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Michigan State Football: Game preview, prediction vs. Rutgers in Week 13

By Connor Muldowney

EAST LANSING, MI - NOVEMBER 18: LJ Scott #3 of the Michigan State Spartans tries to run through the tackle of Antoine Brooks Jr. #25 of the Maryland Terrapins during the first half at Spartan Stadium on November 18, 2017 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI - NOVEMBER 18: LJ Scott #3 of the Michigan State Spartans tries to run through the tackle of Antoine Brooks Jr. #25 of the Maryland Terrapins during the first half at Spartan Stadium on November 18, 2017 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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Michigan State will travel to Rutgers to finish the regular season on Saturday. Here’s everything you need to know for the Big Ten battle.

There a chance Michigan State football could pull off the unthinkable and completely reverse its record from a season ago. Yes, in just one calendar year, the Spartans could go from 3-9 to 9-3, making this Mark Dantonio’s best coaching job to date.

Must Read: MSU Football: 5 bold predictions for November

Right now, the Spartans are 8-3 with a game against Rutgers on the road approaching. Last season, the Spartans had just two wins until a meeting with the Scarlet Knights in November and they still ended up winning 49-0.

Playing on the road in the Big Ten is a completely different animal, though. The Scarlet Knights aren’t going to just roll over because they won’t be going to a bowl, but they haven’t been all that competitive against the conference’s top teams. Against Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State, Rutgers has lost by a combined total of 126-20.

Can Michigan State take care of business and down the lowly Scarlet Knights to finish the season strong?

Here’s how to watch the game online:

Date: Saturday, Nov. 25
Time: 4:00 p.m. ET
Location: Piscataway, N.J.
Venue: High Point Solutions Stadium
TV: FOX
Live Stream: FOX Sports Go

Keys to Victory

On the offensive side of the ball, Michigan State needs more balance. Last week was all running and the games against Penn State and Northwestern were all passing. In order to be an effective, well-oiled offensive machine, the Spartans will need to run to set up the pass, and vice versa. Also, they will need a strong game out of Brian Lewerke after two consecutive quiet showings.

Defensively, getting after the quarterback is a must. Rutgers isn’t going to beat many teams with its quarterback play, so making Giovanni Rescigno feel uncomfortable in the pocket will cause some ill-advised throws and this opportunistic Spartan defense will take advantage.

Next: MSU Football: 5 takeaways from ugly win over Maryland

Prediction

Brian Lewerke is going to have a nice bounce-back performance after two straight shaky games. Sure, last week’s performance was in a mini blizzard and the passing attack was abandoned early, but he would still tell you he wasn’t pleased. He’ll go for over 300 yards with two touchdowns and LJ Scott will pound the rock effectively for the second straight week. This game will be close for a half, and then Michigan State will pull away.

Final Score: Michigan State 35, Rutgers 16

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