Making Sense of MSU's Poor Stretch of Football
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Michigan State has played bad football for the last three weeks, as Jonathan Smith’s team is now 3-3 and sliding hard.
Fans, alumni, and former players alike are losing faith in Smith to turn things around, as the argument can be made that the team is worse fundamentally on both sides of the ball.
Everyone in East Lansing became uncomfortable when the Spartans dropped the tough road game to USC, and whispers grew into chatter when the team beat itself against Nebraska.
The homecoming showdown with UCLA was the perfect chance to right the ship, move to 4-2, and calm things down within the fanbase. So MSU cruised to an easy victory, right?
Nope.
Essentially, from start to finish, Smith’s Spartans were dominated by the listless Bruins, who had an interim coach for the last three weeks. MSU could not move the ball on the poor UCLA defense, and Bruins’ quarterback Nico Iamaleava had no issue with the Spartan defense.
That game was unacceptable, as we have highlighted extensively. Smith will not be fired any time soon, but it is fair to wonder if he is in over his head trying to compete in the Big Ten.
Why has MSU struggled, and why has it been so awful to watch?
It’s quite simple, actually.
Why the Spartans are struggling
This Spartan team is bad in the trenches. Save for Matt Gulbin at center, MSU has largely struggled to protect its quarterback or open up running lanes for backs.
The left tackle situation has been made even worse by the Stanton Ramil injury, as Rustin Young is a green, inexperienced player, and Ashton Lepo remains unplayable. This group is incapable of competing against the top defensive lines in the conference.
On the other side, the Spartans cannot stop any rushers, nor can they get after the quarterback. MSU sacked Iamaleava just twice and barely pressured him.
If your defensive line cannot disrupt opposing offenses, your defense will be in for a long day.
In the secondary, the Spartans cannot cover anyone. Iamaleava spread the ball around the field, as nine different Bruins caught a pass. Former Spartan running back ran wild all over his MSU in a revenge game.
Bad trench play and poor secondary performances are the major reasons why this MSU team has been playing bad football recently. If those things do not improve, this team may be staring at a winless rest of the season.
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