Michigan State Football: Game by game predictions for 2015 season

Nov 22, 2014; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Connor Cook (18) rolls out of the pocket against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during the 2nd half of a game at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

Rutgers didn’t exactly have the ‘awful’ year that everyone was expecting for the newest Big Ten team’s first season, finishing 8-5 overall, but their three conference wins were nothing to brag about.

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Gary Nova is no longer under center for the Scarlet Knights for the first time in four years and the team will have to rely on first-year LSU-transfer Hayden Rettig who won the starting job over sophomore Chris Laviano after the latter was suspended from the team.

The passing offense may struggle a bit under the new quarterback’s guidance, but senior wide out Leonte Carroo, who bad-mouthed MSU’s secondary last season before getting shut down, returns as one of the Big Ten’s best receivers — maybe the best.

Running the ball is proven back Robert Martin, but the Spartans will have no problem shutting him down. Carroo will have more than one catch this season, but he won’t be as big of a factor as Rutgers needs him to be in order to take down the Spartans.

The Scarlet Knights will also have a tough time of slowing down Michigan State’s now-well-oiled offense which has fixed its bugs through the first five weeks and will look like an unstoppable machine against this depleted defense.

Connor Cook will finish with 350 yards and three touchdowns while London and Scott will combine for 200 rushing yards; Delton Williams adds another 50 yards of his own.

Prediction: Michigan State 48, Rutgers, 20 (6-0)

Next: Week 7: at Michigan