Michigan State returns to East Lansing to welcome in a Washington team that has not lived up to expectations.
The Michigan State Spartans are coming off of their biggest win of the Pat Fitzgerald era and their biggest win in a long time by earning the rights back to Paul Bunyan. They went to Ann Arbor and beat rival Michigan pretty handily. They controlled the tempo of the game, played stout defense and despite all the injuries they showed up to play. Fitzgerald’s team will be coming back to East Lansing on a high note after earning his first Big Ten conference win as Spartans head coach. They will welcome in the Washington Huskies to Spartan Stadium who, like Michigan, have not lived up to their preseason expectations. This game is a prime opportunity to ride the momentum from the Michigan win to get another victory for MSU, like the fight song’s namesake.
Washington was ranked 18th in the preseason AP poll and has found themselves with a 5-4 record and struggling to find any cohesion within the program. After Demond Williams Jr. tried to transfer in the offseason and was brought back due to a lawsuit with his NIL contract, Washington has looked checked out. They struggled early against Washington State and Utah State in wins en route to a 3-0 start. They lost the next three to Minnesota, USC and Iowa before winning the next two and then losing at home to a struggling Penn State team for a 5-4 record. Coming off of that Penn State loss and then traveling cross country to East Lansing is not a good thing for the Huskies as they look to establish an identity as a team this year.
The Huskies have struggled to run the ball this year as they have averaged less than 100 yards per game with 99.3. That ranks in the bottom ten of all the FBS programs. They make up for it by airing the ball out with Demond Williams Jr. for an average of 265.1 yards per game. Michigan State’s defense only allows 194 yards per game through the air so it should be a challenge for Washington to air it out on the Spartans secondary. However they could have a bounce back day running the ball as Michigan State allows 142 yards per game on the ground. The Huskies could have a chance to revitalize their rushing attack against the Spartans, but they are coming off of a high with their best defensive performance of the season. Granted, against a terrible Michigan offense.
The Spartans held Michigan scoreless for 98% of that game and controlled everything from the ground game to moving the ball throughout the air. The important takeaway with that result was that MSU was able to do that, missing thirteen players on the injury report. Including, but not limited to, Jordan Hall, Charles Brantley, Jaziun Patterson, Marvis Parrish, etc. Michigan State came ready to play and dominated the Wolverines on the road. Alessio Milivojevic gained some confidence with a much needed win and did not turn the ball over at all. The Huskies are ranked 28th in the FBS with a turnover margin of plus four which will provide challenges to MSU’s offense. If Milivojevic can avoid turnovers for a second straight week and play a clean game, then they stand a good chance at upsetting Washington this week. The one concern is the emotional hangover of winning a game of that caliber against Michigan, but Fitzgerald should have his team ready to go.
The Spartans have a prime opportunity to make some noise at the end of the season and end the year with plenty of momentum. Washington is coming off of a bad home loss to Penn State and will now have to travel cross country to take on a MSU team on the rise. If Michigan State can get up after an emotional win to play motivated football at home, then they will give Washington fits. Watch out for an upset at Spartan Stadium.