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Central Michigan vs Michigan State: 5 players who need to step up

By Patrick Forrest

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Nov 29, 2014; University Park, PA, USA; Michigan State Spartans wide receiver R.J. Shelton (12) runs with the ball during the third quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Michigan State defeated Penn State 34-10. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O

1. R.J. Shelton

Aaron Burbridge has been a breath of fresh air. It’s still very early but he appears ready to step into Tony Lippett’s shoes and be the true No. 1 receiver. While he’s taking the Batman role, Michigan State is still looking for a Robin.

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Shelton has yet to take the leap. He has had some nice catches to keep drives alive and is used regularly on the jet sweeps. R.J. needs to become more than that though within the Spartan offense. A way for Michigan State to become more consistent is for R.J. to become more consistent.

Burbridge is going to begin to draw a lot of attention to himself, and rightfully so. As this happens, it is going to open up the field for Shelton and he needs to take advantage of that space. The more weapons that can come to the forefront for Connor Cook the better, and Shelton has to be one of those weapons.

Central Michigan’s defense should allow for a lot of chances for the passing game to continue to grow and R.J. needs to take full advantage of that.

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