EAST LANSING - It almost makes you wonder: how good could Michigan State’s defense have been this season if sophomore cornerback Josiah Scott had not missed the first eight games of the season with a knee injury.

MSU entered Saturday’s regular season finale against Rutgers as the owners of the nation’s No. 1 run defense.

Scott’s two-interceptions made the defense look like one of the best complete units in the nation, as MSU's pass defense continued a climb from early-season problems, to mid-season functionality, to late-season excellence.

Michigan State finished the season ranked No. 16 in the nation in scoring defense, No. 10 among major conference teams.

While one player is never supposed to decide the outcome of a game, it’s safe to say that Scott’s contributions against the Scarlet Knights makes you wonder if MSU could have avoided losses against pass happy attacks utilized by both Arizona State and Northwestern earlier in the season when MSU’s defense gave up 380 passing yards to ASU QB Manny Wilkins and 373 yards to the Wildcats signal caller Clayton Thorson.

And the 79-yard touchdown pass to Donovon Peoples-Jones against Tre Person which broke a 7-7 tie with Michigan late in the third quarter and served as the turning point of the game? If Scott had played, Michigan would have needed to find a game-changing moment elsewhere.

Scott’s picks against Rutgers, which both came in the second half, changed the tenor of a game that saw both teams struggle to gain any kind of offensive continuity.

The second interception sealed the victory for the Spartans.

“We talk all throughout the year about how we want the game to be on us at the end if the game because we feel like we have that swagger and that type of defense to be able to get that stop at the end of the game,’’ Scott said. “So, I felt like were comfortable in that situation because we had practiced it all of the time. So, it was good just to be able to get that.’’

For his efforts, Scott was named Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week on Monday.