Couch: 3 quick takes on Michigan State football's 35-21 win at Indiana

Lansing State Journal columnist Graham Couch gives his initial thoughts on the Spartans' performance against the Hoosiers Saturday night. 

MSU had a ton to lose at Indiana – and didn't

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Michigan State won’t win the Big Ten playing like this. It still can’t run the football, at all really. Quarterback Brian Lewerke is sometimes too careless with the ball. The defense, while elite against the run, can be had in the underneath passing game.

But sometimes you just have to get to 1-0 in the Big Ten to have a chance. 

MSU did that in beating Indiana 35-21 on the road Saturday night, a performance that showed signs of a team that has a chance — and of a team that has no real chance.

This was the best pressure MSU has put on a quarterback this season, sacking Hoosiers’ quarterback Peyton Ramsey four times, strong work by juniors Raequan Williams and Kenny Willekes especially. The Spartans' already staunch run defense didn’t budge against a team with a ton of confidence running the football, holding IU freshman sensation Stevie Scott to 18 yards on 11 carries. MSU stuffed Indiana over and over when it needed a yard.

The Spartans’ passing game did enough and came up big on a couple drives. They were better in the red zone this week, 2-for-2 getting touchdowns, not including a fake field goal which made them 3-for-3, technically. 

And at the end, when Indiana pulled within a score, MSU pulled off a 75-yard touchdown run on a jet sweep by freshman receiver Jalen Nailor, screwing up all the inept rushing stats.

And so MSU is 2-1 overall and 1-0, having won a division game on the road. This was a game where there was more to lose than to win. Sometimes those are the harder games when you’re fending off failure.

MSU didn’t make a statement Saturday night. Other than to say it’s still alive. That it has some incredible parts to work with and enough poise to be taken seriously. 

What we witnessed at Indiana won’t be enough for the Spartans win at Penn State or beat Ohio State, but it was enough to kill the Hoosiers’ dreams and to give the demise of their own a desperately needed reprieve.

MORE: Michigan State football freshman Jalen Nailor stars in35-21 win

MORE:Michigan State football dials up trick-play touchdown on special teams vs. Indiana

The Spartans likely won’t be able to run the ball this season

At a certain point, you are what you are to a large extent. With two weeks to shuffle its offensive line and take another stab at finding a five that can create some sort of push, there wasn’t one. MSU’s running backs — albeit minus injured started LJ Scott — didn’t have a single carry of more than six yards. Almost all of the rushes by sophomore Connor Heyward and freshman LaDarius Jefferson were of the 2-, 3- and 4-yard variety. In all, counting sacks and the final Nailor run, the Spartans rushed for 131 yards. Their two running backs combined for 57 on 22 attempts

MSU’s offensive line was better Saturday in pass protection than it had been — other than a couple third-down passing situations where Indiana got to Lewerke — perhaps a result of the remade offensive line: starting junior Tyler Higby to left tackle, sophomore Luke Campbell at left guard, sophomore Matt Allen at center, sophomore Kevin Jarvis at right guard and sophomore Jordan Reid at right tackle. That’s a whole lot of sophomores (though MSU tried a number of combinations) and a lot of youth. And, over time, one would have to think, a lot of room to grow. If it’s going to happen in-season, it’s going to happen with young players figuring it out. 

They haven’t yet. There hasn’t been any noticeable progress. After three weeks, MSU is averaging 120 yards per game. That’ll remain at or near the bottom in the Big Ten. 

MORE:  Couch: Michigan State's only shot – let loose QB Brian Lewerke and his receivers

MORE:  Couch: Grading the Spartans' performance at Indiana

Felton Davis is becoming a bona fide star

MSU has three terrific wideouts at the college level. But senior Felton Davis has become something different. It’s hard to imagine he won’t have a career in the NFL given what we’ve seen through three games, Saturday night especially. He’s isn’t a burner. He has Herman Moore-type speed. But Davis’ hands, his height, his feel for the play, his chemistry with his quarterback — that’s pro stuff.

Davis has been the star of the two most consequential drives of the season — the final drive against Utah State and Saturday’s 73-yard scoring march in the final minute-plus of the first half against Indiana. With the Hoosiers back in the game, down just a score, Davis caught passes for 18, 16 and 19 yards on the drive: The first over the middle, the second, reaching back with one hand to haul it in along the right side, the third a back-shoulder catch to the left side. That sat up a touchdown catch by tight end Matt Dotson that gave MSU separation and momentum heading into the locker room at halftime. 

Davis finished with five catches for 79 yards — his performance more significant and memorable than his stats.

He had an uncharacteristic drop late on a difficult catch. That it stood out says plenty about the player he’s become.

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