Spartan defense prepares for RPO heavy Hoosiers

The Michigan State Spartans will host the red-hot, undefeated Indiana Hoosiers on Saturday in East Lansing. Indiana Head Coach Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers faced criticism for an “easy” start to their season, featuring a non-conference schedule that included Florida International, Western Illinois, and Charlotte. However, the Hoosiers have silenced many of those critics with convincing wins over Nebraska and Washington, and they certainly smell blood heading into East Lansing.

The Spartans are coming off a disheartening loss to Michigan last weekend, where they controlled nearly every aspect of the game except for the final score. There is still plenty to play for, as they control their destiny with four games remaining in the regular season. Currently, the only remaining ranked opponent the Spartans will face is this weekend against Indiana.

Several Spartan players and coaches spoke with the media this week ahead of their matchup against the Hoosiers.

Secondary coach Blue Adams emphasized the importance of maintaining a consistent approach.

“Every week you start at the same base and start to build up again," he said.

Following an emotional loss, it can be easy to derail, but Adams believes that “every week is an emotional week.”

“For the amount of work you put into these games and the preparation, you invest a lot into them,” Adams said. “By now in the season, guys are just used to what our routine is and how we go about business to get ready for the next challenge.”

The Hoosiers feature an electric offense — the No. 2 ranked offense in the country — that relies heavily on the RPO (run-pass option). Adams noted that “every team has an element of RPO,” which, for the Hoosiers, “compliments their run game.”

The defense, which hasn’t been a major issue for the Spartans this year, will need another gritty performance against the Hoosiers. Adams mentioned that the team tries to identify a unique trait to challenge them each week. This week, the focus is on limiting big plays through the air, as Indiana is known for its aerial attack. Adams thinks it will be “interesting” to see how his group measures up against the Hoosiers.

“This is a great opportunity, considering how well they throw the ball down the field,” he said.

Against an RPO-heavy offense, the linebackers must be on their A-game. Unfortunately for the Spartans, they will be without Jordan Turner for the first half of the Indiana game. Turner leads the Spartans in total tackles, but due to a targeting penalty from the Michigan game, he must sit out the first half. This situation will allow other linebackers to step up.

This could be a significant opportunity for linebacker Darius Snow, who has transitioned from nickelback to safety to linebacker throughout his career at Michigan State. Snow stated that the most important factor for him was “getting into a position where I could be myself.”

Snow, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2022, made his comeback last season but appeared in only four games. The Spartans have seen glimpses of his potential. During his sophomore season, culminating in a Peach Bowl victory, he recorded 87 total tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss — primarily as a nickelback. With Turner absent, Snow may get the chance to play a significant role at linebacker.

“I used to always say — ‘I just play ball,’” Snow remarked. “Positions are positions. If you look at guys in the NFL, that’s what they are; they’re all just ball-players. You can put them in any position, and they make plays. That’s what I want to do.”

Snow’s maturity shines through both on and off the field. With five years of college experience, he recognizes the importance of personal growth alongside athletic development.

“I think in my time here, I’ve matured as a person," Snow stated. "That reflects on the field, but it also reflects off the field. I’m a little childish. But, it’s about the mature decisions I’ve started to make. Knowing how to take care of my body, what to eat, when to eat—just being more conscious of everything you’re doing because it all has an effect.”

Another player fitting the mold of a Spartan linebacker — gritty, smart, and resilient — is Jordan Hall. Having played in six games this season, Hall will likely see an increase in snaps on Saturday against Indiana with Turner out.

Hall spoke about losing defensive captain Turner to suspension during last weekend’s game against Michigan.

“It’s very unfortunate," Hall said. "A little bit of a crazy call, in my opinion. But we’ve got to keep pushing on. We will miss him in the first half, but we’re going to keep preparing and get ready for him to contribute like he always does in the second half.”

Hall also has leadership experience, having been the first three-time captain in IMG Academy history. Coming off an emotional loss to Michigan, Hall emphasized the need for players to step up and lead in Turner’s absence.

“We’re going to need people like myself, and collectively, to come together and keep the morale going," he said. "He (Turner) will be there. It’s not like he’s not playing. He’ll still be around on the sideline being supportive in the first half, and then contributing on the field in the second half.”

One of the biggest factors this weekend will be winning the line of scrimmage. The Hoosiers boast a solid offensive line, ranking sixth in the country for the fewest tackles for loss allowed. The Spartans, who accumulated 15 sacks in their first four games, have not recorded a sack since facing Boston College on September 21. Pressuring Kurtis Rourke, Indiana’s quarterback, will be crucial, as their offense can generate big plays quickly.

Redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Alex VanSumeren discussed the importance of stopping the run.

“Anytime you play a team, the main thing is to stop the run,” he stated.

“We take a lot of pride in that as a defense, especially as a defensive line. Coach Legi (Suiaunoa) has done a great job teaching the techniques and fundamentals we need to stop them. We’ve been able to do that, but there’s still room to improve all across the board. I’m ready to show that.”

The Spartans, including VanSumeren, understand that their run defense is vital in every game. In their matchup against Iowa, they held Kaleb Johnson to under 100 yards, limiting him to 23 yards on 13 carries aside from a single 75-yard touchdown run. While this performance could be seen as a confidence boost, VanSumeren disagrees.

“I wouldn’t even call it a confidence boost," he said. "We know what we’re about, and we know what we’re capable of. Yeah, it was a good win, but we’re just focused on the next one. That was a couple of weeks ago.”

VanSumeren also reflected on the emotional loss to Michigan.

“That’s football, it builds your character," he said. "We’re at the point where we can say: ‘We lost; we’re on to the next one.’ ‘So what, now what?’ The most important game is the next game. That’s just our main focus.”

The Spartans, currently 4-4 with four games remaining, are on the cusp of bowl eligibility. VanSumeren mentioned that the team “doesn’t really talk about” a bowl game at all.

“Obviously, we focus on one game at a time," he said. "We’re very confident in this group and what we have, and we’re just ready to show that.”