Michigan State Football: 5 Spartans who need to step up vs. Northwestern in Week 9
By Stephen Robb
Michigan State football takes on Northwestern this Saturday. The Wildcats are riding high off a win against Iowa and the Spartans are coming off a tough win versus Indiana.
The Indiana game was a tough pill to swallow for fans. The Spartan offense sputtered for most of the game until the last 10 minutes of the game. A win is a win, though it didn’t feel like one.
Michigan State is on the road again and this time it’s Northwestern. This is a great test for the Spartans. If they can get out of Evanston with a win, they will prove to be serious threats to Ohio State and Penn State.
In order for Michigan State to win this game, it will need more from the offensive side of the ball. Quarterback Brian Lewerke may not have built chemistry with the wide receivers yet, which would explain why none of them were open last week.
Cody White stepped up as a true freshman, and looked the part of the go-to receiver. The Spartans may need to lean on the passing game because the Wildcats are stout against the run.
Here are my picks for which Spartans need to step up.
It’s not because they are playing poorly, but rather due to Northwestern’s tendency to throw bubble screens and the swing pass. Michigan State has been done in over the years by these plays.
No doubt, the Wildcats watched the Michigan film and witnessed the swing pass being wide open. They will attack the Spartans to the outside. This means the defensive backs will have to get off their blocks sooner than later. Otherwise, Northwestern will feast all afternoon.
This Wildcat teams does not want to beat you lining up going north and south. They love to go east to west and this means the Spartans must be disciplined and alert.
Also, Northwestern will take their shots down field and they have a 6-foot-4 wide receiver named Bennet Skowronek. He’s a rising sophomore who will be difficult for MSU to handle.