Michigan State Football: Staff score predictions vs. Purdue in Week 9

Michigan State football will get a crack at red-hot Purdue in East Lansing on Saturday. Will the Spartans tame the Boilermakers?

Michigan State football is at a critical crossroads at 4-3 as they welcome in the Purdue Boilermakers this weekend. Who wins this matchup? Who knows, but we will see as the two teams face off at noon on Saturday.

Senior quarterback David Blough is playing very well for Purdue but he went into this season battling for the starting spot at quarterback. Even though his stats show he is efficient and accurate, it seems like he is on a similar trajectory as Ryan Fitzpatrick of the NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  This is to not to take anything away from Blough’s recent success but history shows that it would be very difficult for him to continue on this path that he is currently on.

There is no doubt, however, that Purdue freshmen sensation wide receiver Rondale Moore will pose problems for the Spartans secondary. He can do it all and should be a major concern for the Spartans as Justin Layne will have his hands full covering him in the open field. Purdue’s running game is led by running back D.J. Knox. Michigan State’s run defense should be able to hold him in check and minimize his impact on the game.

Purdue head coach Jeff Brohm has done wonders with his program and has Purdue on the rise and there is no doubting that he is doing an excellent job coaching the Boilermakers.

On the flip side, Michigan State looks to be without Brain Lewerke services for this game due to him having issues with his right shoulder injury. Will Matt Allen start at center for the Spartans? It appears he will not play on Saturday. We already know that Felton Davis III and Jake Hartbarger are out for the season and David Beedle, Josiah Scott, and Cody White are more than likely not going to be able to play as well against the Boilermakers.

The players to look out for to see if there are suited up or in street clothes are Laress Nelson and Josh Butler.

Michigan State desperately needs the four receivers of Darrell Stewart Jr. Jalen Nailor, Cam Chambers and even Brandon Sowards to be ready to help with the passing game with an inexperienced Rocky Lombardi at quarterback. Also, the Spartans don’t need any surprises such as L.J .Scott or Kevin Jarvis not being able to play the entire game.

This is a must-see game for all Spartan fans and now here are the picks:

Connor Muldowney: Michigan State comes limping into this one while Purdue is flying higher than ever after a huge win over Ohio State. The casual fan would say that the Boilermakers should walk all over the Spartans, but no one knows which Michigan State team will show up. Will we see the team that went to Happy Valley and stole a win from Penn State or the one that lost at home to Northwestern? I’m going to say right down the middle. The Spartans will struggle offensively yet again as they may turn to second-string quarterback Rocky Lombardi if Brian Lewerke can’t go. Purdue will steal one on the road and remain red-hot.

Final: Purdue 30, Michigan State 27

Ryan Kay: The weather is not going to be ideal for the offense of Purdue in East Lansing this Saturday. Purdue is coming off of an emotional win against Ohio State. Purdue started the season 0-3 but lost all of the games by four or fewer points. They did, however, lose to Eastern Michigan at home, a team that is 4-4 in the Mid-American Conference. Purdue also lost to Missouri who is 0-3 in the SEC East, so it is not like Purdue’s losses have come at the hands of Alabama’s or Penn State’s of the college football world.

Purdue, on paper, has many advantages going into this game but it just seems like there is a sense that even with all the injuries that Michigan State has, it still is the slight favorite to win this game. Look for L. J. Scott to rush for over 100 yards, Rocky Lombardi will not turn the ball over and be able to control the tempo on offense, and the defense of Michigan State will have their best game of the season.

When Mark Dantonio has his back against the wall, it appears to have his team plays the best. Rondale Moore will play well but David Blough will throw two interceptions and have a key fumble giving the Spartans the victory in a very close game.

Final Score: Purdue 20, Michigan State 21

Justin Thind: MSU does not have Brian Lewerke tomorrow and little is known about Rocky Lombardi. Add in the fact that the Spartans took a major hit in the field position battle, losing Tyler Hunt for the year, and it sounds like a really uphill battle to beat sizzling-hot Purdue. With that said though, the Spartans are in must-win mode. The season could go very badly, very quickly if they don’t get back on track.

Being a game-changing wild-card this week, Lombardi will take advantage of this rare playing-time opportunity and rejuvenate the passing game with his strong arm. He might take quite a few sacks and commit a couple turnovers, but Spartan fans will see the offense move the ball better than weeks prior. The defense will have his back, and the Spartans will get back on track with a win against Purdue, knocking the Boilermakers back to reality.

Final Score: Purdue 20, Michigan State 24

Stephen Robb: This is a tough game to predict because while Dantonio’s teams historically do well after the Michigan game, I cannot remember another MSU team being this banged up. Purdue can prove the doubters wrong with a win. It was an emotional game last week for Purdue on all accounts. Could this be a letdown game? Purdue has too much firepower at this point.

Final Score: Purdue 28, Michigan State 14