Michigan State Spartans: Keys To The Season, Top Game, Top Transfer, Fun Stats
Michigan State Spartans: Key To The 2022 Offense
Keep hammering with the running game.
QB Payton Thorne is good, and the receiving corps is great, but the Spartans have to commit to the ground game and keep it all going.
They were able to win at times last year when the rushing attack didn’t work, but they needed a late somewhat-miraculous rally to get by Pitt – the ground game finished with just 56 yards – and the Indiana and Nebraska games were way harder than they needed to be thanks to the inability to run.
Those three games and the blowout loss to Ohio State were the only three times the O ran for 100 yards or fewer. In 2020, the Spartans failed to get to 100 yards in all five losses.
Control the clock better, control games better, start doing more with the time of possession, rely on the loaded group of running backs. This team can do that.
Michigan State Spartans: Key To The 2022 Defense
The pass defense …
Fine, let’s do this already.
Michigan State’s secondary wasn’t just awful, it was at a whole other level of miserable allowing 325 passing yards per game and 4,222 yards on the season. Duke was the only other team to give up over 300 yards per outing, and it gave up 312 yards. No one else gave up more than 3,766 total passing yards.
No, seriously. How historically bad was the Michigan State pass defense?
2017 UConn. That was the last time any defense gave up over 325 yards per game.
To be a wee bit fair, the Spartans had to deal with the high-powered WKU offense that winged it all over the yard, Purdue, Ohio State, Maryland, and …
The 2019 Colorado pass defense under Mel Tucker was a total disaster, too, finishing 123rd in the nation.
Go from utterly miserable to just mediocre, and the D will be at a whole other level.
Michigan State Spartans: Key Player To The 2022 Season
PK Jack Stone, Fr.
Michigan State should have a big year, but the difference between great and special will be those few games that come down to the kicking game.
Matt Coghlin wasn’t always a rock, but he hit all 148 extra points in his five-year career, and made 76 field goals including three in the 23-20 win over Nebraska, both of his attempts in the 20-15 win over Indiana, and nailed his one try in the 30-27 win over Penn State.
Stone is one of the best kicker recruits in this year’s class, and he’s got the leg, but the job – and possibly the season – is being turned over to a true freshman.
Michigan State Spartans: Key Transfer
CB Ameer Speed, Sr.
UNLV LB Jacoby Windmon and running backs Jalen Berger (Wisconsin) and Jarek Broussard (Colorado) might be stronger gets, but the pass defense that desperately needs playmakers has to get a big year out of Speed.
A great recruit for Georgia, Speed has 6-3, 210-pound safety size for a corner. He didn’t do much for the Dawgs, though, with just 25 tackles and one broken up pass in his five seasons.
The job at one corner spot at Michigan State is all his.
Michigan State Key Game To The 2022 Season
Ohio State, Oct. 8
Yeah, yeah, yeah, beating Michigan in Ann Arbor would be fun, and getting by Wisconsin would be nice, but those two come right after dealing with an Ohio State team that should be even better than the one that came up with the 56-7 performance art last year.
Ohio State has worn Michigan State as a hat on a six-game streak, winning by an average score of 38-7 and a combined score of 142-35 over the last four.
Lose, and forget about playing for the Big Ten championship.
Michigan State Spartans: 2021 Fun Stats
– Penalties: Michigan State 90 for 831 yards – Opponents 76 for 604 yards
– Passing Yards Per Game: Opponents 325 – Michigan State 253
– Sacks: Michigan State 42 for 293 yards – Opponents 21 for 151 yards
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