Michigan Game Preview: Get To Know Michigan State

Michigan State Spartans 4-5 (2-4 in Big Ten)

Last Result: Illinois Fighting Illini 37 Michigan State Spartans 34

Led by former Michigan QB, Brandon Peters, the Illini completed the largest comeback in Illinois football history last Saturday against Michigan State in East Lansing. Illinois led the game for a total of five seconds, as Peters threw a touchdown pass to put the Illini up for the first time with 0:05 seconds remaining in the contest.

The Spartans were up 28-3 on the last play of the second quarter when the comeback began, as Michigan State allowed Peters to complete a 46-yard Hail Mary to Josh Imatorbhebhe.

The Green and White dominated most of the first half, scoring touchdowns on four of their first five offensive drives, but failed to reach the end zone on their last 11 drives of the game. The game felt like a blowout for the first three quarters, as the Spartans were up 31-10 going into the fourth quarter.

Ultimately what led to the Spartans' collapse was their inability to take care of the football and stop the big plays. Michigan State had four turnovers in the game, including three interceptions from quarterback Brian Lewerke when the Spartans had the ball on the plus side of the 50.

One of the interceptions was returned for a touchdown, which cut the Spartans' lead to just one point after Illinois missed an extra point that could have tied the contest at 31 with 4:53 remaining in the game.

Michigan State also allowed four pass plays over 30 yards, which included 46- and 83-yard touchdown passes, as well as a 37-yard completion on 4th and 17 on Illinois' final touchdown drive of the game. All three of those big completions were caught by the 6-2 wide receiver Josh Imatorbhebhe, who finished the day with four catches for 178 yards and two touchdowns.

Michigan State was the better team for most of the football game, accounting for 526 yards compared to Illinois' 405, and won the time of possession battle by more than 15 minutes.

The Spartans didn’t have their leading wide receiver Darrell Stewart Jr., who leads the team in receptions with 47, receiving yards with 694 and receiving touchdowns with four, yet without him they were still able to put up 34 points, which is the highest MSU scoring total since Week 5 against Indiana when they won 40-31.

Matter of fact, the Green and White had only put up a combined 17 points in their last three games before playing Illinois. The Spartans rank in the bottom half of college football in almost every offensive category, including points scored per game with 23.1, yards per game, with 367, and giveaways per game, with 1.6.

Saturday, Michigan State was helped by a career day from freshman running back Elijah Collins who had 28 carries for 170 yards with 6.1 yards per carry and two touchdowns. Wide Receiver Cody White also stepped up for the Spartans, as he had a season-high seven catches for 128 yards.

Despite the numbers for the Spartans' offense being solid, they were only able to score six points in the second half and gave Illinois the chances they needed by turning the ball over to complete the shocking comeback.

The MSU defense was without its best defensive player, leading tackler, senior linebacker Joe Bachie, is suspended indefinitely after failing a drug test and is not expected to play this weekend.

The Spartans' defense played solid through the first three quarters before allowing the Illini to score 27 points in the final frame. The Michigan State defense even believed they had the stop to win the game after the football landed incomplete on a 4th-and-goal attempt with 45 seconds left. However, a pass interference penalty on senior defensive back Josh Butler gave Illinois another chance.

Although the Spartans weren’t able to stop the comeback, there was at least one bright spot on the defense: Noah Harvey, the replacement for Bachie, played great, as he accounted for nine tackles, two passes defensed, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.

The Spartans defense has been solid all season, allowing 23.6 points per game, which ranks 37th best in college football. Michigan State has been very good at stopping the run, giving up an average of 109 rushing yards per game, which ranks 14th best in college football. The Spartans defense also ranks in the top 20 in yards allowed per game at 323 yards.

Overall the loss against Illinois was one of the most embarrassing losses in Mark Dantonio’s tenure, as the Spartans have now lost four straight games heading into Ann Arbor.

The Spartans Record in the last five years:

2019: 4-5 (2-4 in Big Ten)

2018: 7-6 (5-4 in Big Ten)

2017: 10-3 (7-2 in Big Ten) Finished 15th in AP poll

2016: 3-9 (1-8 in Big Ten)

2015: 12-2 (7-1 in Big Ten) Lost in the Semifinals of College Football Playoff

How has Michigan State Faired vs Ranked Opponents in Recent Years?

