Michigan State vs. Western Michigan Broncos Scouting Report and Prediction

Michigan State vs. Western Michigan Broncos Scouting Report and Prediction   A look at this week’s opponent… The Broncos come in with a disappointing

Michigan State vs. Western Michigan Broncos Scouting Report and Prediction

 

 

A look at this week’s opponent…

The Broncos come in with a disappointing record, but one of the most heralded NON BCS coaches in the nation. Bill Cubit brings national respect to the program. Sports Illustrated and other nationally respected entities have called him the best NON BCS coach in the nation and one of the best recruiters in the state of Florida. In fact, he has actually gotten some kids to commit to WMU who had offers from one of the big three schools in Florida.

 

His team is up to the task having beat a Big Ten team each of the last three years. In fact, his Broncos beat Florida State at Florida State until a suspect call cost them the game. Even Bobby Bowden acknowledged that the Cubit led Broncos beat them and that the referees call was not a good one.

 

When MSU has the ball…

The Spartans are the Spartans. They will use a power running attack and try to go down the field. I posted in my column this morning about the medical issues that Keith Nichol possibly faced last week. I do expect to see him play on Saturday.

 

The Bronco defense is not good. The Spartans should have their way with them, and I look for the Spartans to put up a lot of points. I expect the Broncos to load the box and force MSU to beat them through the air. I do not think the Bronco defense can hold MSU in check.

 

 

When MSU is on defense…

This is the part that scares me. Cubit is an exceptional coach and although he certainly will not reinvent the wheel this late in the season, I do expect him to give the Spartan some looks that they haven’t seen.

 

Many people, both in college and pro football, have called Cubit an “Offensive genius,” and he is no dummy. The Spartan cornerbacks do an excellent job of staying on the hip of the receiver that they are covering. They are not good, however, at making adjustments to and playing the ball in the air. If we can see it, and other schools have seen and exploited it, I can assure you that Cubit has.

 

The Spartan defensive line also does not do a good job of getting their hands in the air when they are not going to make a sack and the QB is about to throw. I asked Coach Gill about the deficiency in his unit and he was explicit that he is fine with how they play it. I am baffled by that comment, but it is what it is. Opponents will punish the Spartans until it is corrected.

 

With a team that knows they have to beat the Spartans through the air, that is a plus for the Broncos as it has been for all MSU opponents in 2009. WMU QB Tim Hiller is a bona fide NFL prospect. I have talked to several of my NFL friends this week about him. The Broncos know that the Spartans like to blitz and use press coverage on their opponent. Because of that, Hiller will have to make quick reads and his wide receiver group, which is decimated by injury, will have to make catches. 

 

I stated before the CMU game that Dan LeFevour was the best QB the Spartans would face in the 2009 regular season and he proved it. Hiller would probably make the top three or four and the Spartans have to get pressure to beat him.

 

If the Spartans are getting pressure with four men rushing, they will win easily. If they aren’t or if they are forced to blitz and the Bronco wide receivers have a good day, this is a team that could very easily beat MSU.

 

Intangibles…

The Spartans played their best football of the season and then plummeted into nothing short of an abysmal performance against Minnesota. Coaches say (including Dantonio) that they want to be playing their best football at the end of the season. They want it to crescendo. With the Spartans having played their best and then crashing, can they come back up? Mark Dantonio has done a superb job of getting his teams up and to his credit, although no one wants to hear it, they have NEVER quit fighting.

 

The Broncos have not played their best football. They are getting healthy and the moons are aligning for a perfect storm. ANY Spartan blowing off this game is foolish. There is a lot to play for with both teams.

 

If MSU loses this game, although not numerically eliminated, I do not see them going to a bowl. If that happens, then without a doubt this program took a step back in 2009. The Spartans backs are against the wall. Will they fight or quit? Will they, for the first time, melt under the pressure as a Mark Dantonio led team? I don’t anticipate it, but it certainly isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

 

WMU, on the other hand, has nothing to lose. Everyone expects a blow out win. They haven’t played their best. They have been injured and they know they are a better football team than the record. If they come into a Spartan Stadium that isn’t full and the Spartans don’t put their foot on the gas and run them out of the stadium, this game has all of the makings of an upset.

 

There are other Spartans to watch health wise this Saturday. Even if they do get to play, they could be slowed by injury. Those players include Larry Caper, Rocco Cironi, Danny Fortener, Trevor Anderson, and Joel Nitchman. There are other Spartans fighting injury also, so the Spartans should play a lot of different players who possibly haven’t got a lot of reps this season.

 

Prediction…

If the Broncos are in the game after the Spartans first possession of the second half, look out. They are loose and ready. They want this game. The Spartans are desperate and need it. With several Spartans beat up, I am anxious to see how the Spartans react. 

The players shouldn’t need a pep talk or a great speech. They better come out on a mission, and the Spartan coaches should not let off the gas until the final buzzer sounds.

 

I want to see this staff get a lead and go for the knockout punch. For those of you too young to remember boxing, NOT MMA, I mean real boxing, let me tell you the difference between a heavyweight fighter and champion. Great boxers like Holmes, Tyson (before he went nuts), and Ali used to fight and never quit. When they could sense their opponent getting tired or hurt they would attack with a ferocity that you couldn’t have imagined they had left in their body. We have yet to see that from this team

 

I want a knockout. This team needs a knockout.

 

I look for the Spartans to win 38-28, but this game scares me.