Michigan State Football: 3 goals and a prediction for Week 2 vs. Richmond

Michigan State football takes on FCS opponent Richmond in Week 2 this Saturday. This qualifies as a cupcake game but that doesn’t mean the Spartans can show up and just win.

There were plenty of things to clean up after the Central Michigan win and with the Washington Huskies coming to town next week, here are the goals for Week 2 for the Spartans to be confident heading into a matchup with a top-10 opponent.

1. Start hot, stay hot

The Spartans cannot make a habit of slow starts, especially with Washington coming to town who can score before you finish your delicious first in-stadium beer.

Richmond is the perfect opponent for the offense to march down the first and score points, whether field goals or touchdowns, on 75 percent of its first half possessions.

The first-game jitters should be gone so we should finally see some crisp passes, routes, and limited drops. You could also say that the Week 1 goal of a 10-play drive should carry over to this week as well. Jay Johnson still has a lot to prove and caught a lot of flack last week, and most of it was deserved.

I did highlight that the play-calling wasn’t nearly as bad as everyone, including me, thought it was after rewatching the game, but it is still far from perfect. Coordinate drives, help your young quarterback out, and show that the deep ball is a luxury, not a do-or-die play.