Michigan State’s defense has spent the first half of the season trying to hold itself together, and the pressure has landed on almost every level of the unit. Injuries have shuffled the lineup, the pass rush has been quiet, and only one position group has really given the Spartans something steady to build on.
That bright spot has been the defensive tackles. Going into the season, there were real questions here after Michigan State lost most of its production and depth from a year ago.
Through six games, though, Ben Roberts and Eli Coenen have formed a dependable pairing at nose tackle and 3-technique. The problem is what sits behind them.
Roberts and Coenen have carried most of the workload, and that kind of snap load is a grind for a position that usually needs frequent rotation. Mikeshun Beeler and Derrick Simmons are still part of the mix, but the drop-off is noticeable when Roberts and Coenen come off the field.
Elsewhere, the pass rush has not looked like a strength. Michigan State has only one sack in its four games against Power Four competition, and that came when Isaac Smith chased down Notre Dame for a loss of one yard.
Overall, the Spartans have seven sacks through six games, which is tied for the sixth-fewest among P4 teams. Rush end Kenny Soares Jr. has been a useful piece and, in some ways, has left the impression that more has been there.
He’s been around pressure and near-misses all season, and his 13 total pressures are the most on the team, according to Pro Football Focus.
Linebacker has been hit hard by injuries. Jordan Hall, Brady Pretzlaff, Dion Crawford, and Caleb Wheatland have all missed at least one game, and Michigan State was without all four by the end of last Saturday’s loss to Illinois.
Wheatland was already sidelined before Hall, Pretzlaff, and Crawford all left at different points in the game. That kind of turnover makes the group tough to judge cleanly.
Still, there has been a clear difference when Hall is on the field, and off it, while Michigan State and position coach Max Bullough have generally gotten enough out of the position to stay afloat.
Cornerback has also been a problem area. Tyran Chappell has been out for the last three games, and before that he looked like the most dependable boundary corner in the secondary.
Tre Bell has dealt with injury issues as well, missing the Nebraska game. Charles Brantley, who has been the most vulnerable cover man on the back end, exited the Illinois game with an injury.
With Keshawn Williams and NiJhay Burt also hurt, Michigan State had to turn to true freshmen KJ Deriso and Jeremiah Favorite in critical moments against the Illini.
The numbers say the pass defense has been middling rather than disastrous. Michigan State is allowing 197.8 passing yards per game, which ranks ninth in the Big Ten.
But opponents are averaging 7.7 yards per attempt, and that drops the Spartans to 14th in the league in that category. MSU has also picked off only two passes, tied for the fewest in the Big Ten.
Safety hasn’t been much cleaner. Devin Vaught has flashed as a strong safety, especially with his physicality and feel against the run, and he was in good position for an interception against Illinois.
But he’s also been responsible for some damaging mistakes that have turned into explosive plays or touchdowns for opponents. Nikai Martinez, meanwhile, has not looked like the same player at free safety.
His tackle rate is still close to what it was in 2024, but the coverage production has slipped badly. PFF graded him at 70.9 in coverage last season; through six games this year, that number sits at 41.8.
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 🡒]
Michigan State Faces A Northwestern Problem Fans Havent Seen In Years
Northwestern is bringing a look Michigan State does not see very often, and it comes at a time when the Spartans are still sorting out how they want to handle a Big Ten opponent with some old-school flavor. Under new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, the Wildcats have mixed in wing-T formations and receiver alignments that force defenses to process a lot at once, which makes the week as much about eye discipline and alignment as it is about tackling and leverage.
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 🡒]
Michigan State Suddenly Has A Depth Problem At The Worst Time
Michigan State is running into the kind of midseason injury pileup every team dreads, and it is arriving at an awkward moment. Heading into Week 7 against Northwestern, the Spartans are dealing with a long list of unavailable players on both sides of the ball, leaving the staff to patch together a lineup that has already taken on plenty of wear.
The problems reach across the roster, with top cornerbacks Tre Bell and Charles Brantley out, linebackers Jordan Hall and Brady Pretzlaff sidelined, running back Cam Edwards unavailable and backup quarterback Cam Fancher also not expected to go. That means Michigan State will have to lean hard on depth pieces just to stay afloat against a Northwestern team led by former Spartan quarterback Aidan Chiles, turning what should have been a routine October week into a test of survival. [Read more 🡒]