Michigan State Football: Spartans look to bounce back vs. red-hot Purdue

Following their loss against the Wolverines, Michigan State football looks to get back in the win column but Purdue Boilermakers have other plans.

It’s been a back-and-forth season for the Michigan State Spartans. The Spartans have three losses, that are equal to almost all their wins: unimpressive. Their biggest win is over Penn State, but many believe that fell more on the Nittany Lions than the Spartans. But the loss to Michigan hurts the Spartans more than what is shown.

Michigan State’s chances are practically zero of winning the Big Ten and could finish the season around .500. But during their tough loss this past Saturday, they lost their best player on offense, Felton Davis III, to a season ending Achilles injury. The Michigan State offense had already been experiencing issues with productivity and in consistency, and with the loss of Davis, things aren’t looking good for Spartan Nation.

Meanwhile the Purdue Boilermakers are winners of four straight, and fresh off a 49-20 beat down on the Ohio State Buckeyes. Since David Blough was given the keys to the Purdue offense, the Boilermakers have been unstoppable and look to continue that streak this Saturday against the Spartans. But Blough isn’t the only name that should be known on this offense. Running back D.J. Knox and wide receiver, Rondale, provide  balance and big plays to the Boilermakers’ offense. Purdue can’t get ahead of themselves in this one, but should be the favorite to win.

I highly suggest everyone to watch this game. The 29-point differential against Ohio State was surprising, but the win was not. But the Spartans look to put Purdue back in their place among the teams in conference.

If you’re interested, here’s everything you need to know about this Week 9 Big Ten matchup:

Date: Saturday, Oct. 27
Time: 12 p.m. ET
Location: East Lansing, Mich.
Venue: Spartan Stadium
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN or FuboTV

Keys to Victory

For the Michigan State Spartans, they’ll need to eliminate the big plays. The Purdue offense has scored over 42 points in their last three games and are averaging almost two touchdowns a game of 20-plus yards during that stretch. They’ll need to respect the speed of the receivers and keep the ball out of Rondale Moore’s hands.

For the Spartan offense, they need to get the run game going. With no threat at receiver and Brian Lewerke out, the Spartans will need to get something going on the ground if they wan’t to prevent themselves from falling to .500 on the season.

For the Purdue Boilermakers, they should look to get D.J. Knox going early. The Spartans have one of the nation’s best run defenses, but allowed Karan Higdon of Michigan to gain 144 yards last week, and Miles Sanders of Penn State to gain over 160 yards in the week prior. If Knox can get going, Purdue will win the game without a doubt.

On the defensive side, Purdue needs to apply pressure on Brian Lewerke, who has taken a step back from his performance a year ago. Rattling his cage and forcing a couple turnovers, would almost guarantee a win.

Prediction

Michigan State and Purdue are in a tight battle early on, but the Boilermakers capitalize on the Spartans offense inability to move the ball and score three touchdowns in the first quarter off big plays by D.J. Knox and Rondale Moore. The Spartans answer back, scoring a touchdown off a trick play (because that’s just the Spartan thing to do). A late first half field goal by the Spartans have them trailing 24-17 heading into halftime.

At the end of the third quarter, Michigan State fans are heading out of the stadium but this time it’s not because of poor weather but because of poor play. The Boilermakers score twice in third and force two turnovers, putting the game and Spartans season to rest. The fourth quarter provides fireworks for Purdue and the Spartans finally score but it’s all Boilermakers in this one.

Prediction: Purdue 45, Michigan State 27