No. 3 Ohio State has averaged 40 points per game over its eight-game win streak against Michigan State. Through three games this year, the Buckeyes are averaging more than 50 per contest. This year’s Spartans, under a new defensive system, are looking to reverse some troubling trends.
“It’s another game,” said MSU defensive lineman Quindarius Dunnigan. “It’s 1-0 each week – that’s what we’re doing. Ohio State’s got a great team, we respect them, but we fear nobody. That’s kind of our mentality right now.”
Dunnigan is one of the several new contributors on the Spartan defense, getting his first sack of the season against Boston College. He also knows what it is like to be a massive underdog and win. He was a part of the 2022 Middle Tennessee State team that beat then-No. 25 Miami (FL) as 25.5-point underdogs, according to ESPN. Dunnigan had four tackles and a tackle for loss in that game. Sportsbooks generally currently favor Ohio State by about 24 points in Saturday’s game.
“We’ve played in big games before,” Dunnigan said. “We’ve got a lot of older guys that have been able to play and understand what the stakes are and when a game is big; but like I said, it’s another football game.”
Dunnigan and his teammates in the defensive line and linebacker rooms will be one of the keys for Michigan State to keep this game interesting. The unit has shown the tools: MSU has the second-most sacks in the FBS, eighth-most tackles for loss, and is allowing just 2.61 yards per rush.
With respect to the Spartans’ previous four opponents, Ohio State is different. The Buckeyes feature two of the best running backs in the nation: TreVeyon Henderson and Ole Miss transfer Quinshon Judkins. Add on four starting offensive linemen from last year coming back and it results in Henderson and Judkins combining for just over nine yards per carry.
“They’re both really good backs,” said Spartan linebacker Jordan Hall. “They both are good at the point of attack, good at making people miss, good in pass protection. We’re just going to go out there and get them on the ground.”
Then there’s OSU’s everlastingly elite wide receiver room. Quarterbacked by Kansas State transfer Will Howard, MSU’s back end will also have to account for Emeka Egbuka, Carnell Tate, and true freshman superstar Jeremiah Smith.
“We’re prepared to go out there and make plays on the running backs, tight ends and receivers,” Hall said. “I think that we believe that we can beat anybody, no matter who it is. I’ve said it before, we’re going to respect everybody that we play on the same level. We know they’re a good team with good athletes, but we’re also a good team with good athletes. We’re just going to go through our game plan. Coach [Jonathan] Smith in our team meeting yesterday emphasized, ‘Leave your capes at home. We don’t need any superheroes, we just need 11 guys on the field at a time doing their job.’”
“The thing that Coach [Joe] Rossi has been stressing right now has been executing at a very high level,” said linebacker Cal Haladay. “That’s making sure we’re doing everything – crossing our T’s, dotting our I’s, and making sure that we’re taking care of our job, because they’re a very explosive offense and they’ll take advantage of any detail that you’ve missed.”
Haladay would know.
He’s appeared in four games against the Buckeyes and has watched MSU get outscored 195-42 in the process. In last year’s meeting, Ohio State scored touchdowns in five of its first six possessions to lead 35-3 at halftime. Haladay led both teams with nine total tackles.
“You have to play at a high level because they’re a very good team and a very good offense that we’re gonna face," said Haladay. "They’re explosive. Any one of their people out there that gets the ball can go the distance. We just have to make sure that we’re doing the right thing and make sure we tackle well against these guys.”
The MSU defense had done a good job containing the explosive plays up until the game at Boston College. Entering last week, there had only been two instances of a running back gaining 10+ yards on a carry. The Eagles had six such runs, including a 36-yard touchdown run. BC’s 42-yard, game-winning touchdown pass with 1:38 left was also the longest play against Michigan State all season.
Despite that, the defense's resilience should still be commended.
After all, MSU was still in last week’s game the whole way, despite four turnovers. Haladay cited the fact that his unit held Boston College to a field goal after Kay’ron Lynch-Adams’ fumble gave the Eagles the ball on MSU’s 5-yard line.
“Our ability to respond, even if they do get a big play, to come back the next play and be able to limit points on the board – I think that will be a really key factor in the game,” Haladay said. “You have to make sure they’re limiting the explosives and making sure they’re actually driving the ball because they’re very explosive and they’re going to throw the ball downfield, they’re going to be able to throw it out to the flat, the perimeter and just get guys running downfield.”
In the end, it’s also going to come down to belief in each player that a win is truly possible. Excluding both program’s mutual rival, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day is 38-0 in Big Ten play. He’s also 42-0 against unranked teams. Someone has to add a “1” to the record at some point.
“It’s all about the belief in ourselves,” Dunnigan said.
“You’ve got to go out there believing, because if you don’t believe, you don’t have a chance,” Haladay said. “I think the team is going to go out there and be confident in our preparation and hopefully go out there and execute at a very high level and that’s going to hopefully be the difference in the game.”
Saturday's game against the Buckeyes in East Lansing will kick off at 7:30 p.m. on Peacock. The Spartans will seek to beat Ohio State in Spartan Stadium for the first time since 1999.
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