Halftime thoughts: Michigan State sloppy, leads Rutgers

Michigan State’s quest to get back in the win column is going about as well as the rest of the season has gone. The difference today is the team on the other side of the field. Michigan State leads Rutgers 17-0 at the half. Here are some thoughts: …

Michigan State’s quest to get back in the win column is going about as well as the rest of the season has gone. The difference today is the team on the other side of the field.

Michigan State leads Rutgers 17-0 at the half. Here are some thoughts:

  • Cody White has 57 catches in the first half. Don’t look it up. There’s no need. It’s true.
  • It’s really nice to have Speedy Nailor back. He’s so obviously a different level runner than anyone else MSU has on offense. He absolutely cooked his man on a dee shot and might have had a long TD had the Rutgers defender not grabbed him for an obvious PI.
  • It’s pretty easy to see why Rutgers hasn’t won a Big Ten game in more than two years. Woof. The talent just isn’t even near where it needs to be.
  • Matt Coghlin back? It’s not much, but Coghlin has kicked the ball well the last three weeks, going 4/4 in field goals. He easily hit from 46 yards in the first half. In a lost season, it’d be nice for Coghlin to get his confidence back down the stretch.
  • Coghlin hit the upright from 33 yards after MSU returned an INT to the Rutgers 15 and proceeded to do nothing with it.

  • Not great, Bob.
  • Michigan State has been stopped twice on 4th-and-1 well into Rutgers territory.

  • The two-minute drill looks good again and results in a late touchdown. It’s really too bad MSU can’t take some of their two-minute principles and infuse them into the regular offense.
  • Above all else, Michigan State has just been so sloppy today. Beyond even what they’ve done in previous games. In week 11 it just reeks of a team being unprepared and unfocused.
  • The defense has been solid so credit them for that. We must keep in mind the opponent. Rutgers has been very unimpressive on offense.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1362]