Three things we learned against Michigan

Three takeaways from The Detroit News' Connor Earegood following Michigan State's 24-17 loss to rival Michigan in Week 9.

MSU’s running game is legit

Against the two best run defenders it has played this season – Ohio State and Oregon – Michigan State's run game is weakened. The Spartans mustered just 47 rushing yards against the Buckeyes, then increased slightly to 59 the following week against the Ducks. Michigan was as good a test as any in defending the run, with a front seven that players like All-American defensive tackle Mason Graham, his opposite number Kenneth Grant, two elite edge rushers in Josaiah Stewart and Derrick Moore showcased hard-hitting linebacker in Jaishawn Barham.

Still, it was mostly the Spartans who came out on top in the running game. They rushed for 189 yards on the ground, an average of 3.9 yards per carry. That's just slightly below the 212 they scored last week against Iowa. It appears that the adjustments made in week 7 are working well.

“That’s what Coach (Jonathan) Smith always talks about,” running back Nate Carter said after the game. “To make sure that every day, every week we look at the film and say, 'Okay, how can we improve?' ”

A lot of that running success has to do with the trenches. Michigan State's offensive line looked sharp against the Wolverines, generating plenty of pressure on many snaps and rarely giving up much ground. The line created holes for the backs to gain positive yards, with only two rushes yielding negative yards while four yielded 10 yards or more. There was a lot of sparring, with 12 of 42 rushing attempts going under three yards, but that's something you have to deal with against an interior defense as strong as the Wolverines'.

Carter also had a big game, with 118 yards on 19 carries, the best rushing game of his Spartans career. It was the first time he surpassed 50 rush yards since the Week 3 guarantee game against Prairie View A&M.

That the Spartans are so successful in the ground game is a positive sign for their standing in the Big Ten, a conference that, despite evolving through realignment, still lives and dies in the trenches. It's also a big help for quarterback Aidan Chiles because it gives him a safety valve that takes some pressure off his young shoulders.

Kim is human after all

A week ago, Jonathan Kim looked like a machine after setting a program record for field goals in a 6-7 game against Iowa. He had a rougher night in Ann Arbor. On the first drive, he pushed a 25-yard field goal to the right, wasting points that would have been very useful later. Kim later hit a 46-yard field goal in the third quarter when his team needed a response, going 1-2 on field goals and 2-2 on PATs.

The performance wasn't the dominance we've come to expect from Kim, but it's not the biggest cause for concern either. Even the best kickers make mistakes, especially when they shoot from an angle as sharp as Kim's miss. But while Kim is still largely reliable, his miss is another reminder that the Spartans need to redouble their efforts to turn red zones into end zones.

“That’s on me,” Smith said after the game, blaming himself for the lack of points in the first round. “I think about the first drive, went down there, saw the clock, you know, it's fourth-and-2 … we're just getting three (points) and we're not even getting that. But we've got to find ways, drives to finish inside the 20, 25 yard line.”

However, Kim's outing is a reminder that there are no guaranteed results in football. While his leg has left him a legacy in East Lansing, it has its limitations. Even though the Spartans so often use Kim to get three points out of their many offenses that fail in the red zone, the renewed emphasis on getting to the end zone itself should remain a focus going forward.

Michigan State will need to work on a few more things on special teams this week. An onside kick attempt in the third quarter was thwarted by an offside call, which needs to be addressed. The Spartans also started the previous drive on the 5-yard line, one of four drives started after a punt or kickoff put them behind their own 25-yard line.

“That brings me back to all three phases,” Smith said. “I mean, we got a kickoff return where we start at the 5-yard line, just a mistake. In all three phases of the game there were some pieces for us that didn’t help us win.”

A decision also has to be made at long snapper, with starter Kaden Schickel out due to injury. Replacement player Jack Carson Wentz ultimately took over the longer punt snaps, while linebacker Sam Edwards provided field goals from shorter distances.

More: Trieu: Michigan State football makes pitch for under-the-radar defensive back Evan Young

Smith isn't shy in big moments

Compared to Michigan's tricky schedule, Michigan State's coaching staff wasn't the most daring unit on the field Saturday night, but they weren't afraid to take risks either. The onside kick called in the third quarter illustrated this, even though it gave the Wolverines the ball at midfield.

“How things were going, how the clock was moving and what we were thinking on the tape,” Smith said. “You have recovered. I thought our leverage was pretty good, but we’re offside.”

The Spartans' aggressive style of play also came at a price. Take their final drive of the first half, for example, when Smith and offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren had 29 seconds to either run or attempt to score. They let the first snap decide which route they wanted to take by running the ball to see if they could get a first down. A 14-yard run by Carter did the trick, and Michigan State gave its offense a chance to score some points. Instead, Chiles rolled out of the pocket and fumbled the ball on a behind-the-back tackle, which ultimately led to a field goal and the lead for Michigan.

“It didn’t look like he (Chiles) enjoyed his first read,” Smith said. “He tries to extend and we give them the ball. I just can't do it.”

Michigan State's decision looked bad in hindsight, but there is a certain level of respect that a bold decision deserves. For example, if the Spartans had committed an incompletion on this play, no one would bat an eyelid. If they had picked up a positive piece, the narrative would focus on Smith and Lindgren's genius. Looking at the process rather than the result, the Spartans trusted their players to make a play and it just didn't work out. That's just football.

The fact that Smith and his staff are not afraid of big moments is valuable, even if it comes at a price. There are coaching staffs in the Big Ten — OSU's Ryan Day, Penn State's James Franklin — whose conservative approach has cost them some of their biggest games. Determination is a positive trait in Smith and one that has value, even if it wasn't the case in this game.

[email protected]

@ConnorEaregood

Three things we learned against Michigan

MSU’s running game is legit

Kim is human after all

Smith isn't shy in big moments

Similar Posts

Vanderbilt, Arkansas, is causing a major shakeup in the SEC power rankings

Bears offense lifeless again in defeat against Colts

Leave a Reply Cancel reply