Michigan State Football: 3 bold prediction vs. Tulsa in Week 1

It’s the season opener for Michigan State football after an injury-riddled 2018. How will the Spartans fare in their season opener against Tulsa?

There are times in life where the glass is half full; there are times in life where the glass is empty. Most times, it’s a matter of perspective, and other times it’s obvious. Last season, Michigan State was all of those.

The glass was half full. East Lansing became a virtual mash unit, but found a way to get to a bowl game. The offense was awful due to those injuries, but also to its predictability.

Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio decided to reshuffle the deck on his offensive staff. They had a playoff-caliber defense, and returns most of that unit. What will this season hold? They start their 2019 campaign with a game against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane in East Lansing.

Here are three bold predictions for the early evening tilt.

3. Tulsa will gain negative yards against the Spartan defense

A bad offense playing an elite defense is a recipe for disaster for the former. This is one of the storylines in this game.

Tulsa comes into this game averaging 378 yards and 24 points per game last season. They do have two good running backs in Shamari Brooks and Corey Taylor II, but the Golden Hurricane’s pass game is mediocre, at best. If there’s one thing you don’t want to be against a defense the caliber of the Spartans it’s one-dimensional.

Not only that, but you are talking strength on strength here. Tulsa runs well, and Michigan State defends the run as well as any team in the country. Tulsa’s porous pass game also has to contend with the best secondary this side of the Mississippi.

The Spartans will rack up the sack yards to put the Golden Hurricane in the negative column.