Michigan State Football: 5 players who need to step up vs. Maryland in Week 12
By Stephen Robb
Michigan State football is coming off a devastating loss to Ohio State. The Spartans are ready to get back onto the field as Maryland comes to East Lansing Saturday.
Mike Valenti has often referred to this Spartan program as a ‘daycare center’ and last Saturday that statement proved to be true. Youth and inexperience is never a cause for an excuse yet it is an explanation for what went down in The Horseshoe.
The Maryland game is, as head coach Mark Dantonio called it, a program game. If they can win then they show progress and if they lose, then Spartan fans could feel they past stings of the “same old Spartans” games under previous coaches where MSU would play hard for three quarters and squander big leads.
This Michigan State team will move forward and should win this game, however, it’s the Big Ten and Maryland will be fighting to go to a bowl game. Maryland was able to beat Indiana 42-39 but then lost to Rutgers.
It’s difficult to get a read on this team that has been rocked by injuries. The Terrapins love to run the pigskin and use the passing game to play off of it. This game, much like the Ohio State game, will come down to who can win the battle in the trenches on both sides of the ball.
Here are five players, or units, that need to step up.