GREEN & WHITE FOOTBALL

Michigan State football vs. Indiana: Scouting report

Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press

Free Press sports writer Chris Solari breaks down and predicts Saturday's Michigan State-Indiana game.

Michigan State Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio and injured Riley Bullough lead the team onto the field before the game against the Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016 at Spartan Stadium.

Fast facts

No. 16 Michigan State at Indiana

Records: MSU 2-1, 0-1 Big Ten; Indiana 2-1, 0-0.

Kickoff: 8 p.m. Saturday, Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, Indiana

TV/radio: Big Ten Network; WJR-AM (760).

Line: MSU by 6 1/2.

Injuries/absences

MSU: LB Jon Reschke (left ankle), out; LB Riley Bullough (right shoulder), questionable.

Indiana: OL Dan Feeny (concussion), questionable; OL Dimitric Camiel (back), questionable; K Aaron Del Grosso (legal issues), questionable; WR Jonah Morris (unspecified), questionable; WR Simmie Cobbs Jr. (ankle), out; TE Jordan Fuchs (ankle), out; DB Wesley Green (suspension), out indefinitely; WR J-Shun Harris II (torn ACL), out for season.

Five things to watch

Missing middle: Linebacker Jon Reschke is out for the second time this season and linebacker Riley Bullough likely will miss his second straight game. That’s critical depth missing in the middle of MSU’s defense to face Indiana’s explosive, hurry-up, no-huddle offense. Andrew Dowell is expected to start at Reschke’s Star (weak-side) spot, while Shane Jones remains in the middle for the second straight game next to starting Sam (strong-side) Chris Frey. It also means sixth-year senior Ed Davis and younger linebackers Byron Bullough, T.J. Harrell and Tyriq Thompson should play bigger roles this week.

► COUCH: True freshmen will help decide MSU's season

Fresh faces: True freshman defensive ends Josh King and Auston Robertson made their college debuts late in MSU’s 30-6 loss to Wisconsin last Saturday, and defensive line coach Ron Burton said both have shown they deserve the chance to play. They join defensive tackle Mike Panasiuk as three rookie classmates whom the Spartans hope can generate more pass rush this week. On offense, lineman Thiyo Lukusa and receiver Trishton Jackson also played last week, joining fellow true freshman wideout Donnie Corley. “Once you cross the bridge,” Dantonio said, “you got to use them.”

Bounce-back try: Tyler O’Connor lost for the first time in four games as MSU’s starting quarterback, including last year’s upset win at Ohio State. The fifth-year senior struggled to throw the ball downfield, finishing 18-for-38 for 224 yards with three interceptions. His predecessor, Connor Cook, displayed the ability to overcome bad plays and games, and this will a critical moment for O’Connor to show he can do the same to keep the starting QB job long-term this season.

► Related: Tyler O'Connor: 'In the end, it's on me'

Spittoon spat: The Spartans and Hoosiers have played for the Old Brass Spittoon trophy since 1950, but it has been a decidedly one-sided rivalry in MSU’s favor. MSU has won all seven meetings against the Hoosiers under Mark Dantonio, and the Spartans are 45-15-2 all-time in the series. That includes last year’s 52-26 victory, in which MSU outscored Indiana 24-0 in the fourth quarter. The Spartans last lost at Indiana in 2006, John L. Smith’s final season. The trophy itself was purchased by MSU’s junior class president prior to the 1950 game for $25 at a Lansing antique store and is said to predate both schools’ inceptions.

Somber tributes: The Spartans will honor former linebacker/defensive back Mylan Hicks by wearing black shoes and black socks for the game Saturday night, as well as wearing a No. 6 sticker on the back of their helmets. Hicks was killed outside a bar in Calgary, Alberta, where he had been a member of the CFL Stampeders’ practice squad. Dantonio said there likely will be more tributes to Hicks in coming weeks. Prior to the kickoff, a coin commemorating former Spartan punter Mike Sadler and Nebraska’s Sam Foltz will be flipped. The two died in a car accident on July 23 near Waukesha, Wisconsin after working at a kicking camp nearby. Sadler was posthumously inducted into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame last week.

Know the foe: Indiana

Key Lagow: Junior college transfer Richard Lagow took over at quarterback for the graduated Nate Sudfeld and has shown some early promise and problems. The 6-foot-6, 237-pound Lagow leads the Big Ten at 334 passing yards per game, completing 62.4 percent of his throws for 1,002 yards and seven touchdowns, and ranks second to Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett in passing efficiency with a 158.7 QB rating. Lagow threw for a single-game school record 496 yards last week against Wake Forest but also had five interceptions in a 33-28 home loss. Top receiver Nick Westbrook leads the Big Ten at 110.7 yards per game and is second with four TD catches. The Hoosiers average more than 30.67 points while holding the ball for 30:15 per game.

Improving defense: Indiana’s defensive problems under head coach Kevin Wilson have been well documented the past few years. This season however, the Hoosiers have shown marked improvement under new defensive coordinator Tom Allen’s 4-2-5 system. Indiana yields 351.3 yards per game and is sixth in the Big Ten at 127.7 rushing yards allowed. They’re second with two defensive touchdowns and fourth with four interceptions and six takeaways. It’s a far cry from the 509.5 yards a game – worst in the conference – that the Hoosiers allowed a year ago. They held Wake Forest to 352 yards last week and had six three-and-out series.

Stealth runner: Junior Devine Redding has been one of the more under-the-radar running backs in the Big Ten going back to late last season. Redding averages 104.3 rushing yards per game after running for 1,012 yards a year ago. The Youngstown, Ohio, native had five straight games with more than 100 yards, until Wake Forest held him to 68 last week. He has one fumble in 319 career carries.

Scouting report

When Michigan State has the ball: The Spartans must run the ball effectively and efficiently, limiting the number of throws Tyler O’Connor needs to make. More importantly, they need to control the time of possession and play keep-away from Indiana’s offense by getting backs LJ Scott, Gerald Holmes and Madre London – as well as O’Connor’s legs – moving the ball and chains on the ground. That also means using more jet motion, either sweep runs or flip passes. When O’Connor does throw, MSU needs to work short and intermediate routes and wisely choose spots to go deep.

When Indiana has the ball: The Hoosiers move to the line of scrimmage and get ready to snap the ball quickly after every play. MSU has clocked it at 12 seconds and worked three offensive huddles at a time during practice this week to simulate the speed, as it has done previously prior to facing Indiana and Oregon’s hurry-up approach. All eyes will be on Andrew Dowell and Shane Jones, who need to bottle up the middle and help add pressure against Lagow with two exceptional blitzers – Riley Bullough and Jon Reschke – both likely out. MSU’s defensive depth will be tested with the fast-paced game.

► Related: Michigan State's Josiah Price nostalgic for final game in Indiana

Couch, Solari predictions for MSU at Indiana

Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrissolari.

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