Michigan State Football: Will offense keep humming vs. Arizona State?

Michigan State football is fresh off its best offensive showing since 2015, but can the Spartans keep humming against Arizona State?

A year ago, Michigan State went into Tempe with nothing but a win on its mind. Mark Dantonio had his guys ready for the #Pac12AfterDark matchup, but that’s exactly what every team thinks when they play on the West Coast late at night.

The wackiness of a Pac-12 road game at night reared its ugly head and caused Michigan State to lose its starting punter for the year (which was actually a huge loss) and go from 13-3 ahead to the wrong side of a 16-13 score as the final whistle sounded. The Spartans snatched defeat from the jaws of victory and it was tough to watch.

This time around, Michigan State has a chance to send Arizona State home with a loss as the Spartans look like the clear favorite. The two teams are trending in opposite directions heading into this one though both are undefeated. The Sun Devils are coming off an unconvincing 19-7 win over FCS foe Portland State and Michigan State is fresh off a 51-17 victory over Western Michigan.

Arizona State, which is normally known for its offense, can’t seem to score points at will this season and that could be a problem for true freshman Jayden Daniels against this MSU defense.

Here’s how you can watch Saturday’s matchup:

Date: Saturday, Sept. 14
Time: 4 p.m. ET
Location: East Lansing, Mich.
Venue: Spartan Stadium
TV: FOX
Live Stream: FOX Sports Go or FuboTV

Keys to Victory

Brian Lewerke needs to get going early like he did against Western Michigan. On the first play against the Broncos, he found Darrell Stewart Jr. for a big gain and the rest was just a confidence-building game. He needed to see that first pass go for decent yardage and then his confidence just grew. While the run game is crucial with Eli Collins gaining momentum, it’s important that Lewerke comes out punching early in order to make the defense worry about the run and pass.

Defensively, Michigan State must get pressure on Daniels. The true freshman is playing in his first collegiate road game and he’s never seen a defense like this, so getting to him early and often will throw off his timing and make him uncomfortable in the pocket. Yes, he can run, but he’ll be hesitant if he feels like he’s going to take hits any time he tucks the ball. Containing Eno Benjamin like the Spartans did last year is also important. But pressure on Daniels is priority No. 1.

Betting Odds

Odds courtesy of Bovada

Line: Michigan State -15
Over/Under: 41.5

Prediction

While I don’t think Michigan State covered the vast 15-point spread here, I do think the Spartans get close. Arizona State is not a bad team, by any means, but starting a true freshman quarterback who has seen his offense struggle against two lesser opponents on the road against this defense might be a recipe for disaster. Expect Michigan State’s defense to step up again and the offense to keep the momentum going with a 30-point outing.

Final Score: Arizona State 16, Michigan State 30