Washington Huskies opponent preview: Week 3 – Michigan State Spartans
Herb Nightengale
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The undefeated Washington Huskies march into Week 3. Saturday, they host 9th-ranked Michigan State. Here is a look at their opponent.
Ninth-ranked Michigan State comes to Seattle on Saturday to take on the Washington Huskies. Both teams are 2-0 after wins over non-Power Five schools.
The Spartans began last week ranked # 13 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. A crushing win over Akron helped move the Spartans up to #9. Meanwhile, UW picked up some votes but didn’t crack the top 25.
This is a big game for both schools as it’s the final before conference play begins next week. Let’s see what the Washington Huskies can expect from this week’s opponent.
Michigan State Offense
Like most college teams, Michigan State favors a 1 running back, 1 tight end, and 3 wide receiver base offense. Junior quarterback Payton Thorne runs the show.
QB
Thorne hasn’t exactly lit it up the stat sheet this season. The Spartans played a pair of Mid-American Conference Schools, Western Michigan and Akron, to open the season. He’s compiled 445 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions on 30 of 52 (57.7%). Thorne has also been sacked twice.
If he struggles again this week, MSU coach Mel Tucker could turn to Noah Kim. The sophomore only threw two passes this year, but one was for a touchdown.
RBs
It’s no surprise that Michigan State’s strength is the running game. MSU is a program that sent backs such as Lorenzo White, LeVeon Bell, T.J. Duckett, and most recently Kenneth Walker III to the NFL. They have seven rushing touchdowns in 2022 and average 228.5 yards per game.
MSU’s lead back this season is Jake Burger. The Wisconsin transfer is hard to bring down, as evidenced by his 227 yards and four touchdowns. He averages 6.9 yards per rushing attempt. His backups Jarek Broussard and Elijah Collins average 5.4 and 7.1 yards per carry, respectively.
Receivers
Their leading receiver is Jayden Reed, with 8 catches for 107 yards. He’s also a dangerous return man.
Opposite Reed is Keon Coleman, who has 120 yards and two TDs on 6 receptions. Next is Tre Moseley, with 4 catches for 77 yards.
One receiver to watch is a familiar name to Huskies fans. Germie Bernard committed to Washington and enrolled for one week before transferring to MSU. He’ll routinely sub in this week. Illinois transfer Daniel Barker is the starting tight end.
It’s an interesting matchup for Washington’s defense. Last year UW struggled mightily against the run. They’ve been better than average in 2022, but Michigan State is an entirely different foe.
The Huskies need to stop the run and force Thorne to throw. Expect to routinely see 8 Huskies in the box while their talented defensive backs Jordan Perryman, Mishael Powell, and Dominique Hampton defend in single coverage.
Michigan State Defense
Defensively. MSU starts two defensive ends, two defensive tackles, two linebackers, a rover back, two cornerbacks, and two safeties. They line up very similar to how Portland State did.
DL and LBs
Jacoby Windmon is someone the Washington Huskies must account for on every play. The senior transfer (UNLV) edge rusher already has 5.5 sacks. Last week he forced three fumbles and recovered one. Opposite him is Jeff Pietrowski. Jacob Slade and Maverick Hanson start at the interior spots.
Jacoby Windmon is off to such a great start. 5.5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles in just two games. Great speed off the edge and great flexibility.
2x @bigten Defensive Player of the Week!@MSU_Football @JW1NDMON #nfldraft #GoGreen
— Draft Avenue (@DraftAvenue) September 13, 2022
Last year, inside linebacker Cal Haladay, was a freshman All-American. He already has 13 tackles, a forced fumble, and a recovery. His partner Ben VanSumeren is only one tackle behind.
DBs
Michigan State is both talented and experienced in the defensive backfield. They feature four solid cover corners/ rovers Charles Brantley, Ameer Speed, Chester Kimbrough, and Ronald Williams.
Their starting safeties, Angelo Grose and Kendall Brooks are also very good. So far, the duo has 30 tackles.
The Washington Huskies will need a consistent running attack to control the ball and wear down Michigan State’s defense.
Final Thoughts
Winning the turnover battle is key. Michigan State already forced six turnovers on the season, but they also had three of their own. So far, the Huskies’ offense has done an excellent job of not committing turnovers. If they continue doing so and force MSU into mistakes, they have a real shot at winning.
Related Story: 4 takeaways from Washington Huskies 52-6 win over Portland State
Against a Top 10 team, many would think the Washington Huskies are the underdog. In fact, they are a 3.5-point favorite (Bovada) playing at home. Go Dawgs.