Michigan State’s offense just took a major hit heading into Saturday’s trip to Wisconsin.
Cam Edwards, who was carted off the field during Saturday’s loss to Nebraska, will miss the rest of the season after suffering a leg injury, according to coach Pat Fitzgerald. The Spartans are already staring at two straight losses, and losing their starting running back only makes the challenge against the Badgers more daunting.
Edwards had given Michigan State a real spark early this season. In the first three-plus games, he ran 64 times for 304 yards and three touchdowns, while also showing more as a receiver with 8.8 yards per catch. The graduate transfer from UCONN came into the year after rushing for more than 1,200 yards and 15 touchdowns last season, averaging 5.9 yards per carry for the Huskies.
With Edwards out, Michigan State turned to Jaziun Patterson against Nebraska. Patterson handled 16 carries for 54 yards and the Spartans’ only touchdown in the 31-13 loss, but he didn’t bring the same burst Edwards had provided.
Patterson, a senior transfer from Iowa, rushed for 296 yards last season for the Hawkeyes and now appears set to take over as the featured back. Marvis Parrish also got a few carries against Nebraska.
The timing could hardly be worse. Wisconsin is coming off a win over No.
13 Penn State, and its defense was especially sharp against the run, holding starting running back James Peoples to 64 yards. The Badgers’ defensive line has been a quiet strength this season, and Michigan State now has to figure out its ground game without the player who had been leading it.
In Other News...
Wisconsin Just Sent The AP Poll Debate Into Overdrive
Wisconsins upset of No. 13 Penn State did exactly what a statement win is supposed to do, but it still did not quite push the Badgers into the AP Top 25. They remain unranked in the latest poll, yet they landed 102 points and now sit at the top of the received votes list, which is about as close as a team can get without actually cracking the rankings.
The path back in is clear enough, even if it is not guaranteed. If Wisconsin takes care of Michigan State next and gets a little help elsewhere, next week could finally be the one where the Badgers break through. For now, the poll debate they sparked after beating Penn State is still very much alive. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Suddenly Has A Chance To Prove Penn State Was No Fluke
Wisconsins upset at Penn State did more than grab attention around the Big Ten. The Badgers walked out of Beaver Stadium with a 24-20 win, their first there since 2003, and suddenly the conversation around the program changed from surprise to scrutiny. Beating a ranked opponent on the road is one thing, but backing it up is where a team starts to earn real credibility.
Now Wisconsin gets a chance to show that performance was no one-off as it heads into a matchup with Michigan State as a double-digit favorite. The line reflects how much stock the market is putting into the Penn State result, and it puts the Badgers in a spot where expectations are no longer about hanging around. For Wisconsin, the next game is less about the upset itself and more about proving it says something real about where this team stands. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Faces A New Kind Of Pressure After Its Penn State Stunner
Wisconsins comeback at Penn State gave Luke Fickell the kind of road win that can change the feel of a season. Down 17-0 and staring at a tough afternoon in a hostile building, the Badgers rallied to knock off the No. 13 team in the country, a result that stands as one of the clearest markers yet of progress in this era. Even so, the reward has been more about momentum than recognition, with Wisconsin still sitting outside the AP Top 25 as it turns its attention to the next Big Ten test.
Michigan State comes to Madison for the conference home opener carrying its own concerns, including an injury to key player Cam Edwards and a recent stretch of uneven play. For Wisconsin, the new pressure is obvious: after a statement win, there is less room to treat anything as a stepping stone. The Badgers now have to show that the Penn State rally was not just an emotional peak, but the start of something sturdier as the schedule keeps tightening. [Read more 🡒]