OPINION: No more excuses, Michigan State's offense must start fast vs. Wisconsin

The Spartans' offense needs to lead the way out of this four-game losing streak, and put Michigan State back on the path towards bowl eligibility...

It’s homecoming week for Michigan State. The Spartans are in dire need of a win as they prepare to host Wisconsin. Winning this game may be the difference between Michigan State reaching a bowl game or not.

MSU has many flaws on both sides of the ball. The Spartans’ offense has struggled to run the ball, and quarterback Payton Thorne has been inconsistent in the pass game.

Michigan State’s defense, meanwhile, has struggled with everything. After starting the season with a strong pass rush, several injuries to the Spartans’ front seven have caused that to fade away. The secondary has had its fair share of problems as well, which have carried over from last season.

At this point, it would be irresponsible to expect things to change for Michigan State’s defense. With the amount of injuries and lack of production, the Spartans can’t rely on the defense. Yet again, it is up to the offense to answer the call.

However, Michigan State’s offense has been unreliable and inconsistent throughout the year as well. MSU’s starters haven’t scored more than two touchdowns in a game since Week 3 at Washington.

The Spartans have consistent started slow, and the lack of a run game is responsible for that. Because of the lack of success on the ground, and the fact that Michigan State has fallen behind early in recent games, offensive coordinator Jay Johnson has often gone away from calling run plays.

As a result, a less than 100 percent healthy Thorne has had no run support, placing a larger burden on his shoulders. Thorne has really underperformed the last three weeks, leaving the offense in shambles.

This week gives the Spartans a chance to get back on the right foot. Excluding the Akron game, Michigan State’s offense has scored a total of 14 first quarter points – one touchdown each against Western Michigan and Maryland. The Spartans can’t afford to fall behind, as their offense is not built for large comebacks, as we’ve all seen this season.

Like Michigan State, Wisconsin has been plagued with slow starts in the first quarter as well, which provides an opportunity for MSU to flip the script and capitalize early this Saturday. That falls on the Spartans’ offensive line to set the tone early against the Badgers.

Wisconsin’s interim head coach, Jim Leonard, has been one of the better defensive coordinators in the country over the past several seasons. The Badgers have a good rush defense, but Illinois and Ohio State were able to run the ball successfully against Wisconsin by dominating the line of scrimmage.

It’s also up to the coaching staff to let senior Elijah Collins start at running back this week. He has been the Spartans’ best tailback in recent weeks but hasn’t gotten the amount of reps that he deserves. Collins could be the difference maker in this game, and be the one to start things off right for the offense.

Meanwhile, Thorne himself confirmed that he’s been playing through nagging injuries since Week 1. In my opinion, that has hurt the team more than helped them. Thorne has been limited in practice, and that makes it difficult to be fully prepared on game days. It has been reported that Noah Kim and freshman Katin Houser have taken the first team snaps for the last couple of weeks.

The bottom line is no matter how it happens, Michigan State’s offense needs to score early on Saturday. This would not only build the confidence of the offense back up, but of the team as a whole.

Head coach Mel Tucker preaches playing complimentary football, which the Spartans have not done practically all season. While the defense is suffering, they have been pulling their weight more than the offense. It is up to the offense to repay the favor and start the push back toward bowl eligibility.