Michigan State football: 3 things I want to see vs. Rutgers in Week 11

Folks, we finally have a noon game on our hands. After spending the first nine games playing no earlier than 3:30 p.m. ET, Michigan State football will finally play one of the first games of the day in Week 11.

The Spartans will host a 4-5 Rutgers team that has been ice-cold lately and needs this win as much as Michigan State if it wants to reach a bowl this year.

Michigan State has won 2-of-3 while Rutgers has lost 4-of-5. The two teams are trending in opposite directions, but that doesn’t mean this is going to be a cakewalk for the green and white. Actually, this game will be tough as we just saw the Scarlet Knights leading Michigan at halftime before running out of gas a week ago.

Here’s what I want to see from the Spartans against Rutgers in order to avoid an upset.

3. Continued defensive momentum

We’ve all been hard on him (me especially) through the first half of the season, but Scottie Hazelton has this defense playing much, much better lately.

There’s serious momentum on the defensive side of the ball and I want that to continue against Rutgers as the Spartans battle for a bowl berth over these final three games. All Michigan State has to do is play how it’s been playing defensively and it should have no problem closing the doors on a Rutgers upset bid.

Don’t take the foot off the gas because the defense is playing its best football of the season and Hazelton is in the middle of his best three-game stretch since taking over as MSU’s defensive coordinator.

Continue the blitzing, fresh scheme, and overall aggression and solid play against Rutgers.