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Michigan State Football: Can Spartans hold off high-powered Oregon in Redbox Bowl?

By Connor Muldowney

EAST LANSING, MI - OCTOBER 20: Brian Lewerke #14 of the Michigan State Spartans hands off to LJ Scott #3 for a first quarter run while playing the Michigan Wolverines at Spartan Stadium on October 20, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI - OCTOBER 20: Brian Lewerke #14 of the Michigan State Spartans hands off to LJ Scott #3 for a first quarter run while playing the Michigan Wolverines at Spartan Stadium on October 20, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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With the wild season it’s been around the country, can Michigan State football surprise everyone and take down Oregon in the Redbox Bowl?

Mark Dantonio probably didn’t envision his team returning nearly every starter from a 10-win team taking a step back, or two, to finish the regular season 7-5, earning a trip to California for the Redbox Bowl.

Fortunately for the head coach, his team has a chance to finish the forgettable, injury-riddled season on a high note with a matchup against Oregon.

The Ducks are 8-4 and have one of the nation’s best quarterbacks in Justin Herbert who just announced he’d be returning for his senior season. Michigan State’s defense should be ready for this one as it’ll be facing its second straight high-powered Pac-12 offense in bowl season.

Last year, Michigan State was able to hold Washington State in check, winning big in the Holiday Bowl. Could the green and white hold Herbert to under 250 yards through the air while getting Brian Lewerke and LJ Scott their confidence back?

Here’s how you can watch the 2018 Redbox Bowl:

Date: Monday, Dec. 31
Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
Location: Santa Clara, Calif.
Venue: Levi’s Stadium
TV: FOX
Live Stream: FOX Sports Go or FuboTV

Keys to Victory

Michigan State must find its footing on the offensive side of the ball and Lewerke must be healthy in order for the Spartans to have a chance here. LJ Scott’s yards will come and he should provide an uptick in the run game, but the aerial attack needs to be more than just average. As long as the Spartans can move the ball with regularity and not stall out, the defense shouldn’t be a problem and this one will work in their favor.

Obviously the key on the defensive side of the ball for the Spartans is putting pressure on Justin Herbert and making sure he doesn’t have all day to throw. Losing Justin Layne before the bowl game will be tough for the secondary, but Josiah Scott will be there to ease the pain of that loss. Making sure Herbert is uncomfortable in the pocket will work wonders as he is the main source of offense for the Ducks.

Betting Odds

Odds courtesy of OddsShark

Line: Oregon -2.5
Over/Under: 48

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Prediction

Does Michigan State have enough offense to compete with Oregon? If Brian Lewerke is healthy like I think he will be, I say yes. The Spartans may not be riding high heading into bowl season, but the junior quarterback will be the spark. The aerial attack will finally live again with Lewerke finding his confidence with the help of Cody White and Darrell Stewart Jr. The ground game with LJ Scott will also look alive again versus Oregon’s defense and this one will be a confidence-builder heading into 2019.

Final Score: Michigan State 28, Oregon 24

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