Couch: Michigan State's defense makes an impression – these Spartans might just be OK

Graham Couch
Lansing State Journal
Michigan State's Andrew Dowell celebrates after he and his teammates tackled Western's Jamauri Bogan for a loss during the first quarter on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.

EAST LANSING – Michigan State’s defense is in better shape than I thought.

Or at least it’s better than USC’s defense — which is something considering how those two programs finished last season and the expectations for both entering this one.

The Spartans’ defensive front bullied Western Michigan on Saturday, assuring a 28-14 win at Spartan Stadium and a 2-0 start. That sentence in itself doesn’t sound all that impressive. I’ve seen Western Michigan bullied plenty over the years, including by MSU, which has started 2-0 15 times over the last two decades, including last year.

This, however, is a more robust Western Michigan ground game than the Spartans have ever seen. The Broncos pushed around fourth-ranked USC at the line of scrimmage last week, rushing for 263 yards, even without a passing game to threaten the Trojans.

Western Michigan’s three gifted running backs rushed for a modest 133 yards Saturday, leading to the most important and credible statement about this MSU football team yet this season — from Western Michigan coach Tim Lester.

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“I think what they did very well, we had no push,” Lester said. “That was the biggest thing. Coming into the game I knew I could watch the O-line and D-line and tell if we had a really good chance of winning. And they did a great job of not letting us get a push. Because what happens if we get push, which we were able to do against USC, if you push, you allow your running back to catch it and take two or three steps before he makes his decision, you’re dangerous, like we were last week. Today our double-teams weren’t moving their big interior two (mostly Raequan Williams and Mike Panasiuk). The running lanes triple if you get any push.”

If games are won and lost and seasons made and broken at the line of scrimmage, then what transpired Saturday should be thrilling news for an MSU team still trying to figure out if it’s any good. 

The Spartans rushed 49 times for 296 yards — 306 yards if you take away the 10 quarterback Brian Lewerke lost on two sacks. After sputtering on the ground a week earlier against Bowling Green, this was marked improvement, against a more seasoned defense.

There are no guarantees for MSU in what lies ahead — after a bye, Notre Dame, Iowa, Michigan. We’ll know just about everything about this MSU football team in less than a month. But Saturday alone was growth. The Spartans stepped up in competition, faced their first could-be dicey moments — albeit somewhat self-inflicted — and responded with teeth.

And push.

Michigan State's Khari Willis, right, tackles Western's Jamari Bogan during the first quarter on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.

“We knew they were big up front, but I thought we’d get more push than we did,” Lester continued.

“They were daring us to throw it. We got behind coverage two or three times. We had two sacks (of our quarterback), we overthrew one, we got hit the one time while we were throwing it. And that’s really what we have to develop (our passing game).

“Today was a day we needed it or we didn’t have a chance.”

MSU’s defensive backfield and pass rush, both shaky in Week 1, made sure that didn't happen. They were aggressive, at times ferocious against the Broncos and their young QB, Jon Wassink.

Wassink will be a good passer someday. Maybe someday this season. He isn’t yet. And the Spartans made sure he didn’t find a rhythm Saturday. MSU sacked Wassink four times, knocked him down at least three more, broke up three passes and picked off another — the dandy work of freshman Josiah Scott, who jumped a slant route.

Western Michigan’s wideouts and Wassink are young and inefficient. They don’t get great separation. Wassink doesn’t scare defenses. But you can only play the opponent in front of you and MSU’s defense played it well.

Western's Darius Phillips, left, breaks up a pass intended for Michigan State's Trishton Jackson during the first quarter on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.

This game was in only in doubt in the second half because MSU insanely kept kicking off to electrifying return man Darius Phillips, who, both on special teams and defense, looked like the best football player in the history of football.

“You've got to kick to people,” MSU coach Mark Dantonio said.

No, no you don’t. And, after Phillips’ 100-yard return in the fourth quarter, which followed a 52-yard return earlier in the game — and a touchdown return last week, and two lost returns against the Spartans two years ago — MSU stopped kicking it to him.

“We could've squibbed it there,” Dantonio continued. “That was my decision to kick it deep. We've got to be better in that regard.”

Not just in coverage. In decisions, too. You don’t kick the ball to Darius Phillips. It’s like Detroit Tigers’ manager Brad Ausmus handing the ball to Francisco Rodriguez or Bruce Rondon in a one-run game. The odds are against you.

Phillips was a relative unknown recruit — a two-star athlete out of Dearborn Heights Robichaud — with scholarship offers only from Western Michigan, Eastern Michigan and Syracuse. He had 248 total yards Saturday, including a 67-yard fumble return, again proving the inexact science of recruiting.

More:Western Michigan's Darius Phillips has monster day in loss at Michigan State

How familiar with Phillips was MSU?

“As familiar as you were,” MSU co-defensive coordinator Harlon Barnett replied. “He probably came to (prospect) camp or something. That guy can play. He’s a helluva player. We’re going to have to go back and look at (how we missed him).”

That happens. Corey Davis, Greg Jennings — Western Michigan lands its share of guys MSU and Michigan miss on. The Wolverines and Spartans usually have enough playmakers. The better question is how Iowa and Purdue are letting these guys get away? 

Phillips, though, is an example of the Spartans’ cavalier early season relationship with valuing possession, points and opportunities. 

The Spartans have seven fumbles through two games, turning directly into two of the three touchdowns they’ve allowed. The other touchdown came on Phillips’ return, a ball that didn’t need to be anywhere near him. The Spartan defense is yet to give one up.

At some point, when MSU faces a more efficient and prolific passing game, this sort of carelessness will be costly.

It wasn’t Saturday because the Spartans won the push.

“The push is really what got us,” Lester said.

Contact Graham Couch at gcouch@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @Graham_Couch.