Michigan State Football: 3 keys to victory vs. Western Michigan in Week 2

LINCOLN, NE - NOVEMBER 17: Head coach Mark Dantonio of the Michigan State Spartans walks on the field with the team before the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium on November 17, 2018 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
LINCOLN, NE - NOVEMBER 17: Head coach Mark Dantonio of the Michigan State Spartans walks on the field with the team before the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium on November 17, 2018 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
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Michigan State football hosts Western Michigan on Saturday afternoon. Here are three keys for the Spartans to secure a home win.

Both the Spartans and the Broncos won their Week 1 games. The Spartans an ugly 28-7 win against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, and the Broncos disposed of Monmouth 48-13.

What do the Spartans need to do to keep the Broncos from pulling the upset?

3. The offensive line has to play better

We know the Michigan State Spartans are committed to the running game. Last week against Tulsa, the Spartans ran the ball 40 times. The problem is they ran for only 107 yards. The Tulsa defensive line got penetration at times because the Spartan offensive line didn’t get much push on run plays.

The commentators said that the Spartans limited their playbook because they Spartans offensive staff felt the plays they wanted to run could beat Tulsa. That might be true, or that might be spin.

It was obvious, however, that the Spartan offensive line had issues all game long with dominating a small defensive line without talent depth. If they are going to defeat the Broncos who are better upfront than Tulsa, they have to play better.