Since losing 38-0 to No. 2 Alabama in the College Football Playoff in 2015, the Spartans have gone 5-10 vs ranked opponents. In the last two seasons, Michigan State has played six games against ranked foes, all of which ranked in the Top 10, and failed to score over 21 points in all six contests. The Spartans went 1-5 in those games with their lone win being 21-17 in Happy Valley against No. 8 Penn State last year.

This season, the Spartans have been abysmal against AP Top 25 teams, losing all of their ranked matchups, in Columbus to No. 4 Ohio State 34-10, in Madison 38-0 to No. 8 Wisconsin, and 28-7 at home against No. 6 Penn State on three consecutive weeks.

Though the Spartans have struggled to beat ranked opponents in the last two seasons, it wasn’t long ago when Michigan State was one of the best teams in the Big Ten and winning most of their ranked battles. In 2015, the Spartans made it to the semifinals of the College Football playoff and went 4-1 against the Top 25 opponents they faced. Then after a horrible 3-9 season in 2016, Dantonio’s bunch regrouped and the Spartans went 3-1 in their games against ranked opponents in 2017, which included top 10 wins over No. 7 Michigan and No. 7 Penn State.

In the last 11 games against the Wolverines, Michigan State has won eight of them. Matter of fact, the Spartans have not lost in The Big House since 2012, in a game, the Wolverines won 12-10.

In the last four meetings for the Paul Bunyan Trophy, the road team has won each contest.

Players to Watch (Offense):

Elijah Collins, Freshman, Running Back

The running back out of Detroit, Collins is the first Michigan State freshman running back to rush for over 700 yards in a season since Javon Ringer in 2005. The 6-0, 217-pound halfback has 143 carries for 715 yards with 5.0 yards per carry and five touchdowns.

In seven out of the nine Spartan games, Collins has rushed for at least 50 yards and has had two games where he has rushed for at least 170 yards.

The redshirt freshman was also basketball teammates with the Spartans' star point guard Cassius Winston in high school.

Brian Lewerke, Senior, Quarterback

Lewerke has had another up-and-down season for the Spartans. The quarterback out of Phoenix has started every game for Michigan State this season; however, in two of the Spartans nine games, Lewerke has got pulled for backup Rocky Lombardi after playing poorly.

The 6-3, 216-pound quarterback has thrown 12 touchdown passes but has also been responsible for at least 10 turnovers. The struggles to take care of the ball have been nothing new for Lewerke, last season he threw for eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Despite the quarterback's struggles at times, he has thrown for 2,012 yards, which is more than Ohio State Heisman candidate Justin Fields, and has 265 rushing yards on the season, which ranks fourth among Big Ten quarterbacks.

Lewerke’s numbers have been helped by the fact he has thrown the most pass attempts out of any Big Ten quarterback.

The senior quarterback will be making his 35th career start on Saturday and third start against Michigan. Last time Lewerke faced the Wolverines he went 5-for-25 with 66 yards passing and negative rushing yards (due to sacks). It is also worth noting that Lewerke will most likely be without his top target, Darrell Stewart Jr. again this week, as there is no timetable set for his return.

Two Players to Watch (Defense):

Kenny Willekes, Senior, Defensive End

The 6-4, 240-pound defensive end out of Rockford, Mich., leads the Spartans in sacks with 5.5 and quarterback hits with 14. The senior defensive end also has 9.0 tackles for loss, two recovered fumbles, and one scoop and score.

Willekes has led the Spartans in sacks for each of the last three seasons, accounting for 8.0 sacks last season and 5.5 in 2017. He was named Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year last season, which was helped by his conference leading 20.5 tackles for loss.

Against the Wolverines, in the last two seasons, Willekes has had 2.5 sacks.

Antjuan Simmons, Junior, Linebacker

The linebacker from Ann Arbor, Simmons leads Michigan State with 12 tackles for loss. The 6-0, 216-pounder also has 2.5 sacks, 65 tackles, two pass defenses, and an interception.

The junior has had at least six tackles in eight out of the nine Spartan games. Simmons has played in every game for Michigan State since joining the program in 2017.