Spartan Avenue
Fansided

Michigan State Football: 5 reasons Spartans will beat Northwestern in Week 6

By Connor Muldowney

EVANSTON, IL - OCTOBER 28: Brandon Randle #26 of the Michigan State Spartans rushes against Rashawn Slater #70 of the Northwestern Wildcats at Ryan Field on October 28, 2017 in Evanston, Illinois. Northwestern defeated Michigan State 39-31 in triple overtime. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
EVANSTON, IL - OCTOBER 28: Brandon Randle #26 of the Michigan State Spartans rushes against Rashawn Slater #70 of the Northwestern Wildcats at Ryan Field on October 28, 2017 in Evanston, Illinois. Northwestern defeated Michigan State 39-31 in triple overtime. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 5
Next
EVANSTON, IL – OCTOBER 28: Members of the Michigan State Spartans walk off of the field after a loss to the Northwestern Wildcats at Ryan Field on October 28, 2017 in Evanston, Illinois. Northwestern defeated Michigan State 39-31 in triple overtime.(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
EVANSTON, IL – OCTOBER 28: Members of the Michigan State Spartans walk off of the field after a loss to the Northwestern Wildcats at Ryan Field on October 28, 2017 in Evanston, Illinois. Northwestern defeated Michigan State 39-31 in triple overtime.(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

1. The revenge factor

There’s something to be said about a team looking to exact revenge for a couple of years worth of losses. Michigan State has lost two straight to the Wildcats, once back in 2016 in East Lansing during Brian Lewerke’s first-career start and the next in Evanston in 2017 in an overtime thriller.

Must Read: MSU football: 5 bold predictions for October

Lewerke hasn’t forgotten either game as he felt like both were winnable. His 2016 loss was especially heartbreaking as he was replaced by Tyler O’Connor. In 2017, it was his interception in overtime that ended the game in a Spartan loss.

How long has it been since the Spartans won a game over the Wildcats in East Lansing? Believe it or not, it’s been since 2009. There have been a few seasons that the two teams didn’t face off against each other, but that’s far too long to be winless against a lower-caliber team.

Northwestern is well-coached by Pat Fitzgerald and the Wildcats are one of the most underrated Power Five programs in the nation, always giving the Spartans a hard time.

Next. Top 25 MSU football players of Mark Dantonio era. dark

I expect that to continue this season, but revenge is the goal for the green and white and they’ll get just that.

Home/Spartans Football