Michigan State football hits the road to take on Minnesota in Week 7. Here’s everything you need to know leading up to the showdown.
Mark Dantonio has certainly turned things around for Michigan State football this season. Michigan State is coming off a disappointing 2016 campaign which saw the Spartans limp to the finish line at 3-9. The No. 21 Spartans (4-1) surpassed last season’s win total with a 14-10 upset of rival Michigan last Saturday in Ann Arbor.
Nasty defensive football has returned to East Lansing, as the Spartans rank fourth in the FBS in total defense. Michigan State has given up just 10 points each to Michigan and Iowa in back-to-back Big Ten wins. Look for Sparty to put a stranglehold on what has been a pedestrian Minnesota offense Saturday night.
After winning its first three games, P.J. Fleck‘s Minnesota team limps in having dropped two straight. The Gophers are looking for their first conference win after disappointing losses to Maryland and Purdue.
The Gophers hope to jump-start an anemic offense that has averaged just 169.8 yards passing through five games. Quarterback Conor Rhoda must improve his accuracy if the Gophers hope to pull the upset. The senior was just 11-of-25 for 101 yards (44 percent) and an interception against Purdue.
P.J. on Rhoda: "He is the best QB we have right now. That is the easiest way to go through it in my mind."
— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) October 10, 2017
Here’s how you can watch Saturday’s Michigan State vs. Minnesota game:
Date: Saturday, Oct. 14
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
Location: Minneapolis, Minn.
Venue: TCF Bank Stadium
TV: Big Ten Network
Live Stream: BTN2Go
Keys To Victory
Look for linebacker Joe Bachie and the Michigan State defense to continue its dominant ways. Bachie earned Big Ten defensive player of the week honors with his 10-tackle performance against the Wolverines. If the Spartans continue to play with such moxie on defense, the Gophers will struggle to move the ball and find points. Putting the clamps on a struggling Minnesota offense puts Sparty in a great position to start 3-0 in conference play.
For Minnesota to have success, Rhoda must find rhythm throwing the ball. Sophomore receiver Tyler Johnson was held to just two catches for 15 yards against Purdue. Rhoda and Johnson must connect on a few big plays to give the Gophers a shot of life.
The Michigan State offense mustered only 252 total yards against Michigan, but its turnover-free game was the difference. If the Spartans can take care of the football on the road a second consecutive week, they should be tough to beat.
Betting Odds
Odds courtesy of Sportsbook Review
Point Spread: Michigan State -4
Over/Under: 40.5
Prediction
With its backs against the wall, don’t be surprised to see Minnesota and Fleck, pull out all the stops with gadgets and trick plays to create momentum. While I expect Rhoda to perform better at home this week, I’m not sure it will be enough.
Spartans’ dual-threat quarterback Brian Lewerke has put up a combined 12 TD’s on the season running and throwing. His versatility should be the key in this one.
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Expect an old-school, hard-hitting, defensive game. Vegas has set the line at 40.5 — an extremely low total for college football games. Limiting mistakes and taking care of the football will be key. Michigan State has been the better of the two teams lately at doing so. One team comes in with momentum, the other, not so much. I expect the Spartans to be sitting at 3-0 in the conference come Saturday night.
Final Score: Michigan State 27, Minnesota 13