from Windmon. The Spartans are #110 in passing defense (269 yards allowed/game), #114 in yards per attempt allowed (8.2), and #122 in passing efficiency defense. After facing two MAC teams to start the season (in which MSU didn’t allow a TD or record an interception), the Spartans have allowed 3.2 passing touchdowns per game in the Big Ten.
Advantage: Michigan
RUSH DEFENSE vs. MSU RUSH OFFENSE
Michigan is #5 in rush defense (85.9 yards allowed/game) and #7 in yards allowed per carry (2.88). Four out of seven teams have failed to hit 100 rushing yards as a team. Inside linebackers Junior Colson (49 tackles) and Michael Barrett (31) lead the team in stops, followed closely by nose tackle Mazi Smith with 27, which is kind of ridiculous. They’re #18 in TFL yardage despite having fewer tackles for loss than anyone else in the top 27; in other words, they’re setting teams back in chunks, not just 1- or 2-yard increments. Meanwhile, Michigan State is #115 in rushing yardage (106 yards/game) and #99 in yards per carry (3.7). Running back Jalen Berger (6’1″, 215) is a Wisconsin transfer who averages 4.59 yards per carry overall, but in Big Ten play, he’s averaging just 3.32 yards/carry on 34 attempts. The second leading rusher is Colorado transfer Jarek Broussard, but he hast lost time to Elijah Collins (6’1″, 215) recently; Collins had 14 carries for 43 yards and 1 touchdown two weeks ago against Wisconsin. The Spartans are #21 in TFLs allowed per game at 4.14.
Advantage: Michigan
PASS DEFENSE vs. MSU PASS OFFENSE
Michigan is #5 in pass defense, too (164.1 yards allowed/game), and they’re #3 in passing efficiency defense. With just 5 touchdowns allowed, 4 interceptions, and 5.1 yards per attempt allowed, they’ve been rock solid for the most part. They currently sit at #12 in sacks (24), paced by edges Mike Morris (5.0) and Eyabi Okie (3.0). On the back end, cornerback D.J. Turner II and nickel Mike Sainristil each have 4 pass breakups, while safety Rod Moore leads the team with 2 interceptions. The Spartans are #66 in passing offense (242.9 yards/game) and #53 inn passing efficiency. They’re #73 in yards per attempt at 7.3. Junior quarterback Payton Thorne (6’2″, 210) is completing 65.4% of his interceptions for 1,499 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions this season. They do have a few talented receivers, led by Keon Coleman (6’4″, 215) with 31 catches for 393 yards and 5 touchdowns. Senior wideouts Jayden Reed (6’0″, 190) and Tre Mosley (6’2″, 198) have combined for 55 catches, 599 yards, and 6 touchdowns. They’re #43 in sacks allowed (12). The interior of MSU’s offensive line is the piece that really drags down the whole offense.
Advantage: Michigan
ROSTER NOTES
- Players from the State of Michigan are too many to list
- MSU players recruited by Michigan include: RB Jalen Berger, WR Germie Bernard, DE Khris Bogle, OT Spencer Brown, TE Maliq Carr, OL Dallas Fincher, LB Cal Haladay, WR Tyrell Henry, S Jaden Mangham, CB Ameer Speed, S Dillon Tatum, DT Alex VanSumeren, LB Ben VanSumeren
- MSU DT Alex VanSumeren was a one-time commitment to Michigan, and brother Ben played RB/LB for the Wolverines
PREDICTION
- Michigan 41, Michigan State 17
You need to login in order to vote
You must belogged in to post a comment.