Michigan State football's run defense excelling; who'll play on OL?
Chris SolariBLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Looking back at what happened in No. 18 Michigan State’s 35-21 win in the Big Ten opener Saturday at Indiana and what to watch for against Central Michigan next Saturday.
Three things we learned
Run-stuffers
MSU’s run defense is ranked No. 1 in the Football Bowl Subdivision, and the Spartans keep getting stingier. Indiana, which averaged 235 yards on the ground in its first three wins, found little room to run on its 32 attempts on Saturday. MSU held the Hoosiers to less than a yard per carry while shutting down true freshman Stevie Scott to 18 yards on 11 attempts. The 29 yards allowed were the fewest by MSU this season, nearly equaling the 2017 season-low 24 the Spartans yielded in their Holiday Bowl win over Washington State.
Stuffed runs
Things are just as difficult for MSU in trying to run the ball against opposing defenses. Running back LJ Scott (ankle) was in uniform but did not play, and an offensive line already with left tackle Cole Chewins and left guard David Beedle banged up added versatile Luke Campbell and right guard Kevin Jarvis to the injury list. The Spartans managed just 57 rushing yards from Scott’s replacements Connor Heyward and La’Darius Jefferson. QB Brian Lewerke finished with minus-6 yards — he ran for 38 yards, but lost 44 while being sacked three times.
Windsor:MSU can't run it; when will they figure that out?
‘Speedy’ Nailor
True freshman Jalen Nailor is making a case for more playing time, especially if the left ankle injury suffered Saturday by fellow wide receiver Darrell Stewart Jr. forces him to miss time. Nailor scored his first touchdown on a 16-yard pass from Lewerke, who checked to his young wideout at the line on a hot read. Then in the fourth quarter, Nailor took a jet sweep handoff from Lewerke and shot through a hole for a 75-yard touchdown run. Nailor has emerged as MSU’s No. 4 receiving option behind Stewart, Felton Davis III and Cody White.
Up next
Matchup: No. 18 Michigan State (2-1, 1-0 Big Ten) vs. Central Michigan (1-3)
When: Noon Saturday.
Where: Spartan Stadium, East Lansing.
TV/radio: Fox Sports 1, WJR-AM (760).
Line: TBD.
Know your foe
CMU already has changed quarterbacks, going from Tony Poljan to more mobile Tommy Lazzaro. However, the Chippewas’ offense continues to be mired in the muck. They managed just 177 yards of total offense during Saturday’s 17-5 home win on Saturday over Maine of the Football Championship Subdivision, and Lazzaro was just 7 of 16 for 82 yards passing with a TD and an interception. He was sacked three times but still ran for 44 yards and another scores to finish as CMU’s leading rusher. The Chips opened the season with losses to Kentucky, Kansas and Northern Illinois.
Three things to watch
Who’s healthy?
Chewins, Beedle and defensive end Jacub Panasiuk all played a varied amount of snaps, but the projected preseason starters each entered in a reserve role. Scott did not play and MSU also lost Stewart, Jarvis and cornerback Josh Butler, none of whom returned. Campbell also left the game but returned late. The Spartans also were again without cornerback Josiah Scott, defensive end Dillon Alexander and punter Jake Hartbarger.
More:MSU kicker Matt Coghlin 'rocks' another trick play into a TD
Punting carousel
After publicly stating backup QB Rocky Lombardi would punt after Hartbarger’s leg injury at ASU, Dantonio ended up not using him. Instead, redshirt freshman Tyler Hunt and recent walk-on addition Bryce Baringer took the six punts the Spartans had at Indiana. Though the duo combined to average 37.2 yards per punt, their net average was just 30.7 yards with a touchback and three fair catches. Dantonio alluded to another punter kicking the ball well who did not make the trip. However, he did not say whether it was walk-on William Przystup or Hartbarger, who is supposed to miss at least another month per the timetable initially gave when announcing his right leg injury.
More:MSU grades: Offense uninspiring, run 'D' dominant
Freshman count
CMU will be MSU’s fourth game, and the new NCAA rule allows true freshmen to play in four without losing their redshirt eligibility. So far, the Spartans have used just four true freshmen this season. Nailor and safety Xavier Henderson have played in all three games, while running back La’Darius Jefferson has played in the last two, entering after Scott’s ankle injury at Arizona State. Defensive tackle Jacob Slate has not played since getting in against Utah State in Week 1.
Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrissolari. Download our Spartans Xtra app for free on Apple and Android devices!