Michigan State heads into its Week 7 matchup with Northwestern carrying an injury report that leaves major holes on both sides of the ball.
The Spartans will be without their top four cornerbacks, with Tre Bell and Charles Brantley already ruled out along with depth corners Tyran Chappell and Keshawn Williams. That opens the door for Northwestern quarterback Aidan Chiles, the former Spartan who was benched last season, to attack a young and thin secondary with a chance to make a statement in his return.
The problems do not stop there for Michigan State’s defense. Both starting linebackers, Jordan Hall and Brady Pretzlaff, are unavailable, and Caleb Wheatland, the team’s top backup at the position, is also out. It leaves the Spartans scrambling to piece together the middle of the defense with limited options.
The injury list is just as damaging on offense. Michigan State will be missing Ben Murawski, its best transfer portal addition and a steady presence up front.
Jay Coyne, the team’s only fullback, is set to miss his sixth straight game, while running back Cam Edwards is out for the season. Backup quarterback Cam Fancher will also sit out for a second consecutive week.
The full availability report also lists RB Darrin Jones Jr., OL Tristan Comer and TE Joe Caudill as out. WR Charles Taplin is questionable.
Here is the Michigan State availability report:
Out
RB No. 0 Cam Edwards
QB No. 2 Cam Fancher
CB No. 3 Tre Bell
CB No. 4 Charles Brantley
LB No. 5 Jordan Hall
CB No. 20 Keshawn Williams
CB No. 22 Tyran Chappell
RB No. 27 Darrin Jones Jr.
FB No. 44 Jay Coyne
LB No. 44 Caleb Wheatland
LB No. 45 Brady Pretzlaff
OL No. 75 Ben Murawski
OL No. 79 Tristan Comer
TE No. 87 Joe Caudill
Questionable
WR No. 19 Charles Taplin
In Other News...
Michigan State Heads Into Northwestern With A Defensive Concern Fans Can't Ignore
Michigan States trip to Northwestern comes with an early look at the kind of injury report that can shape a Saturday before the ball is even kicked. The two teams released their initial availability reports, and the Spartans were hit harder on defense, where they are notably thin at cornerback and linebacker heading into the matchup.
There is at least a bit of relief in the update for Michigan State, with NiJhay Burt and Dion Crawford expected back in the lineup. Northwesterns report carries its own uncertainty, with tight end Luke Dehnicke and safety Robert Fitzgerald among the notable players listed as questionable or doubtful, but the Spartans will still be watching closely to see whether their defensive depth can hold up when the game arrives. [Read more 🡒]
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The challenge lands in a game with a few added layers of intrigue, too. Aidan Chiles is set to return to Spartan Stadium, and Michigan State head coach Pat Fitzgerald will be lining up against his former team, giving the matchup a familiar backdrop even as the scheme on the other side looks anything but familiar. For the Spartans, the question is whether they can sort through the unusual looks quickly enough to keep Northwestern from turning a strange offensive plan into a real problem. [Read more 🡒]
Pat Fitzgerald Faces His Old Program As Michigan State Gets A Warning
Michigan States meeting with Northwestern carries an extra layer of intrigue because Pat Fitzgerald is back on the sideline facing the program he once led, and the matchup has turned into a useful measuring stick for where the Spartans really stand. In a preview with Charlie Jacobs of Inside NU, the discussion centered not just on the coaching reunion, but on how Michigan States new direction under Fitzgerald is being viewed against a Northwestern team that knows his tendencies well.
There is also a warning wrapped into the conversation for Michigan State, since Jacobs pointed to an improved Aidan Chiles and emphasized that Northwestern has enough familiarity with the Spartans to make things uncomfortable if Michigan State is not sharp. The game comes with expectations on both sides, along with a few Spartans to keep an eye on, and Jacobs even offered a score prediction, but the bigger question is whether Michigan State can handle the pressure of this particular matchup against its old coachs former team. [Read more 🡒]