EAST LANSING– Michigan State football got the job done to move to 3-0 on the year last week, but some saw the win over Youngstown State as a little sleepy and unfocused. To open conference play, the Spartans are going to need all the energy they have for a late kick against No. 25 USC in their biggest matchup of the early season.
MSU is gearing up for its first contest away from Spartan Stadium to make the long trip to Los Angeles. However, the team is making it clear they are getting ready for anything and can do it anywhere at any time.
“They got a full action plan in for us, you know our strength staff and our nutritionist, Nick Farrell, has done a phenomenal job,” junior defensive lineman Alex VanSumeren said. “It’s gonna be a late kick but you know we really don’t care about that. We can play at any time, we can play anywhere, we can play on concrete if we needed to.”
An MSU victory in a major road environment requires the consistent play of a California native at quarterback. Junior QB Aidan Chiles kept his hot start to the season going against YSU, completing 22 of his 29 attempts through the air for 270 yards, a touchdown, and an tipped interception.
That makes six passing touchdowns on the year along with 656 yards while boasting a completion percentage of 71.61%. To keep the Spartans in it, Chiles needs to keep this pace up by finding his receivers in space for yards after the catch, making smart decisions, and hitting a few deep balls with his arm.
Chiles may also need to keep making plays with his legs and outside of the pocket. He has amassed 123 yards and a touchdown on the ground in three games, with scrambles out of the pass rush and doing it himself contributing a solid number of his rushing gains.
Chiles’ mobility could be of massive aid for MSU on Saturday night, with USC senior linebacker Eric Gentry on the hunt for him in the backfield. Gentry has tallied 21 tackles on the year, all solo, along with five tackles for loss totaling 24 yards. He leads the Trojans in both of these categories and is also the team sack leader with three on the season. If the offensive line cannot provide enough pass protection, it could be a long night of hitting the dirt or running around for Chiles.
The field general for the Spartans also needs to maintain a clear view of the offense and make smart reads with senior safety Bishop Fitzgerald patrolling the deeper parts of the field. The NC State transfer is already becoming a ball hawk in L.A., securing three interceptions including one last week against Purdue. He is just behind Gentry in total tackles with 15 through three performances.
The Spartan rushing attack hopes to relieve some of this pressure, but finding more push and creating lanes is another responsibility for the OL. MSU as a unit on the ground collected only 174 yards against YSU with Chiles acting as the leading rusher. The Spartans averaged a decent 5.3 yards per carry but did turn towards the backfield in redzone situations, as all three featured running backs found the endzone for the first time this season.
MSU could be without its leading rusher in sophomore Makhi Frazier however, as his status for Saturday is still up in the air. This would put the brunt of the work on fellow sophomore Brandon Tullis and senior transfer Elijah Tau-Toliver, who has the opportunity for a breakout performance after his first touchdown in green and white last week.
Another important skill player in questionable status is sophomore wide receiver Nick Marsh. The Spartans’ chances in this game increase drastically with their number one playmaker on the field, but they could be way behind a high-powered Trojan attack otherwise.
Scouting USC
The schedule thus far for USC has not necessarily featured excellent competition, but the Trojans offensive talent levels are without question. It all starts with junior quarterback and UNLV transfer Jayden Maiava. After starting four games last season in place of Miller Moss, Maiava has caught fire to start this campaign with 989 yards passing with six touchdowns. He commands the number one total offense and second ranked scoring offense in the country as USC puts up 604 yards per game, 9.64 yards per play, and 55 points per game. With the stress the MSU secondary will face at the hands of Maiava, the defensive line and linebackers have the opportunity to help them out.
“Just getting to the quarterback as fast as possible, you know they’ve been getting the ball out fast recently, I think like 2.7 seconds or something like that is the average,” VanSumeren said. “It’s not necessarily hard to beat the man but you have to beat the ball too. So getting our hands up in the passing lane, batting some balls, and when the quarterback does extend and it’s over that 2.7 seconds that’s when we gotta get home.”
In terms of weaponry on the edge, USC is equipped with two dangerous junior wide receivers in Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane. The wideout duo have combined for 550 yards receiving and three touchdowns. They also present different threats in the passing game, as Lane is more defined by his ability to stretch the field vertically. Lemon on the other hand gets out underneath and over the middle while his speed leaves most defenders in a trail behind him.
“There’s no pressure in terms of what it normally would be, like hey we got a game, we got an offense, they have really good players, we gotta go and do our job and limit the score,” MSU defensive coordinator Joe Rossi said. “They’ve only punted three times on the year in three games so they’re averaging one punt a game, so our guys know it’s a challenge, but I think they’re excited about the challenge, they respect their opponent, they’re confident in their ability.”
These results may come against inferior opponents and the Boilermakers in Big Ten play, but it’s an attack that MSU must respect and take seriously, especially after having been carved up through the air the past two weeks. The Spartan secondary has allowed 390 and 242 passing yards in their past two games. With this week being a major challenge, MSU has the chance to rise to the occasion and silence some doubters.
“We’re gonna have to definitely slow down the big plays that they have, they have a lot of explosive plays,” Senior safety Nikai Martinez said, who played on a snap count against YSU but will fully return this Saturday. “Coach Rossi and the staff have a great game plan that we’re looking forward to executing. They have guys, we have guys, so it’s gonna be a blood bath.”
USC head coach Lincoln Riley is known for his air raid tendencies but is looking for a more balanced attack this season, courtesy of junior running back Waymond Jordan. Jordan has netted 286 yards and three touchdowns in the same number of games. This seems like the best ground game MSU has faced thus far and will be a true test for a top ten run defense in the country.
“They got a good run game, they had a good showing against Purdue, we’re ready for the challenge,” VanSumeren said. “Just getting knock back, getting off the ball, you know with the first three games I feel really good with what we have done, what I’ve done but there’s always room for improvement”
While MSU has been excellent at controlling the ground game of its opponents, they are still looking for stability in other defensive facets for this major conference tilt.
“Consistency, I think that’s the thing that I would say from the last two weeks, I want to see consistent execution because I think that’s been a little bit lacking,” Rossi said. “Thats been the message this week in practice and that’s been the goal moving into the next week.”
To stay undefeated and start B1G competition the right way, MSU needs the offense to operate smoothly and at the high level they have shown over two weeks. If Chiles and company can accomplish that much, hampered by injuries or not, then it may be on the defense to produce enough stops against the high-flying Trojans. However, this clash in L.A. Memorial Coliseum can turn into a track meet instantly and the Spartans must be ready to run.
Kick off between MSU and USC in Los Angeles is set for 11:00 p.m. with Jacob Maurer and Kyle Keegan bringing the broadcast from the west coast. Listen locally at 88.9 FM or stream live at impact89fm.org/listen-live/.
