Michigan State Football: Preview, prediction vs. Northwestern in Week 6
Michigan State football hoped to get revenge against Northwestern in 2017, but that didn’t quite work out. Will the Spartans finally get it in 2018?
What if I told you it’s been almost 10 years since Michigan State has beaten Northwestern in East Lansing? It’s true, the Spartans have struggled against Pat Fitzgerald and the Wildcats since 2009, going 0-2 at home since then and 4-3 overall.
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The Wildcats just always seem to play the Spartans tough, and this season will be no different. Clayton Thorson is back after dinking and dunking the Spartans all the way to a victory in 2017. He was the king of the short routes and it ended up being the deciding factor in an overtime victory over the green and white in Evanston.
Northwestern is struggling with a 1-3 record through four games this season while the Spartans, at 3-1, are still looking for their identity as well. It’s wild how expectations can put a damper on a decent start, but even the coaching staff will tell you they have underachieved on both sides of the ball.
Michigan State is looking for revenge for two straight losses against the Wildcats, but will that come on Saturday or will Northwestern get back on track?
Here’s how you can watch Saturday’s revenge game:
Date: Saturday, Oct. 6
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Location: East Lansing, Mich.
Venue: Spartan Stadium
TV: FOX Sports 1
Live Stream: FOX Sports Go or FuboTV
Keys to Victory
On the offensive side of the ball, the Spartans must find a way to handle Northwestern’s front-seven and open holes in the run game. Brian Lewerke is always going to find a way to get his yards and touchdowns, but if the run game can get going, this offense could be unstoppable. If LJ Scott is healthy, the line needs to find a way to get him involved and back to that elusive 100-yard mark. The Spartans must run to set up the pass or the Wildcats will just focus on the one-dimensional offense.
Defensively, pass rush is key. The secondary isn’t going to give up many deep balls, if any at all, so the front-seven needs to build on its strong play over the last two weeks — nine sacks in two games. Get that push in the middle with Raequan Williams and Mike Panasiuk and let the ends collapse the pocket while also adding some blitz plays and Clayton Thorson will think twice about rushing the ball out to a covered receiver — and he’s no longer a huge running threat.
Betting Odds
Courtesy of OddsShark
Line: Michigan State -10.5
Over/Under: 43.5
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Prediction
Michigan State is finally going to get its revenge on the Wildcats. Northwestern has won two in a row in this matchup, but the Spartans will prevent a third consecutive defeat, thanks to the arm, and legs, of Lewerke. He’s going to finish with over 325 total yards and four touchdowns, getting back on track with no turnovers. The run game will also approach the 150-200 yard mark thanks to a nice comeback game from LJ Scott and Co. Take the points, though.
Final Score: Northwestern 23, Michigan State 31