Michigan State Football: 3 hot takes from loss to Indiana in Week 11

2. This defense is better than people think

I’ve already been called out for this take, but this is a hill I’ll be willing to die on at least until the team proves me wrong: Michigan State’s defense is much better than people give it credit for and it has been for most of the season.

Let’s start with the opening loss to Rutgers. The Spartan defense didn’t play terribly, but seven turnovers torpedoed the field position battle and gave the Scarlet Knights a short field all game long. You can’t possibly blame the defense for that disaster. They held Rutgers to 276 yards and out-gained them by nearly 100.

The next week, Joe Milton may have passed for 300 yards, but he needed 51 attempts to do so. And Michigan was passing all game and got no chunk plays. The longest play of the game for the Wolverines was 26 yards.

Against Iowa, the score may have looked incredibly lopsided and like Michigan State didn’t play much defense, but the secondary played well outside of a couple mistakes early while the front-seven struggled with the run early. Michigan State allowed just 14 points in the second half and 14 of those 49 scored against the Spartans were from a pick-six and punt return.

Iowa was the worst defensive effort on the season, and that includes the Indiana game where I believe the Spartans actually played well on that side of the ball.

Michael Penix Jr. passed for 320 yards on 38 attempts and he was picked off twice by Shakur Brown. Outside of one long touchdown passes, he was limited to short passes which the Spartans gave him — that’s more on the scheme. They held the Hoosiers’ run game to just 113 yards on 39 carries.

Don’t knock the defense because it’s been solid this season.