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Published Sep 20, 2023
Washington vs. Michigan State Film Room: Ouch
Chase Glasser  •  Spartans Illustrated
Staff Writer

Before I make any facile analysis about scheme, technique, or strategy, I think it should be frankly acknowledged that what happened Saturday evening was as comprehensive a defeat as I have seen between two ostensibly quasi-equitable FBS teams. The final score of 41-7 between Washington and Michigan State obscures the fact that MSU was defeated physically, tactically and spiritually.

There was a complete lack of assignment football, horrific tackling and plays that suggest the team's collective head was anywhere else but practice this week. That is understandable given the off-the-field situation with head coach Mel Tucker, but obscures the point that the score and outcome would have been similar regardless of who was or was not on the sideline. MSU was soundly dominated in the trenches, at all skill positions and in special teams.

I find it hard to view the result of Saturday's game as anything other than a stunning rebuke of the entire Mel Tucker experiment. The team has undeniable talent, but lacks imaginative scheme, cohesion and attention to detail. In a word, the Spartans look poorly-coached.

This is not an indictment on the players. I am in no position to opine on their effort levels, level of engagement or anything else. They are student-athletes thrust into an impossible situation on a national stage. My discontent with the tactical brain trust stems far more from frustration for, not at, the players.

From a narrow tactical perspective, I have made few attempts to conceal my deep skepticism with the overall efficacy of the schematic philosophies of two coordinators who have rarely enjoyed high-level success in their careers prior to being at MSU. I have also never pretended to be anything other than a writer with a keyboard and opinions. It must be frankly admitted that Jay Johnson and Scottie Hazelton have forgotten more about football than I will ever know.

However, I do feel that I have a sufficient base of knowledge to contend that the offensive and defensive architecture, as currently constructed, are incapable of delivering high-level success.

This does not mean that there was no attempt on the part of both coordinators to come up with an opponent-specific gameplan. On the contrary, MSU adopted a couple of very welcome additions to their suite of offensive play designs.

Above, facing a third-and-2, MSU supplemented its somewhat iffy short-yardage blocking by inserting tight end Maliq Carr (No. 6) into the run surface to help clear a lane for running back Nathan Carter (No. 5). This was something that I have been clamoring for since the Central Michigan game, as a way to have a quasi-fullback as a plus blocker.

On another short-yardage play above, Michigan State debuted a well-executed quarterback sneak, which was accentuated by tight end Evan Morris (No. 92) pushing quarterback Noah Kim's (No. 10) rear in a way reminiscent of how Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles utilize a QB push from the old T-formation.

The use of motion to get Morris in the fullback spot in the I-formation is tricky, note how the cornerback softens the boundary edge in response to the motion.

Defensively, Hazelton did try to use the best position groups available to him to try to gain an advantage, repeatedly rolling safety Malik Spencer (No. 43) down to near-linebacker depth as a supplement to MSU's linebackers, and as a replacement for Jacoby Windmon (No. 4), who was used as a blitzer, probably the best tool in his toolkit.

Michigan State wasn't afraid to blitz, as seen above, which was certainly the Spartans' best chance at trying to get Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (No. 9) rattled. However, the Spartans still sat back and allowed themselves to be dissected far more than I would have preferred.

Below is an example of one of the many stunts that were used to try to generate pressure with four people, trying to allow themselves to drop as many people into coverage as possible, which was ultimately ineffective.

However, the story of this game was the absolute schematic clinic that Washington ehad coach Kalen DeBoer and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb displayed on the offensive side of the ball.

Using pre-snap motion, Washington was able to threaten both edges, pinning down Michigan State in its coverage responsibilities, allowing Penix to easily identify open holes in the zone, while simultaneously putting MSU's linebackers in coverage hell for 60 minutes.

Above, Washington uses pre-snap motion here to soften the boundary edge. Aaron Brule (No. 7), the MSU linebacker on the bottom hash, bumps over a couple steps at motion, and gets impacted hard by a receiver on a crack block, surrendering the first down.

Defensive end Brandon Wright (No. 26), gets too far upfield as he tears hell for leather off the ball, letting the running back get around him. This can't be chalked up to anything other than poor discipline and an eagerness to get at the mesh point.

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