The Northwestern Wildcats are bringing a few compelling angles into this weekend’s matchup, starting with a familiar face on the opposing sideline.
Pat Fitzgerald’s return to Northwestern is the biggest storyline, and Charlie Jacobs of Inside NU said the hire by Michigan State landed as a notable bit of offseason news. Jacobs pointed out that he wasn’t a student while Fitzgerald was coaching there and has been following the program through David Braun, but he still viewed the move as one of the major head-coaching hires of the offseason.
Another central piece of the game is Northwestern quarterback Aidan Chiles going back to his former stadium. Jacobs said Chiles “looks like a changed player from his time at both Michigan State and at Oregon State.”
He credited offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and quarterbacks coach Jerry Neuheisel for getting strong play out of him, while noting that Chiles has still had a couple rough sacks mixed in. Even so, Jacobs highlighted Chiles’ athleticism, his ability to extend plays and his feel for reading coverages.
In Jacobs’ view, he’s “playing like a quarterback who has a chip on his shoulder, and he’s on the right team for that.”
Northwestern’s season has also already exceeded what Jacobs expected before the year kicked off. He said he thought the Wildcats would finish around .500, though the Colorado win made him think this team might be different even if it wasn’t clean.
The close loss to Indiana reinforced that belief, especially because Northwestern had a chance to win it. Jacobs added that the rankings only matter so much until the College Football Playoff selection committee releases its rankings.
The road ahead is brutal. Northwestern is staring at a four-game stretch that starts with a road trip to Oregon, then brings Iowa to town, followed by games at Ohio State and at Minnesota. Jacobs said that if Northwestern can get through that run at 3-1, it will be in the College Football Playoff conversation.
As for the players Michigan State fans should know, Jacobs pointed to running backs Caleb Komolafe and Joseph Himon II, while also saying not to forget Gavin Sawchuk. At wide receiver, he called Griffin Wilde a star and said Luke Dehnicke could be a go-to target if healthy.
If Dehnicke is unavailable, Jacobs said Alex Honig has done a tremendous job this season. On defense, he highlighted Michael Kilbane off the edge, Braydon Brus as “a TFL and turnover machine,” and Robert Fitzgerald as “arguably the best tackling safety in the FBS.”
Jacobs’ final call: Northwestern 34, Michigan State 16.
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 🡒]