Michigan State’s defense showed some promise in the Spartans' matchup vs. Ohio State this past weekend in East Lansing. However, the Buckeyes were simply too much. While the final score of 38-7 is similar to last year’s beatdown in Columbus, there were moments where the 2024 Spartans looked much sharper and more competitive than the 2023 version.

The standout play of the night versus the Buckeye's was linebacker Jordan Turner’s interception in the second quarter against Ohio State quarterback Will Howard, which helped set up the Spartans’ only touchdown of the game — a pass from quarterback Aidan Chiles to wide receiver Jaron Glover. This was just one play that highlighted the defense’s potential, especially against the high-powered OSU offense.

There are, however, many areas for improvement for the unit. Allowing 21 points in the second quarter was a major setback, and the Spartans struggled on crucial down situations, giving up first downs on eight out of 17 third-down attempts and three out of four fourth-down attempts.

MSU defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Joe Rossi addressed some of these issues earlier this week. Rossi emphasized the need for better execution in critical moments. The task will get no easier this week as the Spartans travel West to Eugene to face the No. 6 ranked Oregon Ducks on Friday, whose roster is packed full of explosive playmakers.

“I think there’s some similarities to what we saw last week," Rossi said about Oregon. "I think there are some elements that FAU (Florida Atlantic) was doing a little bit, but they (Oregon) are unique. They do a great job of getting the ball in the skill players’ hands. They’re explosive. The mark of a good program and a good coaching staff is I feel like they’ve improved every game they’ve played. I have noticed a difference in their performance.”

The Ducks' quarterback, Dillon Gabriel, is completing 81.5% of his passes, which is the best in the country. Their primary running back, Jordan James, is averaging six yards per carry this season, to pair with four touchdowns. And possibly the most impressive part of the Oregon offense is the stacked room of wide receivers the Ducks feature. Tez Johnson, Gabriel’s primary target, has already caught the ball 33 times this season for four touchdowns, and Oregon's second-most productive receiver, Traeshon Holden, has 15 receptions for three touchdowns. Additionally, Texas A&M transfer Evan Stewart already has 14 receptions (including a touchdown) and tight end Terrance Ferguson has 14 catches as well.

“They have a tremendous amount of skill. I think they do an excellent job of getting the ball out on the perimeter. The quarterback (Gabriel), I haven’t checked, but he has to be top-five completion percentage in the country. They’ve got very good (running) backs, the tight ends have good length and can run good routes, and they’re very athletic up front. In the environment they’re in, that’s why they’ve had all the success they have the last few years.”