GREEN & WHITE FOOTBALL

With LB Reschke out, MSU defense prepares for high-octane Indiana

Chris Solari
Detroit Free Press

EAST LANSING – Mark Dantonio told his Michigan State players after getting thumped by Wisconsin on Saturday that things could get worse.

Junior linebacker Chris Frey (23) fires up MSU's linebackers before a 2016 game against Wisconsin.

The alleged murder of Mylan Hicks early Sunday morning was another emotional blow to a program still coping with the death of Mike Sadler. No loss could be greater.

Tuesday, the focus returned to on-field concerns and attrition. Dantonio revealed the Spartans will be without outside linebacker Jon Reschke for “a significant period of time” with a left ankle injury.

That means the 16th-ranked Spartans could be without two of their starting linebackers when they face Indiana’s rapid-fire, big-play offense Saturday in Bloomington, Ind. (8 p.m./BTN)

“Like we always say, we have that next-man mentality,” said junior Chris Frey, the last healthy starting linebacker. “We expect there to be no drop off mentally or physically or athletically from the ones to the twos. Guys just have to step up and do what they know to do and play hard.”

MSU (2-1, 0-1) played without middle linebacker Riley Bullough last week, and Dantonio said Bullough is “sort of day to day” this week. Dantonio confirmed Tuesday that his senior captain had been dealing with the injury previously but “further injured it” during the Spartans’ win at Notre Dame on Sept. 17. Bullough had an ice bag on his right shoulder underneath his shirt and both of his arms tucked inside it after the game.

Reschke collapsed while trying to rush Wisconsin quarterback Alex Hornibrook early in the third quarter of Saturday’s 30-6 loss to the Badgers. The junior also missed the Furman game and had been playing with a heavily taped left hand against Notre Dame and Wisconsin. Dantonio said he expects Reschke to return this season but did not give a concrete timetable for recovery.

► Related: MSU LB Shane Jones 'solid' in place of Riley Bullough

Those injuries come with MSU preparing for an Indiana team that ranks second in the Big Ten at 516.7 yards per game from its no-huddle, hurry-up offense. The Hoosiers average 30.67 points while holding the ball 30 minutes, 15 seconds per game.

Indiana kept things close last year through three quarters until the Spartans ran off a 24-0 fourth quarter in which it controlled the ball for more than 9 minutes.

“We’ve been deep at linebacker,” Dantonio said. “We’ve got guys who have played and know what to do there. They can pick up the slack. It’s an opportunity for people to grow.”

Junior Shane Jones took Bullough’s place at middle linebacker last week and finished with six tackles and half a sack. Sophomore Byron Bullough also saw time running the defense in the middle.

With Reschke out, sophomore Andrew Dowell returns to the starting group at weak-side (Star) linebacker, with Frey at strong-side (Sam) linebacker. Dowell started against Furman with Reschke out. Sixth-year senior Ed Davis also will be needed more after returning from last season’s torn knee ligament.

The remainder of MSU’s linebacking corps is made up of talented but unproven youngsters. That includes redshirt freshman Tyriq Thompson and sophomore T.J. Harrell, and potentially true freshmen Joe Bachie and Brandon Randle. Dantonio said his staff is preparing freshmen to play, but added that sophomore Grayson Miller also can move to linebacker from his safety spot.

“Well, they’ll get ready,” Davis said of preparing for Indiana’s fast pace. “Game experience, that’s the only way you can really explain it. For them, they’ve never been in that situation — they’ve never been to Oregon, or they’ve never played against the Indianas or the Baylors. Once the game starts and they’re in, they’re gonna be in the groove of things. It’ll definitely be a learning experience for them, we just have to make sure we bring them along.”

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Indiana quarterback Richard Lagow threw for a school-record 496 yards last week and the Hoosiers finished with 611 total yards of offense in a 33-28 home loss to Wake Forest.

Dantonio said the Hoosiers “come fast” and often are prepared to snap the ball in 12 seconds, even if they don’t snap it for 30. The recipe to counter that is for MSU’s defense to substitute often, keep players fresh and remain focused.

“You have to sell out and leave it all on the field, take a break and come off for a play or two, then get back in there and keep going,” Frey said. “Like we always say, there can’t be any letdown from one guy to another. And that’s where our depth comes into factor. We just have to go out there and play well, no matter who’s on the field.”

Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrissolari. Download our Spartans Xtra app for free on Apple and Android devices!