ANN ARBOR, Mich. — While the records for each Michigan and MSU might indicate that the Wolverines are likely to beat the Spartans, as does Vegas, in order to do so, the maize and blue will need to be fully prepared.
Certainly, there’s confidence in the offensive side of the ball, that Michigan will be able to run enough while passing against what has been an anemic secondary. But the questions probably lie on defense, even though the Spartans haven’t exactly fielded a high-powered offense this year.
MSU has indicated, however, as its gotten healthier that it can make big plays and win games. Payton Thorne to Jayden Reed is the preferred attack, especially since the run game hasn’t exactly taken off to this point. The biggest factor coming into a game like Saturday’s is the element of surprise, which is something that Wolverines’ defensive coordinator Jesse Minter is readying himself for.
“I think you prepare for wrinkles all spring, all summer, all fall,” Minter said. “We go against a tremendous offense in our own offense on a regular basis. I enjoy that because I think it helps prepare you for stuff that maybe that particular team hasn’t shown. So, really when teams run a trick play or a new play, especially both teams coming off a bye, we anticipate seeing things that they haven’t put on tape before, but it really comes down to like reverting to your training, reverting to your rules, trusting your eyes, trusting your instincts, trusting your technique.
“And there’s no secret play call to stop a gadget play or a trick play or something new. So it’s really just about having the guys as well prepared as possible. Them knowing where their eyes are supposed to be, what they’re supposed to be looking at, what’s their responsibility of that particular play call is. And I think when you do that, and the guys trust each other, you have an opportunity to stop it. And that doesn’t mean there might not be something crazy that happens. And if there is, you bounce back and you respond and try to clean it up for the next time.”
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This will be Minter’s first taste of the in-state rivalry, or any Michigan rivalry, for that matter. There’s only so much learning one can do in terms of preparing for the intensity, but it is something that Minter anticipates, especially since he’s gone back and looked at previous iterations of the rivalry.
Given what happened two years ago, as well as even two weeks ago when MSU beat Wisconsin, one of the things that Minter is aware of is Payton Thorne’s penchant to throw up 50-50 balls to Jayden Reed. In 2020, it was thought that the Spartans would be overmatched, but Mel Tucker’s squad kept throwing it up, with Rocky Lombardi repeatedly hitting Ricky White deep, upsetting the maize and blue on their home turf.
Minter has some strategies to keep that type of play from burning the Wolverines on Saturday, explaining his concept of pass defense against a team willing to put it up and out there.
“They have really good receivers, they have a quarterback who trusts his receivers, especially on those deep, deep down the sideline throws,” Minter said. “Whether it’s a deep ball or a back shoulder throw, they excel in those areas. So, it’s something that our guys are prepared for.
“But also, it’s mixing and matching coverages, and not always giving them the one on ones that they’re looking for. But also know, at times, like those guys are going to be one-on-one, and they’re going to have to hold up their end of the bargain. I think our guys are primed and excited about the challenge.
“And then for us, we just got to do a good job mixing up the looks and giving them help at times and knowing that they’re gonna be on their own at times. And, those guys are really, really good players that have elite ball skills and size and speed. Kind of two different body types, but both very capable of making big plays. So definitely something high on our radar.”
The other thing that really killed the maize and blue, just this last year in this game, was Michigan State going tempo on offense. Michigan kept trying to substitute, even when the Spartan offense hadn’t, which caught the Wolverines off-guard, repeatedly. Minter says his team has been preparing for tempo this year, as evidenced by the games against Indiana and Penn State, recently.
Should MSU try to run plays quickly, the Wolverines should be better than a year ago, in that regard.
“Practice it, prepare for it, anticipate it, have a really good focus on when they substitute versus when they don’t substitute,” Minter said. “It’s something we’ve worked on a lot this year. We haven’t been perfect in that regard. But definitely just prepare and practice for that stuff and know that they’re going to attack us that way.”
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