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Central Michigan vs Michigan State: 5 reasons the Spartans will win

By Connor Muldowney

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Sep 12, 2015; East Lansing, MI, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Charles Nelson (6) stiff arms Michigan State Spartans defensive end Shilique Calhoun (89) during the 2nd half of a game at Spartan Stadium. MSU won 31-28. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

1. D-line gets major pressure on Rush

What a pun-worthy name Central’s signal-caller has for this one. Cooper Rush will be rushed out of the pocket more often than not against Michigan State’s stellar defensive line. Imagine all the puns we could use if Marcus Rush was still at defensive end for MSU.

Must Read: Central Michigan vs Michigan State: 5 players to watch for

Shilique Calhoun is on pace to have a solid season of 32 tackles and 8.0 sacks, but he will rack up 2.5 sacks and five total tackles in this one, really gaining ground on the nation’s top defensive linemen.

Joel Heath will add a sack of his own while Malik McDowell will have a breakout performance, really showing that the future of the Michigan State defense is brighter than ever. As for Lawrence Thomas, well, he will have a typical Lawrence Thomas-type game of a couple sacks and a handful of tackles with some QB hurries.

Rush will have a very difficult time all day long trying to get comfortable in the pocket and avoiding the sack nearly every time he drops back — and he drops back, on average, 43 times per game.

Expect a big day from this Spartans’ defensive line.

Next: Air Force vs. MSU: Grading the Spartans' performance

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