V-Cast: with offense improving Michigan State a serious contender to bring Paul Bunyan Trophy back home
East Lansing, Mich. – Michigan State travels to Michigan this weekend looking to reclaim the Paul Bunyan Trophy in a battle of 4-3 teams seemingly moving in different directions. The Spartans are in building mode in the first year of head coach Jonathan Smith’s tenure and feeling good about the progress that was made in a win over Iowa last weekend. Meanwhile, the defending national champion Wolverines are struggling to a degree that few expected under first-year head coach Sherrone Moore.
Will Michigan State add to the momentum it generated last weekend against Iowa, while also knocking its in-state rival into a free fall, or will the Wolverines play their best football backed into a corner?
After interviews on Wednesday, SpartanMag.com staffers Jim Comparoni and Paul Konyndyk checked in from the Tom Izzo Football Building with the latest Michigan Week news, analysis, and opinion in the V-Cast.
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What a difference a year makes: Michigan State suffered a 49-0 humbling home defeat against its in-state rival at home in Spartan Stadium one year ago. The Wolverines had every discernible advantage in the game with a punishing offense and formidable defense against a Michigan State team playing under an interim head coach in the wake of Mel Tucker’s firing. This year, both teams are 4-3 ahead of Saturday’s game. The Spartans come into this game with real momentum after posting an impressive victory over Iowa in a game where Michigan State won decisively at the line of scrimmage. The Wolverines, meanwhile, are searching for answers on offense, where quarterback play has been a major question mark.
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A different approach to an old rivalry: The embrace-the-rage approach to this rivalry that worked so effectively under former Michigan State football coach Mark Dantonio appears to be a thing of the past for the Spartans. This week, players and coaches alike have made a conscious effort to stay focused on the process of preparing for the Michigan game instead of fanning the emotional flames of this bitter rivalry. That may change as gametime approaches. For now, however, things appear to be quite a bit more sedate than they typically have been around the Spartan program during Michigan Week.
Is Chiles ready for the challenge?: Playing a rivalry game on the road may seem like a daunting challenge for a first-year starter at quarterback like Aidan Chiles, but the raucous environment at the Big House will probably not be all that different from the night road games Michigan State has played at Oregon and at Boston College. In addition to playing in front of lathered up fans in night games as a first-year starter, Chiles has also competed against defenses with as much overall talent as the Wolverines possess on their roster. And while Michigan may have a front seven as good or better than Oregon or Ohio State, the Wolverines do not have near the same level of talent in the defensive secondary as the Ducks or Buckeyes. If Chiles continues to show progress in the decision-making department, there is a good chance that he will be able to meet the challenge presented by a solid Michigan defense regardless of venue.
