The Michigan State Spartans will host the Richmond Spiders on Saturday, Sept. 9, at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time on the Big Ten Network
Thanks to a strong second half, Michigan State dispatched Central Michigan 31-7, they will face Richmond which struggled mightily on offense in a opening season loss to Morgan State. Richmond was a ranked FCS team heading into the season but committed four turnovers and could not run the ball with any effectiveness.
Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker will not provide the public with a depth chart, so here are my predictions for the Spartan starters and reserves against Richmond.
Quarterback
Starter: Noah Kim
Backup: Katin Houser
After a heated quarterback competition throughout fall camp, Noah Kim has won the job and has the complete reins of the offense. He took all but three snaps given to Katin Houser on the last drive of the season opener versus Central Michigan. Kim started slow out of the gates, but from the last series of the first half until his departure late in the second half, he played quite well and would have had an attractive box score if not for a few drops from receiving targets.
His completions on multiple deep fades and the 6-plus yard heave at the end of the half that was nearly caught for a touchdown answered any questions about his arm strength. I expect more of the same versus Richmond. He needs the reps, so it is wise to play him the lion's share of the opportunities, but expect Houser (and possibly others) to see snaps if things get out of hand.
Running back
Starter: Nathan Carter
Backups: Jalen Berger, Jaren Mangham
In his MSU debut Nate Carter gave Spartan fans exactly what they were hoping for — a runner with burst and elusiveness. Short-yardage situations may not be his forte, but it's difficult to make such assertions on small data sets and mostly due to blocking failures. It should also be noted he contributed in the passing game with a chunk gain on a screen pass.
Jalen Berger didn't have large gains on the ground, but he found the end zone on one occasion and flashed nice hands by leading the team in receptions with four. Jaren Mangham, was unavailable due to injury last week, but it seems he may be able to suit up against the Spiders. It would be nice to see if he can provide a punch in third-and-short and fourth-and-short yardage situations.
Wide receivers
Starters: Tre Mosley, Montorie Foster Jr., Jaron Glover
Backups: Christian Fitzpatrick, Tyrell Henry, Antonio Gates Jr.
A mostly positive, but a bit of a mixed bag from the wideouts. Glover really got the aerial attack going with three downfield receptions, including two that went for 30-plus yards. Fitzpatrick also had a catch-and-run for over 70 yards that set up a score, while Henry's leaping one-handed touchdown catch was the highlight of the night.
Unfortunately, Alante Brown suffered a concussion on the opening kickoff and wasn't available to show his receiving abilities. Mosley tied for the most receptions by wide receivers with three, however he also had an uncharacteristic drop when the offense was struggling to find its footing. While not a grab necessarily expected to be made Montorie Foster Jr. missed an opportunity to bring down the Hail Mary pass at the end of the half and had to settle for one reception in the game.
There's a fair likelihood the same template in opportunities is utilized versus Richmond with perhaps additional opportunities provided to the less experienced guys, particularly Henry and Antonio Gates Jr.
