Michigan State Football: 5 fixes Spartans must make before facing Indiana

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TEMPE, AZ – SEPTEMBER 08: Head coach Mark Dantonio of the Michigan State Spartans reacts during warm ups to the college football game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Tempe, Arizona. The Sun Devils defeated the Spartans 16-13. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

2. Play to team’s strengths, open the playbook up

This is a two-parter. One, Michigan State’s play-calling needs to play to the strengths of its players. Right now, the strength is not ground and pound, it’s airing it out to talented receivers and watching what they can do with the ball in their hands. Two, the Spartans need to open the playbook up.

Back to the first part. No, I’m not saying Michigan State should abandon the run, but until the offensive line can prove that it’s able to open holes in the run game consistently, the offense shouldn’t stick with the same run-run-pass routine that it’s had for the past few years. This line isn’t built for that right now and Brian Lewerke and those receivers are too good to be wasted like they have been.

Mark Dantonio needs to allow Dave Warner to open the playbook up and call some creative plays other than jet-sweeps to the short side of the field (this will never be OK) as well as dives between the tackles with LJ Scott.

Most of the time, the defense knows what’s coming. On third-and-1, what do you think this team is doing? All a defense has to do is stack the box and Michigan State will lose yardage with this line.

Warner must play to his team’s strengths and run a play-action every now and then to mix it up and keep the defense guessing. No more run-run-pass routine.

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