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A week after Michigan football took its show on the road and eviscerated No. 21 Minnesota in Minneapolis, the Wolverines get to come home and take on in-state rival MSU.
The Spartans — in case you somehow missed it — enter the contest 0-1, after inexplicably losing the season opener to lowly Rutgers. The question remains: did MSU get that much worse in Mel Tucker’s first year, or did Rutgers get that much better?
It’s hard to win a game after turning the ball over seven times as Michigan State did, but new starting QB Rocky Lombardi did throw for 319 yards and 3 TD in the opening foray. His primary target was WR Jayden Reed, the redshirt sophomore transfer from Western Michigan. Reed reeled in 11 catches for 128 yards and 2 TD — including a long reception for 50 yards. Promising wideout Jalen Nailor added 6 catches for 84 yards and a TD. Michigan’s new CB duo in Vincent Gray and Gemon Green did a solid job on Rashod Bateman and Chris Autman-Bell, but they’ll have their work cut out for them in Big Ten Week 2.
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MSU‘s run game was — nonexistent. It managed to accumulate just 50 yards a week ago, with freshman Jordon Simmons leading the charge with 43 yards. Not great, Bob — if you’re a State fan. The Spartans are a mess up front. Former Cass Tech star Jordan Reid opted out of the season, as did Justin Stevens. Devontae Dobbs didn’t dress, nor did fellow OL Mustafa Khaleefah and Luke Campbell. If the status quo holds, Michigan has an opportunity to live in the MSU backfield, as well as stop any potential run game — rendering the Spartans one-dimensional.
Despite Rutgers winning 38-27, the MSU defense did an adequate job — at least when it came to limiting the Scarlet Knights. Now, Rutgers had short fields all day, so it didn’t need to go crazy offensively, but the Spartans held the Knights to just 276 yards of total offense — but allowed 38 points, all of which came on offense.
Through the air, MSU surrendered just 170 yards, while on the ground, Rutgers eked out 106 yards on 41 carries — an average of 2.6 yards-per. Now, keep in mind, though RU broke in a new QB in Nebraska transfer Noah Vedral, the Knights had the nation’s No. 121 (of 130) passing offense in 2019 and the No. 101 rushing offense. So let’s not go handing MSU any medals for allowing just 276 yards of offense here. Ann Arbor native, LB Antjuan Simmons, legitimately might be the only Spartan at the moment that would see the field for the Wolverines, and he shined with 11 tackles and 3 TFL. CB Kalon Gervin could also make a case, and he managed 4 tackles. Other notable defensemen include DT Naquan Jones, who has been inconsistent in his career, as well as DE and instigator Jacub Panasiuk.
On special teams, Jayden Reed returns kicks while Jalen Nailor returns punts — and both are solid in those roles. Matt Coghlin is back at place kicker, and he drilled 2-for-2, including a 48-yarder on Saturday. Junior punter Bryce Barringer averaged 50.5 yards-per-punt, meaning: don’t expect the same short fields witnessed in Minneapolis.
State is a mess, personnel-wise, so much will be riding on its ability to rise up for this game. But, are the Spartans anywhere near as talented as Minnesota? No, but weirder things have happened. MSU has no business being in this game come Saturday, however, it has its back against the wall, already down 0-1, and, as we know, this game is its Super Bowl on a yearly basis. It will be supremely outmatched, but if Michigan comes in riding its laurels from Week 1 success and MSU manages to take what Michigan gives it, it stands a chance.
A very, very small one, but a chance, nonetheless.
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Predictions
For WolverinesWire, Brandon Knapp, Ted Rydquist, Trent Knoop and Isaiah Hole are breaking down what Michigan needs to do to win, what would amount to a certain loss in Big Ten Week 2, one bold prediction — or hill we’re dying on — and the final score.