Michigan State football vs. Indiana: Scouting report
Looking ahead to the Spartans’ homecoming game Saturday vs. Indiana.
Fast facts
Matchup: No. 19 Michigan State (5-1, 3-0 Big Ten) vs. Indiana (3-3, 0-3)
When: 3:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Spartan Stadium, East Lansing
TV/radio: ABC, WJR-AM (760).
Line: MSU by 6 1/2.
Injury report
MSU: WR/PR Brandon Sowards (ACL), out for season; OL A.J. Arcuri (undisclosed), out indefinitely; WR Trishton Jackson (undisclosed), questionable; RG David Beedle (undisclosed), questionable; S Grayson Miller (undisclosed), questionable; RB Gerald Holmes (ankle), questionable; DT Mike Panasiuk (arm), probable.
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Indiana: WR Nick Westbrook (knee), out for season; DL Omari Stringer (illness), out for season; DL Nile Sykes (pectoral), out for season; DT Juan Harris (arm/hand), out indefinitely; DB Kiante Walton (undisclosed), out indefinitely; DB A’Shon Riggins (undisclosed), doubtful; DB Marcelino Ball (lower body), questionable; DL Nate Hoff (undisclosed), questionable; WR Donavan Hale (undisclosed), questionable; TE Ian Thomas (undisclosed), probable.
Scouting report
When MSU has the ball: New Indiana coach Tom Allen arrived as defensive coordinator before the 2016 season and took over in December when offensive guru Kevin Wilson was fired as head coach. Allen’s defense, which helped stymie the Spartans last year, is allowing 25.8 points and 353 yards per game this season. However, that includes 40.3 points per game in Big Ten play to rank 13th out of 14 teams and 431.7 yards in the Hoosiers’ three Big Ten losses, 11th-most in league games. They allowed Michigan’s Karan Higdon to run for 200 yards in an overtime loss Saturday. The Spartans struggled to run the ball early in the season but appears to breaking their funk, getting 194 of their 245 rushing yards from junior LJ Scott in a win over Minnesota. MSU also had 112 yards in the first half against Michigan before rains arrived. QB Brian Lewerke no longer is the Spartans’ leading rusher, but he has thrown for just 94 and 120 yards the past two weeks.
When Indiana has the ball: The Hoosiers continue to run the fast-tempo system, averaging 78.7 plays per game. Redshirt freshman quarterback Peyton Ramsey took over as the starter for Richard Lagow in a win over Charleston Southern and nearly directed an overtime win last week against Michigan. Indiana is averaging 386.7 yards per game, with 249.3 of them coming through the air. Ramsey was 20-of-41 for 178 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions against U-M while adding 14 rushing yards and getting sacked twice. MSU’s defense faces 61.3 plays and has been on the field an average of 26:23 per game, thanks largely to a ball-control offense that dominates time of possession. The Spartans rank eighth in the nation in run defense, allowing 93.3 yards per game and holding opponents to just 2.93 yards per carry. That includes three games holding foes to fewer than 100 rushing yards. Middle linebacker Joe Bachie continues to lead MSU with 50 tackles, while fellow sophomore defensive end Kenny Willekes has a team-high four of the Spartans’ 16 sacks this season after getting two against Minnesota and two against Michigan.
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Know your foe
Tough slate: Indiana may be winless in the Big Ten, but the Hoosiers’ first three conference games were all against top Big Ten East opponents. They hung with No. 6 Ohio State before falling apart late in a 49-21 loss in a rare season-opening league game. After wins over Virginia and Georgia Southern, Indiana lost 45-14 at No. 2 Penn State. Then following a final non-conference win over Charleston Southern, the Hoosiers took No. 16 Michigan to overtime last week before falling 27-20.
Know him well: MSU was a finalist earlier this year for Morgan Ellison, who picked the Hoosiers and has emerged as their top running back. The 6-foot-1, 225-pound true freshman is averaging 71 yards per game, which ranks him ninth overall in the Big Ten. “I keep getting on coach (Mike) Tressel about it,” joked MSU coach Mark Dantonio, who added that he has known Indiana redshirt freshman quarterback Peyton Ramsey’s father, Dave, for more than 20 years.
Turnover turmoil: Indiana has turned the ball over 13 times this season. That includes seven interceptions between QBs Ramsey and Richard Lagow. MSU has forced nine turnovers through three Big Ten games. The Hoosiers’ defense, meanwhile, has struggled to generate them against opponents. Indiana has just one interception and only has recovered three fumbles in its first six games.
Two cents
Seeking revenge: Saturday’s homecoming game against Indiana is the first of five straight games against teams that beat MSU last season. MSU already won its first revenge game this season by winning at Michigan and has games coming up against Northwestern, Penn State, Ohio State and Maryland before the season finale at Rutgers. The Spartans hadn’t lost to the Hoosiers since 2006 before falling 24-21 in overtime last season in Bloomington.
Midpoint promise: MSU’s 5-1 start equals its record through six games in both 2013 and 2014. The 2015 team opened 6-0. Unlike those previous teams, though, Dantonio is playing a record number of true freshmen (13) and has 10 redshirt freshmen and second-year sophomores also contributing in significant roles. The Spartans also have seven third-year sophomores starting.
Prediction: MSU 31, Indiana 23