EAST LANSING- With a daunting schedule ahead, Michigan State football will first take on No. 3 Indiana, who is coming off a top five victory against then-No. 3 Oregon.
MSU suffered its third loss in a row against UCLA this past weekend, dropping to 3-3 overall and 0-3 in the Big Ten.
The Spartans were blown out 38-13 on Homecoming against a 1-4 UCLA team, in a game that was a much-needed win for the Green and White.
The Hoosiers are 6-0 and rank first in the Big Ten. MSU is still searching for its first conference victory and ranks 14th in conference play.
“We’re at the halfway point,” Spartans head coach Jonathan Smith said. “Three and three-that’s the reality, it’s gotten deep the last three weeks, and we’ve got to work to fix some things that we can fix.”
Against UCLA, the Spartans’ defense allowed 418 total yards and gave up three fourth-down conversions to the Bruins, compared to 253 total offensive yards from the Green and White.
MSU’s offense is questionable heading to Indiana; Junior quarterback Aidan Chiles faced an early third quarter exit against UCLA, finishing 8-of-17 with 66 passing yards.
Against Oregon, Indiana junior quarterback Fernando Mendoza threw for 215 yards with a touchdown; Senior wide receiver Elijah Sarratt had eight receptions for 121 receiving yards and a touchdown, and senior linebacker Aiden Fisher finished with 13 total tackles and four solo tackles against the Ducks.
The contrast in momentum between these two programs will be key to the outcome of this matchup. The Spartans may need a miracle to pull off the upset victory over the Hoosiers in Bloomington.
“We still believe in the guys on this team, in the coaching staff, that doesn’t change just because we have to go to Indiana or wherever we play next” MSU junior linebacker Jordan Hall said. “Belief is something that’s been instilled in January, and something we’re going to believe in and live by going to Indiana next week.”
Scouting Indiana
The Hoosiers are 6-0 on the season and 3-0 in Big Ten play with two top five victories over No. 9 Illinois and No. 3 Oregon.
Mendoza has thrown for 1,423 passing yards with 17 touchdowns and ranks seventh in the nation in QBR with 84.6.
Sarratt leads the team in receiving yards with 533 on 39 receptions with seven touchdowns, averaging 13.7 yards per catch.
Senior running back Roman Hemby leads the Hoosiers with 421 rushing yards on 84 carries, averaging five yards per-carry with two touchdowns on the season.
Senior defensive back Louis Moore has the team high of 38 total tackles on the season, along with a team high of four interceptions.
Indiana averages 261.2 passing yards per game and ranks ninth in the nation in rushing yards with 241.7 yards per game, and the Hoosier defense averages 142.2 passing yards and 86.8 rushing yards per game.
The Spartans will travel to Bloomington, Indiana in hopes of returning with the upset victory. MSU will kick off against the Hoosiers this Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
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