EAST LANSING- On Saturday night Michigan State will travel to Ann Arbor for a showdown with the Michigan Wolverines.
The Spartans are riding high after a 32-20 victory over Iowa last weekend, delivering their most complete performance of the season.
After a slow start to the year, sophomore quarterback Aidan Chiles has found his groove. Chiles posted a career game-best against the Hawkeyes, completing 22 of 30 passes for 246 yards.
The return of several key players boosted the MSU offense, especially in the receiving core. True freshman wide receiver Nick Marsh led the way with eight receptions for 113 yards, becoming a go-to target.
Senior receiver Montorie Foster Jr. also contributed, racking up 100 yards and scoring on one of his five catches.
The MSU defense, a steady presence throughout the season, limited Iowa’s standout junior running back Kaleb Johnson to just 98 yards on the ground with 31 of those coming in the first half.
Johnson, one of the top rushers in the Big Ten, has totaled 1,053 yards this season, averaging nearly eight yards per carry.
Defensively, MSU junior defensive back Nikai Martinez led the charge with three solo tackles and a game-sealing interception in the fourth quarter.
Redshirt senior linebacker Jordan Turner also made his presence felt, recording six total tackles.
MSU’s front seven, paired with a solid secondary, will need to deliver another strong performance to slow Michigan’s offense.
The Wolverines’ ground game has been their offensive engine this season, led by graduate running back Kalel Mullings, who has rushed for 676 yards and seven touchdowns.
However, Michigan has struggled with consistency at quarterback, cycling through three different starters.
Junior QB Alex Orji, along with senior QB Jack Tuttle and senior QB Davis Warren have all taken snaps this year.
Tuttle, who replaced Orji against Washington earlier this year is the only Wolverine QB to pass more than 200 yards in a game but will not start on Saturday.
Michigan will utilize another QB change this year, making this decision their fourth QB change of the season as Warren is expected to start in the rivalry.
On defense, Michigan has relied heavily on junior defensive back Will Johnson, who has racked up 12 solo tackles and three interceptions.
Johnson is listed as questionable for Saturday’s game, and his absence could expose the Wolverine secondary to a full healthy Spartan receiving core.
MSU takes on the Wolverines on Saturday with kickoff at 7:30 p.m., Joe Dez and Oscar Henderson will be on the call from the Big House with the pregame show at 7 p.m. on the Impact 89 FM airwaves.
