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Michigan State Football: 5 takeaways from win over Indiana in Week 8

By Connor Muldowney

EAST LANSING, MI - OCTOBER 21: Wide receiver Cody White #7 of the Michigan State Spartans carries the ball against defensive back Chase Dutra #30 of the Indiana Hoosiers during the second half at Spartan Stadium on October 21, 2017 in East Lansing, Michigan. Michigan State defeated Indiana 17-9. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI - OCTOBER 21: Wide receiver Cody White #7 of the Michigan State Spartans carries the ball against defensive back Chase Dutra #30 of the Indiana Hoosiers during the second half at Spartan Stadium on October 21, 2017 in East Lansing, Michigan. Michigan State defeated Indiana 17-9. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) /
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It was another gritty win for Michigan State football over Indiana in Week 8. What did we learn from the Spartans’ tight victory?

Can you believe Michigan State football is bowl eligible before the month of November after a 3-9 season a year ago? Mark Dantonio has done a fantastic job with this team and the young Spartans have responded with a 6-1 overall record through seven games to go along with a 4-0 Big Ten mark.

The Spartans will head to Evanston next week to build on the strong start to the season and prove that these close wins are more because of the grittiness of the youth rather than the fact this team is still too young to contend. Growing pains are evident, but Michigan State is in the thick of the Big Ten East race.

Dantonio still found a way to pull out a win when it looked like Michigan State was going to crumble under late-game pressure versus the Hoosiers.

Here are five major takeaways from the Spartans’ Week 8 win over Indiana.

5. Play-calling needs more creativity

Dave Warner gets a lot of flak for his continuous lack of creativity in the play-calling department, and for good reason. Through three-plus quarters, Indiana’s defense was able to predict where Michigan State’s offense was headed and which plays would be run.

It was until late in the fourth quarter, the Spartans weren’t calling the right plays. Sure, runs between the tackles have been Michigan State’s bread and butter, but they just haven’t worked this season, but that seemed to be a majority of the Spartans’ first and second-down calls.

That often led Michigan State to third-and-long plays which are usually bad news for any offense — especially one that had been stifled all afternoon long.

We have to realize this is basically the same coaching staff that led Michigan State to all those 10-plus win seasons, a Rose Bowl, Cotton Bowl and College Football Playoff appearance, but it needs to know when to adjust. The same stuff isn’t working year in and year out. Time for more creativity.

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