W2W4: Spartans vs Wildcats

EAST LANSING - Michigan State’s football team will continue its evaluation and development tour against a No. 8-ranked Northwestern squad on Saturday in what will be the first of a difficult but sure-to-be revealing three-game stretch to close out the season.

While Saturday’s 3:30 p.m. contest will be against one of the Big Ten’s surprise teams, the Spartans (1-3) will follow Saturday’s game against the Wildcats (5-0) by playing host to No. 4 Ohio State on Dec. 5 before closing out the season at winless Penn State.

In facing Iowa, Indiana, Northwestern and Ohio State in consecutive games, Michigan State might arguably be playing the four best teams in the Big Ten in succession.

That means MSU’s schedule and record after having last week’s game at Maryland canceled because of COVID-19 concerns is becoming more about the Spartans’ growth than the team’s standing in conference play.

“Everyone’s got to compete,” first-year head coach Mel Tucker said. “It doesn’t have anything to do with what you’ve done in the past, it’s what you’ve done most recently and you’re only as good as your next play.

“We have to prove ourselves every day, players and coaches, and that's part of our culture. We’ve got to embrace that and lean into that and understand that and take pride in consistency and performance, proving yourself every day.’’

Michigan State has been outscored 73-7 in its last two games. But Michigan State managed to keep Indiana scoreless in the second half. The Spartans are trying to build on small steps at this point.

“The things that we did in the second half (against Indiana) are things we need to do for four quarters,” Tucker said. “We need to start fast and finish strong. So, we're going to continue to find out more about our team, but it's not just about evaluation now, it's about playing winning football.”

With improvements needed in all areas of the program, MSU will get a stiff test against one of the conference’s contenders for a Big Ten title in 2020.

While 15-year head coach Pat Fitzgerald has long been credited as one of the Big Ten’s coaches who does the most with less, this season he is getting the best out of a veteran lineup that is led by a disciplined and mistake-free offense and an experienced defense that is loaded with seniors.

The Northwestern offense MSU will face is led by grad transfer and former Indiana quarterback Peyton Ramsey.

Ramsey will enter Saturday’s contest with 926 yards in completions and eight touchdowns against four interceptions

Sophomore running back Drake Anderson leads the NU rushing attack with 51 carries for 211 yards and two TDs, while junior running back Isaiah Bowser adds 184 yards on 63 carries with one TD.

Senior wideout Ramaud Chiaokhiao-Bowman tops Northwestern’s pass catchers with 22 receptions for 290 yards and four TDs.

The Wildcats’ o-line is anchored by seniors Gunnar Vogel and Nik Urban.

MSU’s defense will be trying to contain a solid but unspectacular Northwestern offense that is producing 25.8 points a contest and just one sack allowed per game.

MSU senior linebacker Antjuan Simmons is the Spartans’ leading tackler at 40 stops, including 4.5 for loss.

Simmons’ success is aided by fellow linebacker and junior Noah Harvey, who has 29 tackles and is tied for the team lead in TFLs with 4.5.

Junior safety Xavier Henderson and senior defensive end Jacub Panasiuk are next with 23 stops each for a defense that has totaled 25 stops for loss.

Junior cornerback Shakur Brown leads the Spartans in picks with three for a defense that has just five takeaways.

Tucker would rather have played the game at Maryland and had a chance for further development, evaluation and correction. But senior defensive tackle Naquan Jones said the Spartans tried to make the best of the time off.

“I feel like these few days have been very beneficial,” Jones said. “You can’t practice enough. A team like Northwestern, that’s a team you are going to need to have few to no mistakes to beat them. Those extra days help. Now you can work more on the fundamentals.

“You are playing against yourself and you have extra days to work on your weaknesses. It takes some stress off your legs a little bit. It’s a different feeling. Your body feels normal for a little bit.

“I’m not happy we weren’t able to play but I’m happy we were able to get those extra days to get better as a team.”

MSU ranks fourth in the Big Ten in yards allowed per play. Northwestern is No. 1 in the Big Ten.

Fitzgerald is cognizant of what it means to face a Spartan defense.

