Michigan State football vs. Indiana: 5 determining factors and a prediction

MSU running back Nate Carter had his best game as a Spartan last week, rushing 19 times for 118 yards and a touchdown, while also catching two passes for 58 yards.

Lansing State Journal columnist Graham Couch breaks down Michigan State’s football game against Indiana, 3.33 p.m. Saturday. TV: Streaming on Peacock. Betting line: Indiana -7.5

1. MSU’s ability to bounce back

If Michigan State’s fans were playing in this game, I’m fairly confident the Spartans would lose by a million points. The Spartan faithful aren’t done stewing about last week’s happenings at Michigan enough to be dialed in on what’s likely a tougher task. Fortunately for MSU, athletes tend to be more resilient than their fans. Still, last week was a gut punch — before the postgame melee. This is a test of MSU’s ability to bounce back and reset. MSU’s captains held a players-only meeting early this week to make sure everyone was in the right headspace.

This is a bigger opportunity in some ways than last week’s game at Michigan. The rivalry with the Wolverines will always be THE game, but, from a national perspective, being the first team to take down the Hoosiers — who’ve become the darlings of college football this season — would get a lot of attention and be a sign that MSU’s program is not only is making progress in Year 1 under Jonathan Smith, but also show folks that the Spartans have a level of resiliency and maturity to them. This win would be impressive. And noticed.

2. Indiana’s QB situation

It appears likely that Indiana starting QB Kurtis Rourke will play this Saturday after missing last week’s Hoosiers win over Washington — following thumb surgery just a week ago Monday. Indiana sophomore Tayven Jackson is a capable backup, but Rourke is of another caliber and would be a bigger problem for the Spartans. Rourke, an Ohio University transfer, has thrown for nearly 2,000 yards in seven starts, completing better than 70% of his passes, with 15 touchdowns and three…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/michigan-state-football-vs-indiana-122316893.html

Author : Lansing State Journal

Publish date : 2024-10-31 12:23:00

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