Michigan State Football: 5 takeaways from win over Indiana
Oct 24, 2015; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans running back LJ Scott (3) gets outside the Indiana Hoosiers defense during the 2nd half of a game at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
The Michigan State football team is coming off its first ‘blowout’ win of the season in which it took a five-point fourth quarter lead and extended it to 26 with three late touchdowns in the final five minutes of the game. The final score against Indiana was deceiving as the game was relatively close throughout.
We learned many things from the Spartans’ week eight victory — both good and bad — and the team is heading into the bye week with an 8-0 record. This is the second time in the Mark Dantonio era in which the Spartans started the year undefeated after eight games.
Looking to get healthy for the final four regular season games, let’s take a look at what we learned from Michigan State’s week eight home win against the Hoosiers.
5. Bye week is coming at perfect time
Oct 3, 2015; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans offensive lineman Brian Allen (65) stands on the field during the 1st quarter of a game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
This bye week has come at the perfect time for Michigan State. Players are ailing, the team has a difficult time putting together a complete game and the toughest part of the schedule is looming.
However, last year after the bye week, Michigan State hosted Ohio State and the time off proved to be unhelpful as the Spartans were defeated 49-37 at home and playoff hopes were destroyed in East Lansing that Saturday evening.
This year could be much different, after the bye week, Michigan State will be traveling out west to take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers, a team that has been struggling all year long.
That might be a recipe for disaster as the Cornhuskers look like a team on the verge of overcoming all heartbreaking losses and taking out their anger on the next team they encounter, but Michigan State plays very well when facing more talented teams — it’s playing down to the opponent that hurts the Spartans.
Two weeks to prepare for the second-toughest remaining game is great news for this team. Dantonio is 3-3 as MSU head coach following a bye week — two years he didn’t really have a true bye — and this year’s team seems hungry to achieve the task at hand.
Great time to rest up, get healthy and come out hungry.
Next: 4. Offensive line needs help