Spartans shaking up offensive line before BYU game

EAST LANSING -- Michigan State appears to be prepared to shuffle its offensive line Saturday against BYU (3:30 p.m., ABC).

It also expects to be without some key pieces on defense again.

The Spartans, who fell out of the national rankings this week for the first time since 2013, list Kodi Kieler as co-starter at left tackle. The senior has been the starting center, with sophomore David Beedle at left tackle. Beedle remains listed as co-starter.

“David Beedle struggled a little bit,” Dantonio said of the Indiana loss. “Put a little bit more experienced player over there. Doesn’t mean David won’t play. Kodi will still play around (the line).”

Junior Brian Allen moves into the starting spot at center from left guard. Allen briefly left late in MSU’s loss at Indiana on Saturday night but returned to action in overtime.

Senior Benny McGowan slides into starting spot at left guard. The other two starters, Brandon Clemons at right guard and Miguel Machado at right tackle, remain static, though Clemons is expected to play some defense on Saturday, too. Redshirt freshman lineman Tyler Higby saw significant action in place of Machado against the Hoosiers.

“It’s a little bit of a trying-to-figure-it-out type situation,” Dantonio said. “We’ll try to always hinge things on making decisions based on who has played the best in the last couple games and what we have to do.”

MSU coach Mark Dantonio said this morning that he expects both linebacker Riley Bullough and defensive lineman Raequan Williams to miss this week’s game against BYU (2-3). Linebacker Jon Reschke also is not listed on the Spartans’ depth chart. Bullough and Reschke both missed Saturday’s game at Indiana with injuries.

Williams left during the third quarter but returned to play in overtime. Dantonio said he could miss a week or two with the apparent arm injury.

Dantonio expects two other players who left the Indiana game -- cornerback Darian Hicks and linebacker Chris Frey -- to play Saturday. Hicks injured his hip early in the third quarter against the Hoosiers and did not return. Frey left on the next-to-last play of overtime with an apparent arm injury, but he remains listed as a starter at Sam linebacker.

Spartans' walking wounded: Some are ready to play, some not

New O-line

LT: Kieler or Beedle

LG: McGowan

C: Allen

RG: Clemons

RT: Machado

Old O-line

LT: Beedle

LG: Allen

C: Kieler

RG: Clemons

RT: Machado

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

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