Michigan State went into Saturday’s trip to Wisconsin with the kind of game that can tell you plenty about where a season is headed. Instead, it delivered a rough answer.
The Spartans were hammered 31-3 in Madison, dropping to 2-3 overall and 0-2 in Big Ten play. The margin alone stings, but the bigger concern is how little Michigan State had to hang onto by the end. There wasn’t much to grab onto at all.
The most maddening part of the afternoon came on third down. Michigan State’s depleted defense actually held up reasonably well on first and second down for stretches, but Wisconsin kept extending drives anyway. The Badgers converted six of their first seven third downs, with those snaps coming at an average of 6.3 yards to go, and they averaged 11.7 yards per play while doing it.
Wisconsin almost seemed comfortable waiting for a third-and-5 or third-and-6. The Badgers picked up three third-down conversions on the ground on the opening drive alone, then used that run game to set up a play-action shot that safety Devin Vaught bit on hard, leading to their second touchdown of the first quarter.
The problems didn’t stop there. The sooner Jordan Hall returns, the better for Michigan State, because the second level was getting exposed over and over. Once Wisconsin got past the line, there often wasn’t enough help behind it, and a corner or safety was left trying to clean up too often.
The most glaring example came on Colton Joseph’s 47-yard touchdown run, a play where the Wisconsin quarterback seemed to glide through untouched. Michigan State gave up 228 rushing yards in all.
That’s a brutal number on its own, but it stands out even more considering Wisconsin entered the day ranked 104th in the FBS at 134.3 rushing yards per game. The Badgers barely needed to throw.
On the other side, Michigan State appeared intent on avoiding negative plays. That part held up early, with the Spartans allowing only one sack or tackle for loss in the first half.
But the offense wasn’t threatening anyone either. MSU’s longest play before halftime went for just 11 yards, and the team averaged 3.4 yards per play in the half.
For the day, the Spartans’ longest gain was only 13 yards.
There was some improvement moving the ball compared with the Notre Dame and Nebraska games, but that only goes so far when drives stall after crossing midfield. Michigan State just didn’t finish possessions, and the numbers on the money downs were ugly: 5-for-18 on third down and 1-for-6 on fourth down.
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Michigan State Showed Plenty To Love And Plenty To Clean Up
Michigan States annual Izzone Campout had a little extra buzz this year with the first exhibition game ever staged alongside it, giving Spartan fans a long night on campus that ended with basketball and a chance to get an early look at Tom Izzos team. The Spartans met Incarnate Word in front of that energized crowd, and sophomore forward Jesse McCulloch gave them one of the nights biggest bright spots with a career-high 20 points.
Izzo made sure to thank the fans afterward, and the setting only reinforced how much attention this program still commands in mid-October. There was plenty to like in the opener, but also the usual first-steps messiness to sort through, and Michigan State will have two more exhibitions to keep sharpening things before the regular season arrives. [Read more 🡒]
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The concern is not just the matchup itself, but how the injury situation shapes Michigan States plan and its ability to absorb more hits during the game. Cam Edwards is out for the year, and Jordan Hall is expected to miss the Wisconsin game with a knee injury, leaving the Spartans thinner in places they can least afford it. The analysis around the game points toward Wisconsin controlling enough of the tempo to come away with a 31-20 win, which only adds to the pressure on Michigan State to find answers quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Let A Winnable Big Ten Battle Slip Away Late
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Indiana finally broke through early in the fourth quarter on a penalty corner, and Michigan States late push never quite produced the equalizer. Catherine Wolf and Lola Munoz de Verger helped keep the Spartans within reach with a string of saves, but even with the pressure mounted late, the home side was left with a frustrating 1-0 loss and another reminder of how thin the margin can be in conference play. [Read more 🡒]