Michigan State Football vs. Indiana: Q&A with Hoosiers Now
East Lansing, MI – Michigan State football is coming off a 49-7 blowout loss to Iowa after defeating the Wolverines 27-24 in Ann Arbor.
Now, the Spartans are headed home to face Indiana, a team sitting atop the Big Ten East looking to stay undefeated.
MSU has won 18 out of the last 21 contests, including three in a row; will they make it four?
Spartan Nation brought in Tom Brew from Hoosiers Now, covering all things Indiana, to discuss Michigan State's latest opponent.
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McLain Moberg: Last year, Tom Allen was one-of-22 semifinalists for the George Munger College Coach of the Year Award. He's also the fourth-fastest Indiana coach to reach 20-wins.
In his fourth year, the Hoosiers are hitting their stride as they walk into East Lansing 3-0, having beaten Penn State, Michigan, and Rutgers. What has he done to turn things around?
Tom Brew: Two back-to-back solid recruiting classes -- at least by Indiana's standards -- are bearing fruit right now. Indiana has more talent on the field right now than they've had in years, especially at the skill positions. They are experienced at every level, too, and that helps a lot. But all that pales in comparison to the direct impact that Allen has had because he had a vision that these type of things can happen. And his players have bought in. They weren't surprised that they beat Penn State, were confident that they would beat Michigan, and they feel like they can go on the road to East Lansing and win there, too.
MM: Against the Wolverines, Indiana totaled 460 yards of offense (342 passing, 118 rushing) and are currently averaging 37.0 ppg -- tell me about what seems to be a high-powered Hoosier offense.
TB: It starts and finishes with redshirt sophomore quarterback Michael Penix Jr. He's been terrific and getting better every game. He's a top-flight quarterback that hasn't been able to avoid the injury bug his first two years, but when he has played, he's showed a lot. He's 8-1 overall as a starter, with his only loss last year at Michigan State. He has a huge arm, is pretty accurate, and he stands tall in the pocket, willing to take a shot if necessary. He's very good and has plenty of weapons.
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MM: How is the offensive line through three games?
TB: They weren't very good against Penn State and got called out by Allen. They were better against Rutgers but downright great against Michigan. They didn't allow a sack all day and opened holes in the running game when needed, helping to run out the clock with a 5-minute drive. Starting left guard Mike Katic didn't play last week — he got hurt in a very physical practice during the week — but Stanford grad transfer Dylan Powell stepped in and played great.
MM: Let's switch things up – defensively, who has impressed you so far?
TB: Two names stand out. Defensive back Jaylin Williams has an interception in all three games so far, and he's a real ball-hawk. And middle linebacker Micah McFadden has been playing at a very high level. He'll remind a lot of your fans of Joe Bachie. He's very smart, hits people, and is never out of position. He's been a big reason why Indiana has been so good against the run. Michigan had only 13 yards of rushing on 18 carries in the 38-21 Indiana win on Saturday.
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MM: What are the three things you will be looking for on Saturday?
TB: I'm looking forward if Indiana can continue to shut down the run. If they do — and I think they will — it will force the Spartans to throw more than they'd like, and as you know, turnovers have been a huge problem for Michigan State. Indiana wants to see more of that. Secondly, Indiana was in full attack mode against Michigan, throwing 32 times in the first half. I want to see more of that too, using the pass to set up the run. And lastly, the word FINISH has been harped on for a year now at Indiana, and they count last year's Michigan State loss as a game that got away. They want to go up there and make amends. They are focused in on the Spartans, even with the 3-0 start and a showdown with Ohio State looming next week.
MM: Prediction time: Final Score? Who Wins? Why?
TB: I have a pretty good idea of what to expect from Indiana after three weeks, but I've got no clue about the Spartans. They looked good against Michigan but were downright awful — like worst team in the Big Ten awful — in those ugly losses to Rutgers and Iowa. I'm a little concerned about a bounce-back factor, but I do think Indiana wins. The Hoosiers will continue to force turnovers, and Penix will be sharp. I've got Indiana, 31-17.
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