Michigan State Football: Final score predictions vs. Maryland in Week 11

Michigan State football has a chance to bounce back on Saturday evening with a somewhat favorable matchup against Maryland approaching.

The Terrapins are 5-4 on the season while Michigan State is 8-1 and hoping to remain in the College Football Playoff hunt. If Michigan State wants to impress the committee, the defense will look improved against the heavy passing attack of Maryland and Taulia Tagovailoa.

Right now, the playoff committee doesn’t think MSU has a complete team and who can blame them? The Spartans have the worst pass defense in the country.

Will that change on Saturday?

Let’s take a look at our writers’ final score predictions for MSU vs. Maryland.

Connor Muldowney: Michigan State desperately needs to show that it can stop the passing attack of Taulia and the Terps, but I’m not so sure it will. The Spartans are probably going to give up over 300 passing yards again, but luckily Maryland’s defense is one of the worst in the Big Ten as well. I think Payton Thorne has his best game since Rutgers and Kenneth Walker III rushes for over 175 yards and has another couple of Heisman moments. Michigan State wins a shootout here.

Final Score: Maryland 31, Michigan State 41

Carter Landis: The Spartans are looking to bounce back from a really disappointing loss to Purdue, and reeling Maryland is a way to get back on track before a tough end to the season. MSU will have their struggles in the passing game defensively, but they’ll get what they want on offense, and that will be the deciding factor.

Final Score: Maryland 27, Michigan State 38

Jack Williams: I really wanted to give Michigan State a wider margin of victory, but I think this team will still look a bit rusty from the Purdue game. It’ll be a slow start, but Kenneth Walker will do his thing and put his name back atop Heisman Trophy watch lists. This one won’t be pretty, but the Spartans will dominate the end of the game.

Final Score: Maryland 21, Michigan State 31

Conner Linsner: After a tough loss to Purdue, I expect Michigan State to play with that little extra chip on their shoulder Saturday. Plus, the College Football Playoff committee ranked Michigan ahead of the Spartans this past Tuesday. Although Mel Tucker claims he doesn’t worry about the rankings we all know deep down that everyone in that locker room felt disrespected. Given that Maryland does have a good passing offense, I expect a lot of bend but don’t break again but this time the Spartans come out on top.

Final Score: Maryland 31, Michigan State 42

Stephen Robb: Michigan State had a letdown game last week. Can it bounce back against Maryland? The Terrapins are the fourth-worst run defense in the Big Ten. Also, they have a stuff rate of 13.6 percent. Stuff rate is the consistency a defense has to stuff a run at or behind the line of scrimmage. Is that good? Nope. It is 115th in college football. MSU must run Kenneth Walker III. Maryland has a great passing game and, weather permitting, it could tear up MSU’s secondary that was terrible last Saturday at Purdue.

Final Score: Maryland 27, Michigan State 31