Why Saturday can be a turning point for Michigan State football
By Ian Olsen
After a slow start to the 2016 season, Saturday’s contest against BYU can be a turning point for Michigan State football.
After Michigan State football’s tremendous success the last several years, featuring conference championships and major bowl victories, Spartan players and coaches are in urgency mode following the team’s 2-2 start, working to salvage their season and avoid an off year.
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As one half of the best two-sport NCAA program, the football team should look to basketball’s January 23 energetic home win over Maryland, when the team revamped its mindset and came together to leave behind three straight losses and win 12-of-13.
Saturday’s game can be one of rejuvenation for the Spartans as they find their identity, facing an opponent that gives them a terrific opportunity to do so in BYU, a decent team lacking in areas Michigan State can exploit.
Michigan State’s core problems have been an unsteady pass defense and underachieving aerial attack.
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BYU ran the ball phenomenally last week in its win over Toledo as running back Jamaal Williams rushed for 286 yards and five touchdowns on 30 carries. Consequently, BYU will likely try to stick with last week’s strategy which tallied 55 points.
However, this method clashes with Michigan State’s greatest strength. While the defense has struggled stopping the pass, it has successfully stopped the run. One will have to give after Williams enters the game averaging 6.4 yards a carry against a defense allowing just 3.1 yards a carry. Michigan State can force BYU to switch its game plan and abandon its comfort zone.
Thus, can BYU throw effectively downfield? The first question is whether they’ll try. For a former Heisman Trophy winner who threw for more than 15,000 yards in his BYU career, offensive coordinator Ty Detmer ironically calls primarily conservative pass plays full of quick slants and short outs and curls.
Quarterback Taysom Hill has been mediocre this season passing downfield where Michigan State is most vulnerable. After failing to record a sack last week at Indiana, the Spartan defense can get back to blitzing and pressuring the quarterback this week, requiring Hill to either take sacks or make foolish passes and add to his seven interceptions.
Tyler O’Connor and Michigan State’s offense have a timely chance Saturday to raise their game and get rolling. BYU exhibited several weaknesses last week when it surrendered 53 points and 692 yards.
Disregard the Wisconsin game, a team much more capable than BYU, and O’Connor has completed over 65 percent of his passes. A few games into a season is often when young stars emerge, and facing a fragile pass defense gives deep threat Donnie Corley a chance to shine. He and O’Connor should feel keyed up watching last week’s film of BYU’s secondary get picked apart for 505 passing yards.
The Spartan offensive attack has stumbled, but its 21-point third quarter versus Notre Dame showed a hint of its potential; the challenge now is getting there.
Head coach Mark Dantonio is a proven winner who has demonstrated ability to improve a team throughout the season, and will be opposite a new and questionable coaching staff with an unidentified approach and messy play-calling. And be sure BYU players have never had the burden of tackling a running back as strong and as talented as LJ Scott.
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Saturday’s game is against a non-Big Ten foe and of lesser importance to the program overall, presenting an opportunity to mix things up, play aggressively, and see if Michigan State can use the game as a launching point to place the team on a winning track.