“That Spartan defense has been one of the best defenses in this league and in the country since I've been the head coach here,” Fitzgerald said. “This group looks ferocious. I mean, they're flying around. They've created a bunch of turnovers and they've got some young guys making big-time contributions.

“Then there are older guys that have been there, it seems like forever, a bunch of Chicago guys that are tough and physical and just play the way that they've always played.”

While the defense has seemingly been able to hold its own, MSU’s offense has done the team no favors.

The Spartans’ offense ranks dead last in the conference at 15.3 points a game and is producing just 323.8 yards and 73.8 rushing yards a contest, both good for last among their Big Ten peers.

Questions remain as to whether Michigan State will stay with Rocky Lombardi at QB for his fifth start of the season, or turn to redshirt-freshman Payton Thorne for the first start of his career.

Lombardi has throwns for 890 yards and six TDs but he’s also tossed seven interceptions.

Thorne completed 10 of 20 passes for 110 yards against Indiana while relieving a struggling Lombardi.

“It’s going to be an ongoing thing,” Tucker said of the QB competition earlier this week.

Freshman Jordon Simmons leads the running backs with 147 yards on 42 carries for a run offense that has yet to produce a rushing TD from the running back position.

Junior Connor Heyward adds 83 yards on 28 rushes.

Redshirt sophomore Jayden Reed leads a wide receiving group that may be the Spartans’ best chance for success on offense.

Reed has 20 catches for 216 yards and two TDs, while sophomore Jalen Nailor adds 13 receptions for 280 yards and one TD, and freshman Ricky White has produced 10 catches for 223 yards and one score.

The MSU offensive line is led by 5th-year senior left tackle AJ Arcuri, junior right guard Matt Carrick and junior right tackle Kevin Jarvis. Arcuri is coming off a strong game in pass protection against Indiana, while Jarvis has struggled on the edge. They will both be tested against Northwestern’s quality defensive ends.

No matter who MSU puts out on the field offensively, that group will be hard pressed to score or gain any traction against a Wildcats’ defense that is led by its trio of linebackers.

Northwestern’s scoring defense, at 12.6 points a game, is good for second in the conference and fourth in the nation.

Northwestern is ranked No. 9 in the country in turnover margin.

Senior weakside linebacker Blake Gallagher, who earned Defensive Player of the Week honors in the Big Ten last week, leads the way with 48 tackles, including 5.5 for loss, two pass breakups, one pick and one fumble recovery.

Senior middle linebacker Paddy Fisher is next up with 46 stops, while senior strongside backer Chris Bergin is third in stops with 43.

Six other Wildcat defenders have at least 11 stops on a defense that also has 11 contributors who have at least one tackle for loss.

The Wildcats D is also aided by Big Ten Freshman of the Week Brandon Joseph at safety. Joseph, who has added 32 tackles, is the nation’s leader with five interceptions.

Northwestern’s defense is surrendering 314.6 yards a game, good for second in the conference and 15th in the nation.

In terms of MSU’s uncertainty at starting QB, the Wildcats’ confident first-year safety doesn’t seem to care.

“We’re going to prepare for both of them,” Joseph said. “It doesn’t really matter to us who we see out there.’’

MSU: As strange as this would have sounded in the preseason, the Spartans are outmatched in this meeting with Northwestern. The only path to victory here would be a combination of MSU duplicating its performance against Michigan and the Wildcats coming out flat. In addition, the Spartans are going to need some things to fall their way in terms of explosive plays on both sides of the ball. Obviously, if MSU can’t eliminate penalties and turnovers, this matchup will be decided by halftime, as has been the case in MSU’s previous two games.

NORTHWESTERN: The only way the Wildcats lose this game is if they come out unfocused and are plagued by an uncharacteristic litany of mistakes and turnovers. But that’s not their style. The strength of this Northwestern team, and program in most years, has been their uncanny ability not to beat themselves. Expect that trend to continue against what has become a Spartan program under a first-year coach that is trying to find its identity not only in games but in practice as well. All the Wildcats have to do is act out the same script that has served them well in victories over five previous opponents and they should get No. 6.