ANN ARBOR - So let’s kick the elephant in the lockerroom before we get into the particulars surrounding this season’s Michigan State-Michigan game.
The Spartans (4-5, 2-4 Big Ten), who will travel to Ann Arbor to take on the No. 15 Wolverines (7-2, 4-2) at noon on Saturday (FOX), are dangerously close to not being much better or even worse than last season.
As a matter of fact, MSU is closer to 2016’s 3-9 finish than the team is of earning a bowl bid with the required six victories.
That’s a sobering thought for a group that had high hopes at the start of the season, including goals of challenging for a Big Ten title.
Those pursuits have not come to fruition, despite a shuffling of the deck of Mark Dantonio’s coaching staff and a defense that was supposed to be the foundation of this year’s success.
That foundation has been found to have some severe cracks in it, with the Spartans being ranked No. 8 in the Big Ten and just 24th in the nation on the defensive side of the ball.
With all of that being said after a devastating home loss to Illinois, in which MSU gave up 27 points in the fourth quarter in a 37-34 loss to the Illini, the Spartans are expected to soldier on with a chance to make a bowl game at season’s end and reset the foundation for the future.
“Obviously this one means a little more but at the same time it’s about executing what we have to do,’’ senior safety David Dowell said. “It doesn’t matter who lines up across from us, if we don’t do our job, do our one-eleventh, we aren’t going to come out successful. We didn’t do a good job of that (against Illinois) and we have to attempt to do a better job of that (this Saturday).”
Senior defensive tackle Raequan Williams, who has 31 tackles including 5.5 for loss and is one of the team’s captains, said getting up for this game in an effort to erase last Saturday’s debacle shouldn’t be an issue.
“I feel like guys are always motivated for this game,’’ Williams said. “You don’t have to do much hyping people up for this one. So I feel like this one is where everybody is going to be ready.’’
Standing in their path of success this weekend is a Michigan team that has played good football of late, after a shaky start.
In a series in which the road team has captured victory in the last four meetings, the Wolverines enter Saturday’s game with a chance to improve on their all-time series lead of 70-36-5, while grabbing a second straight win after last season’s 21-7 U-M triumph at Spartan Stadium. Since 1950, Michigan holds a 37-30-2 edge over Michigan State.
A win would give Michigan wins in three of the last four meetings and ease the pain of a recent streak that has seen MSU win eight of the last 12 encounters under Mark Dantonio’s reign.
“This is an important game for both teams. Throw out the records,’’ U-M coach Jim Harbaugh said. “They put up over 500 yards of offense this past week (against Illinois and their) defense is one of the best in the country. Special teams, year in and year out is consistently good, solid, explosive and prone to trickery as well.’’
Since its loss to Penn State back on Oct. 19, the Wolverines have looked good.
With an offense that is ranked seventh in the Big Ten and averages 31.8 points a game, U-M’s production has resulted in five wins in their last six outings.
In three of those wins the Wolverines have scored 42 or more points, while the Spartans have surrendered at least 28 points during its four-game losing skid.
The composer of U-M’s offensive success has been senior quarterback Shea Patterson, a transfer from Ole Miss who has accounted for 12 touchdowns and just four picks while completing 135-of-236 of his passes for 1,773 yards. Patterson has also run for 96 yards on 61 carries and scored five TDs.
The Wolverines’ top running back is freshman Zach Charbonnet, who has 559 yards on 117 carries while scoring 11 TDs.
U-M’s top pass-catching threat is sophomore Ronnie Bell, who enters Saturday with 28 catches for 471 yards. The Wolverines have also benefited from the talents of junior wideouts Nico Collins and Donovan Peoples-Jones.
Collins has 22 catches for 439 yards and three scores, while Peoples-Jones has chipped in with 21 receptions for 214 yards and three trips to the endzone.
U-M’s offensive line is anchored by the play of senior guards Ben Bredeson and Michael Onwenu and graduate student left tackle Jon Runyan.
“On the offensive side of the ball, they have four offensive linemen back,’’ Dantonio said. “They are young at the running back position, experienced at the wide receiver position and quarterback position. They make some plays, and create some loose plays with the quarterback.’’
Defensively, the Spartans who are relinquishing 323.3 yards and 23.6 points a game, are led by new Mike linebacker, junior Antjuan Simmons, who has taken over the spot vacated by senior Joe Bachie, who is ineligible due to failing a Big Ten drug test.
Simmons tops the team with 65 tackles, which includes a team-leading 12 stops for loss.
Sophomore safety Xavier Henderson and senior defensive end Kenny Willekes have contributed 55 tackles each, with Willekes providing nine TFLs.
Three other Spartans - senior linebacker Tyriq Thompson, junior cornerback Josiah Scott and senior safety David Dowell - have at least 41 stops each, with Scott leading the team in pass breakups with five.
The brothers Panasiuk, senior Mike and junior Jacub, have combined for 14 tackles for loss along the defensive line.
On offense, where the Spartans are averaging 23.1 points and 365.9 yards a game, senior QB Brian Lewerke has thrown for 2,012 yards and 12 scores against seven picks, while completing 166 passes in 298 attempts
Redshirt freshman Elijah Collins continues to be MSU’s top running back with 715 yards and five TDs on 143 carries, while junior Cody White takes over the top spot at wide receiver with senior Darrell Stewart expected to be out at least another week due to injury.
And with junior tight end Matt Dotson lost for the season due to injury, former walk-on and senior Matt Seybert assumes the top spot at that position with 19 catches for 222 yards and three scores.
The Spartan offensive line, which is expected to be without junior center Matt Allen, senior tackle Cole Chewins and junior guard Kevin Jarvis because of injuries, is led by juniors A.J. Arcuri and Jordan Reid. True freshman Nick Samac at center and J.D. Duplain at left guard are expected to start for a second straight week.
That group will try to slow down a Michigan defense that is led by senior safety Khaleke Hudson’s 78 tackles, which include 3.5 for loss, along with two sacks and three PBUs.
The Wolverines defense, which ranks 11th in the country, is giving up just 17.1 points and 266.2 yards a contest.
“I think when you look at them right now, you look at their defense, probably a Top 15 defense,’’ Dantonio said. “(They) do a great job, of what I call running the sled, getting their feet, being disruptive and getting their feet into people and running people back, so we have to be able to pass protect.’’
Senior linebacker Jordan Glasgow adds 63 tackles, including 4.5 for loss for a group that features seven of its members with at least two sacks apiece.
Junior defensive end Kwity Paye and senior linebacker Josh Uche have combined for 19.5 tackles for loss, while sophomore linebacker Cam McGrone and sophomore defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson each have 7.5 tackles for loss.
In the secondary, Lavert Hill tops the Wolverines with six PBUs, while three other members of the defense have two interceptions each.
As a group, U-M’s defense has accounted for 317 yards of lost real estate by it opponents.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
MSU: The Spartans come in expected to lose by nearly two touchdowns. If MSU wants to spoil that spread and pull off a much-needed upset to halt a four-game losing skid, execution on both sides of the ball must be far better than at any other time in the conference season. While injuries to key starters have once again played a key role in some of the team’s performance, we are at a point in the season where mistakes in terms of execution and penalties should be at a minimum, regardless of personnel shortages.
U-M: The Wolverines need to forget all of that “little brother’’ stuff and take the Spartans seriously, even though on paper, this looks like another easy win for the Maize and Blue. MSU is reeling and Michigan needs to play with a passion that looks to make a statement by not letting MSU hang around until late in the game. Michigan needs to avoid the turnovers that plagued it in September and respect the assignment.