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Published Sep 14, 2023
Get to Know the Michigan State Opponent: Washington
Paolo Giannandrea  •  Spartans Illustrated
Staff Writer
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@PaoloGiann

No. 8 Washington comes to East Lansing in a total role reversal from a year ago, as a Huskies team now-adorned with national expectations tries to remain unbeaten in its first road test of the season.

Acting head coach Harlon Barnett will lead MSU, with Mark Dantonio stepping into an associate head coach role on Saturday, as Mel Tucker is under suspension without pay.

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Let's get to know the Huskies a little bit better.

Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer excelled in his first campaign at the helm. Like the Spartans of 2021, Washington went 11-2 in DeBoer’s debut in Seattle.

The losses were slim, however, as Washington fell to UCLA and Arizona State in back-to-back one-score games before going on to win the Alamo Bowl over then-No. 25-ranked Texas.

Series History

Washington took another leg up on the all-time series with its win in 2022, establishing a 3-1 record against MSU after its convincing 39-28 win over the Spartans last year in Seattle. The Huskies now hold a three-game winning streak in the series.

Players to Watch

Michael Penix Jr. enters his sixth collegiate season after four years at Indiana. Penix is 2-1 as a starter against the Spartans, but his lone loss was the last time he faced a Mark Dantonio-led Michigan State in 2019. In three games versus the Spartans, Penix has completed 82 of 120 passes (68.3%) for 1,003 yards (334.3 yards per game) and nine touchdowns, with two interceptions.

Washington has an extremely strong group of wide receivers. The three leading receivers from last year’s tilt, Ja’Lynn Polk, Jalen McMillan and Rome Odunze — the latter two of whom eclipsed 1,000 yards in 2021 — are all back.

All three players have recorded at least 182 receiving yards yards and scored at least once through two games thus far.

Former Michigan State wide receiver Germie Bernard returned to Seattle after the 2022 season. Bernard originally signed with Washington as a four-star prospect out of the 2022 class, but after his position coach, Junior Adams, left for Oregon, Bernard requested a release of his National Letter of Intent, which the Huskies granted. Bernard then enrolled at Michigan State for the 2022 season, but then entered the transfer portal after his freshman year, and found his way back to Washington in 2023.

The Henderson, Nevada native and former high school teammate of redshirt freshman Michigan State quarterback Katin Houser scored once so far this season, and has recorded five receptions for 90 yards.

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Offensive Powerhouse

Michigan State may need to play the ball control game to keep pace with Washington, which boasts the No. 6 offense in the nation at 565 yards per game, and sports the No. 1 passing attack to boot, throwing for averages of 472 yards. The Huskies are also tied for eighth nationally in scoring offense at 49.5 points per game through its first two games.

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On a somewhat brighter note, Washington has averaged under 100 yards rushing through its first two games, which could play into MSU’s affinity to play only two linebackers in a 4-2-5 scheme. It's possible that linebacker Jacoby Windmon could miss the game after suffering a pectoral injury last week in the win versus Richmond, so Washington not being a strong running team could limit some of the impact of the Spartans being without Windmon if he is unable to play.

Of course, Washington doesn't need to run the ball effectively to win. The nickel base alignment remains a necessity this week as MSU’s secondary, one that Penix exposed for nearly 400 yards on 60% passing last year, has ranked near-last in the nation each of the past two season in passing defense. The young defensive backfield has looked good for Michigan State through two games, but neither early opponent challenged the Spartans downfield. MSU will have its first big test this weekend, and the Spartans will have to be at their best in pass coverage to slow down the Huskies.

Michigan State redshirt sophomore running back Nathan Carter eclipsed 100 yards rushing in each of MSU’s first two contests, and currently leads the Big Ten in rushing yards (224) and is tied for the lead in rushing touchdowns (four). The Huskies will look to combat that, as they may try to stack the box and crowd the line of scrimmage, as they've done on more than one occasion early this year, and that may give way to MSU having to utilize things like screen passes and quick routes to counter that.

With that said, Spartans Illustrated's latest Film Room piece showed that Washington's defenders are somewhat slow to react and struggle to tackle. Carter and the other running backs could find success if that remains the case.

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Synopsis

Quick-hitters near the line of scrimmage, faith in its redshirt junior starter under center in Noah Kim to make throws downfield and discipline on both sides of the ball will be necessary for MSU's attempt to upset over one of the best offenses in the nation Saturday. Of course, the biggest factor will be for Michigan State to actually be able to cover Washington's wide receivers this time around.

MSU was able to put the clamps on in the red zone las year, for the most part, when the field was condensed and the secondary was tasked with covering far less ground. The score in Seattle could’ve resulted in a much uglier result, and if MSU avoided a couple self-inflicted errors, they would’ve had a real shot a winning the game outright.

Still, though, Washington’s position as a near-three score favorite (-16, according to DraftKings) seems appropriate ahead of Saturday. Expect some energy from an inspired roster and loud noise from a passionate crowd enjoying alcohol sales in stadium for the first time to be factors, but I anticipate this game to get out of reach late, as Washington pulls away for a two-score victory.

Fun Fact: Not related to on-field activities, but according to Michigan State Athletics, Michigan is second only to Washington in U.S. apple production.

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