First Glance: Michigan State

It almost feels like a lifetime ago that Ohio State and Michigan State was a competitive series, at least in a small window of time.

In the early-2010s the two teams traded wins over a six-game stretch with the Buckeyes dropping two games in Columbus (Ohio) and a game in Indianapolis that cost the Buckeyes everything and sent Urban Meyer to bad pizza on a golf cart.

We will get into the series history more down the line but ever since that six-game series ended, the natural order of things coming back into full view.

The next two games of Michigan State and Minnesota seem to be mere formalities for the Buckeyes and honestly, they very well may be. That doesn’t mean that these games are inconseqeuntial.

Ohio State has eight quarters between now and the game against Michigan, while it remains to be seen who will be coaching the Wolverines or if Michigan is eligible for a postseason, etc…

We have time to talk more about this game coming up over the week but until then, let’s take a quick glance at the Spartans as fans are still thinking about Rutgers and Michigan.

Last game: michigan state def. nebraska 20-17

Michigan State has not been a good team this year but aer the Spartans peaking at the right time? Is Nebraska starting to fade?

That is a question for a different time and a different website, but the Spartans never trailed in their most recent game against the Huskers.

Katin Houser threw for one score while Sam Leavitt came in and completed one of his two attempts for a touchdown as well iin the 20-17 win over the Huskers.

This is not your father’s Michigan State team, the green and white rushed for 63 yards and an average of 2.0 YPC.

The Spartans did get it done on defense however and while giving up 17 points, the team from East Lansing (Mich.) had seven sacks and 12 tackles for loss against the Huskers.

This game is not going to erase a season of frustration for the Spartans but it also got Michigan State off the hook with its first league win and the first win for Harlon Barnett as the interim head coach.

offensive players to know

QB – Katin Houser: Houser has taken over the quarterbacking duties from Noah Kim and honestly, the numbers aren’t all that much better, but he is the quarterback, so you better know about him.

He is a 58.7-percent passer with three touchdowns and two picks on the year. He has really only been the main guy for four games, which explains why his average numbers are down because he has appeared in eight games.

But even with that, he has not thrown for more than 165 yards in a game (Nebraska) and is coming off of his highest percentage game with a 65-percent clip.

He does have two rushing scores but really is not much of a threat to run the ball.

RB – Nate Carter: I guess he is the main threat running the ball right now with 659 yards on 156 attempts, or a 4.2 YPC average. He has four of Michigan State’s seven touchdowns on the ground and is the only running back with a carry of more than 22 yards on the season.

He is not the most physically imposing back if you were just to look at him, 5-foot-10, 200-pounds but he really is the only player on the Spartan roster that has numbers that need to be looked at, on the surface.

Did we mention he has not scored a touchdown since week two against Richmond? His four touchdowns took place in the first two games with three against the Spiders and one against Central Michigan. Apparently someone didn’t have all the signs.

WR – Montorie Foster Jr.: The Spartans are not a great offensive team but Foster is a player who can show up on the scoreboard. He has 33 receptions for 436 yards and two scores. While Tyrell Henry has an additional touchdown, Foster leads the team in yards and receptions.

The Spartans will target Foster a decent amount and he has had four or more receptions in five of his last six games, with both touchdowns taking place in that span (Nebraska, Rutgers).

defensive players to know

LB – Cal Haladay: On a team with very few known players to Ohio State fans, Haladay is one that fans should know, just because of longevity and the fact that he is a solid player.

He leads the Spartans with 65 tackles, but also has five tackles for loss, a sack, an interception, two fumble recoveries and a partridge in a pear tree.

He is not going to be able to do it by himself, but he has been able to be impactful enough for the Spartans to be able to pick up a first league win the previous week after dropping six games in a row.

LB – Aaron Brule: Brule is the disruptor of this defense with 6.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. He is another player that is not going to jump off the page just when looking at him on first glance, but Ohio State fans could hear his name called a lot on Saturday if the Buckeyes don’t account for him.

S – Jaden Mangham: The Spartans have nine picks on the year and Mangham has four of them, including one last week against the Huskers.

He also was tied for the lead in tackles against Nebraska, and while you never want your safety to be in that position, for obvious reasons, here we are.

series history

Overall this series has not been all that close with the two teams meeting 51 times and Ohio State taking 36 of them.

As with most series in the Big Ten, Ohio State did not start off well, losing the first three games but this is a little different because one game was in the 1910s and then the next two editions were not until the early-1950s. The 3rd game between these two teams in 1953 was the first year that Michigan State was part of the Big Ten.

Since then, Ohio State has never lost more than two in a row to Michigan State and has not lost a game in this series since the 2015 season. That season the Buckeyes were 10-0 heading into the game and Ohio State managed to lose in a torrential downpour as Ezekiel Elliott was under-utilized in the game while Michigan State had to roll a back-up quarterback out for that game.

After the 2016 season, these two teams have been on a different trajectory and Michigan State is now on its third head coach after Mark Dantonio left the program and Mel Tucker was terminated in disgrace.

Go to discussion...