We spoke with Matt Charboneau of The Detroit News this week for a behind the scenes look at Michigan State's personnel and mindset heading into tomorrow's matchup with the Michigan Wolverines' football program.
Charboneau explained what has all gone wrong for the Spartans' offensively this season, while also revealing what the mood has been like in their locker room throughout the week.
He concluded with a final score prediction and revealed how he sees tomorrow's rivalry matchup playing out.
Who are a few players on both sides of the ball for MSU that fans should keep an eye on this weekend?
"Redshirt freshman running back Elijah Collins has been one of the bright spots this season in an otherwise miserable year for the offense.
"He ran for 170 yards last week against Illinois as MSU added two freshmen as starters along the offensive line, which led to a season-high 275 rushing yards.
"[Fifth-year senior] quarterback Brian Lewerke has been inconsistent, but he’s got a good connection with [fifth-year senior] tight end Matt Seybert while freshman [wideout] Tre Mosley has shown some flashes.
"Defensively, MSU remains strong in the middle with tackles [fifth-year senior] Raequan Williams and [senior] Mike Panasiuk but with [senior] Joe Bachie out, the linebacker corps has been shuffled.
"The status of junior cornerback Josiah Scott will be important after he left last week’s game in the third quarter. If he can’t go, it might be a long day for the MSU secondary."
What has been the main factor behind MSU's offensive struggles this season?
"There might not be enough space to properly answer this one because it’s been wide-ranging, however the main problems have existed along the offensive line.
"Fifth-year senior tackle Cole Chewins has missed the entire season because of an injury and MSU has scrambled since, first moving guard [junior] Kevin Jarvis out to left tackle before he got hurt.
"The third option, [redshirt] junior AJ Arcuri, missed the first half of the season with an injury while [redshirt junior] center Matt Allen is now out, as is fifth-year senior Tyler Higby, who has started at three different positions.
"The uncertainty has denied the offensive line the chance to build much chemistry which has been the core of MSU’s offensive issues."
What is the strength of MSU's defense?
"The Spartans used to be one of the most disciplined units in the country, rarely getting out of position and limiting big plays.
"That’s disappeared for this group and it likely won’t get much better as senior middle linebacker Joe Bachie was suspended for the rest of the season.
"While Michigan State has had trouble in the secondary this season and isn’t getting after the quarterback consistently, the Spartans still do a good job of stopping the run.
"They haven’t been as dominant as they were in the past few seasons, but outside of back-to-back poor performances against Ohio State and Wisconsin, MSU has done a good job of defending run, ranking 16th in the nation in run defense."
