V-Cast: will this loss be harder for Michigan State to bounce back from?
East Lansing, Mich. – Michigan State started quickly, scoring the first 10 points of this game against Indiana. Then the wheels feel off, as the Hoosiers scored 47 straight points to win the Old Brass Spittoon in a beatdown, 47-10.
Afterward, SpartanMag staffers Jim Comparoni and Paul Konyndyk checked in from Spartan Stadium with a V-Cast that touches on a wide range of topics following an embarrassing loss.
V-CAST TOPICS
Dominated at home: Michigan State has lost other lopsided games this season, but those defeats came at the hands of Ohio State and Oregon. The Spartans aren’t accustomed to losing like this to Indiana, but don’t let the name on the jersey fool you. This Indiana team looks as much like a Top 10 outfit at the Ducks and Buckeyes did when the Spartans played them earlier this season. The Hoosiers have good skill players and a difficult scheme to defend. Kurtis Rourke is one of best kept secrets in college football. The Hoosiers are also outstanding on defense with an impactful defensive line that creates a lot of pressure without being blitz heavy. Don’t forget about special teams. Indiana dominated Michigan State on the special teams front.
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Back to the drawing board with the run game: After making solid gains on the ground in back-to-back weeks against both Iowa and Michigan, the Spartans had zero success on the ground against an Indiana run defense that ranks near the top of the Big Ten in yards per carry allowed. Indiana has had a lot of success against the run going back to this coaching staff’s days at James Madison with a one-gapping scheme. The Spartans have struggled to run the ball against one-gapping defenses more than they’ve struggled against two-gapping defenses. Michigan State needs to get back on track with its ground game during the bye week. Coming out of the bye week, the Spartans will face an Illinois rushing defense that currently ranks No. 78 in rushing yards allowed per game. The Fighting Illini are yielding more than 150 yards per game on the ground. If Michigan State is unable to run the ball against Illinois, that will be a bad sign moving forward.
Keeping the band together: Michigan State has done a good job of bouncing back from the disappointment of difficult losses in year one under Jonathan Smith. Will the Spartans be able to do it again, or is the way this loss unfolded against Indiana different than the others? Michigan State used its last bye week effectively prior to a breakthrough win against Iowa. The Spartans will look to do something similar in the coming bye week. Winning the bye week is critical for the Spartans, needing two wins in their final three games to become bowl eligible.
