MSU Opponent Preview: Indiana Defense

The Michigan State Spartans will face an incredibly tough Indiana Hoosiers defense.

Indiana's Aiden Fisher (4) and CJ West (8) celebrate West's sack of Maryland's Billy Edwards Jr. (9) during the Indiana versus Maryland football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Michigan State Spartans will welcome the undefeated Indiana Hoosiers to Spartan Stadium this Saturday afternoon. 

Indiana is by no means a cheap 8-0 team. Curt Cignetti’s squad has been blowing opponents out of the water in his first season as the head coach in Bloomington. 

Michigan State comes into this game deflated after losing a gettable rivalry game to Michigan. They must find a way to regain their confidence against one of the most surprising stories in college football. 

Unfortunately for a Spartans offense that has shown flashes but has not gotten going, Indiana’s defense is one of the best in college football. 

Cignetti’s defensive coordinator is Bryant Haines, who comes over with him from James Madison. Haines previously served as a graduate assistant at Indiana in 2012. 

Haines runs a base 4-3 defense that is fast, physical, and aggressive. The Hoosiers have an elite pass rush and will not be afraid to blitz. 

Michigan State has done well against the blitz this season, but Indiana has not allowed teams to have success against them in any facet. 

The Hoosiers rank fifth in the country in total defense (269.5 yards allowed per game), 24th in passing defense (183.4 yards allowed per game), fourth in rushing defense (86.1 yards allowed per game), and seventh in scoring defense (14.1 points allowed per game). 

The Hoosiers are led by linebacker Aiden Fisher, who also followed Cignetti from James Madison to Bloomington. He has 75 tackles on the year, which ranks 11th in college football. He has done an excellent job leading the defense as the middle linebacker and consistently blowing up plays. 

Indiana’s pass rush features several bodies who can get after the quarterback, namely Mikail Kamara, who leads the team in sacks with seven. Kamara has put himself on NFL Draft boards by showing off his elite explosiveness off the edge. 

James Carpenter has three sacks, while Tyrique Tucker has two. Michigan State’s offensive line must be up to the task against this dangerous Hoosiers front. 

Not only does Indiana get after the quarterback and stop the run, but they also do a nice job at not letting quarterbacks beat them over the top. Led by D’Angelo Ponds, who, you guessed it, transferred from James Madison, the Indiana secondary has shut down opposing offenses. 

This is yet another elite defense the Spartans will face. Things are coming together for them on that side of the ball, but their turnover woes cannot exist if they want to have a chance to take down this impressive Indiana team.

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