Opponent Preview: Michigan State
Blue White Illustrated's magazine editor, Matt Herb, is taking a closer look at Penn State football's upcoming schedule this month. With spring practice now in the rearview mirror and on campus recruiting still a week away, now is the perfect time to look at where each opponent stands heading into the summer.
In 2020, Penn State found itself down 21-10 at home against Michigan State before scoring 29 points in the second half to win 39-24. What can fans expect in 2021? We take a closer look at Mel Tucker's squad:
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2020 RECORD 2-5, 2-5 Big Ten
COACH Mel Tucker (2-5 in one season at Michigan State; career collegiate record: 7-12)
SERIES HISTORY The series is tied, 17-17-1.
MOST RECENT MEETING Penn State fell behind early but then outscored Michigan State 29-3 in the second half to earn a 39-24 victory on Dec. 12, 2020, at Beaver Stadium. Jahan Dotson caught eight passes for 108 yards and also had an 81-yard punt return for a touchdown.
OFFENSE Against Penn State last season, Payton Thorne certainly looked like Michigan State’s quarterback of the future, throwing for 325 yards and three touchdowns. In the months to come, Thorne will have to hold off a challenge from Temple transfer Anthony Russo, who displayed a strong arm while with the Owls but also a penchant for interceptions. Whoever wins the quarterback battle will have a couple of dangerous targets in Jalen Nailor and Jayden Reed, who combined to catch 59 passes for 922 yards and seven touchdowns a year ago. In the backfield, Wake Forest transfer Kenneth Walker III figures to boost a running game that ranked 122nd in the Football Bowl Subdivision last season. Walker scored 17 touchdowns in his last two seasons with the Demon Deacons, and the Spartans are desperate for more scoring punch after a 2020 season in which they managed only two rushing TDs as a team, neither one by a running back. After averaging a Big Ten-worst 18.0 points per game last year, Michigan State needs to improve drastically here.
DEFENSE Here, too. In addition to fielding the Big Ten’s lowest-scoring offense, the Spartans also fielded its most porous defense, as opponents averaged a league-high 35.1 points per game. This year’s defensive line boasts some experienced personnel thanks to the return of ends Jacub Panasiuk and Drew Beesley and tackle Jacob Slade. But the Spartans have some holes to fill elsewhere. The secondary has been in flux since the end of last season, with four cornerbacks transferring out. Three starting DBs return, though, so there’s some hope for improvement coming off a season in which Michigan State allowed 239.4 yards per game through the air. The linebacker corps needs a thorough rebuild with Antjuan Simmons off to the NFL and four LBs having entered the portal. Two incoming transfers from elsewhere in the Big Ten – Ben VanSumeren, formerly of Michigan, and Itayvion Brown, formerly of Minnesota – could help.
SPECIAL TEAMS Matt Coghlin is back for his fifth year as Michigan State’s starting place kicker. He won All-Big Ten honors in each of his first four seasons, including a first-team nod as a redshirt sophomore, and his 75.3 percent success rate on field goals (64 of 85) ranks fourth in school history. Bryce Baringer is also back after averaging 43.6 yards per punt, including 12 punts of 50 or more yards.
SCHEDULE The Spartans drew a tough opener, as they’re set to visit defending Big Ten West Division champion Northwestern on opening day. They’ve also got a trip to Miami (Fla.) on tap two weeks later, so September is no cakewalk. The opener notwithstanding, it looks like Michigan State caught a few breaks with its crossover games, as Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota are nowhere to be found. But the regular season ends with divisional games against Ohio State and Penn State, so if the Spartans are looking to go bowling, they would do well to get the necessary wins taken care of by mid-November.
GAME OF THE YEAR The Spartans’ annual intrastate clash with Michigan will take place Oct. 30 in East Lansing. But maybe they would prefer to play this one at the Big House. Michigan State has won five of the past seven in Ann Arbor, including a 27-24 victory last year.
OUTLOOK The Land Grant Trophy, fabled in song and story, will be in play at the end of the regular season, the way it was meant to be. But if the Spartans are going to lay claim to the LGT, or to the Paul Bunyan Trophy or even the Old Brass Spittoon, they’re going to need to climb out of the Big Ten’s statistical basement on both sides of the ball. Thorne’s continued development might do the trick on offense. In addition to his performance vs. Penn State last fall, he completed his first 11 passes against Ohio State after filling in for an injured Rocky Lombardi and finished with 147 yards in just over two quarters of action. One other factor that is likely to work in the Spartans’ favor is the return of relative normalcy to college football this spring. Every team struggled last year, but the difficulties were especially acute at Michigan State, with Tucker taking over the program just before the lockdown went into effect. Whether Michigan State is capable of returning to the postseason in 2021 is an open question. But the opportunity to conduct a real spring practice should prove invaluable, especially with Tucker entering the phase of his coaching tenure in which fans will be looking for results and might not be quite so willing to consider any mitigating circumstances.
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