The Biggest Unknown for Michigan State's Offense vs. WMU
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Preparing for a team before a season-opening matchup in the world of college football is usually difficult enough. With the large amount of roster turnover most teams have, coaches already have to deal with individually scouting out incoming transfers from other programs and then combining it with returning players stepping into starting roles that might not have a whole lot of game tape yet.
On defense, players that have switched schools could also play an entirely different role in a defense, depending on the scheme of whatever new defensive coordinator they are playing for.
Here's the thing: Michigan State doesn't really even know what kind of scheme Western Michigan is about to throw at them.
What MSU offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren said
"We don't know much," Lindgren said on Tuesday. "It's a first-time defensive coordinator, and he was in the NFL I think last year and then at Notre Dame prior to that.
"We've been really kind of preparing for everything. The good thing is our defense gives you a lot of different looks. We've seen a lot of different things during training camp.
"I think going into that first game for us, our focus has been on us and executing our base responsibilities and then getting into the game and kind of seeing what we're getting, be able to adjust from there.
"But yeah, we're pretty much unsure of what we're going to see. It'll be a challenge for us."
Once the game starts, the big thing for the Spartan offense will be how it adjusts to whatever unexpected things the Broncos show them.
"You'll just get out there and kind of be going through your core stuff and trying to see what you're getting, and it'll be a lot of conversations in between series," Lindgren said about how they will do that. "I think it's nice now where you have the video; us as a staff being able to digest that and then kind of tweak our plan based on the looks that we're getting."
Meet Western Michigan DC Chris O'Leary
As Lindgren said, WMU defensive coordinator Chris O'Leary is getting the reins of his own defense for the very first time. That means there is no tape out there to know what he likes to call in certain situations and what looks he likes to give opposing offenses.
Before arriving Kalamazoo, O'Leary was the safeties coach for the Los Angeles Chargers, who, of course, are led by former Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh.
Prior to that, O'Leary had spent a lot of time helping out the Notre Dame staff. Over six seasons in South Bend, he rose from being a defensive analyst to also becoming the team's safeties coach. He most notably was the position coach of Xavier Watts, who won the Bronko Nagurski Award in 2023, which goes to the nation's top defensive player.
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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