It’s going to be a beauuuuutiful day for football on Friday night in East Lansing as the Wester Michigan Broncos head into town as the Spartans kick off the 2025 football season. After a disappointing season for MSU last year and an off season of worries about will Chiles take the next step, will Marsh still be a Spartan, can we find an offensive line to is Smith the right leader, those answers will soon be upon us. The Western Michigan Broncos, victims to the transfer portal, begin the season as one
of the teams who return the least amount of production, especially on offense.
Western Offense vs MSU Defense
JUCO transfer Brady Jones is at the top of the depth chart and beat out Broc Lowry to lead the offense at QB. Jones is starting behind an offensive line that is primarily from the transfer portal. Jones had some crazy numbers at Riverside, including 4,456 yards and 44 touchdowns. Can that transfer against D1 schools? Western is likely to present a bit of a two headed attack and the Spartans are prepared for Lowry to also be behind center on perhaps more physical run plays, screens and maybe even the option. There are a lot of doubts and low expectations for the Broncos offense this year. The passing attack isn’t expected to be much better than last year with ranked 109 out of 134 in passing yards per game. With a new o line coach in Joe Pawlak, and all the transfers it will be a big question mark if the line will give Jones time to throw the ball. This will be a great opportunity to see if the Spartan defensive line is any better and can supply a better pass rush. The Spartans should win this battle. The Broncos relied heavily on their run game last year but lost their first and third leading rushers, starting QB and top two receivers. Cole Cabana joins Western having transferred from Ann Arbor and he will be joined by Jalen Buckley in the backfield. Cabana did nothing in Ann Arbor but was highly touted out of high school while Buckley was a former MAC Freshman of the Year. State will be looking to load the line and cover the edges to stifle the rushing attack.
MSU’s defensive backs will have an opportunity to show up and perhaps capitalize on some mistakes by Jones if he does end up being the primary option throwing the ball. MSU DB’s look to get more takeaways this season and the first game is always a great opportunity to set a tone. Blake Bosma, TE, will likely be a main target over the middle so the linebackers will have to step up on some smart coverage.
MSU Offense vs Western Defense
This is an area I think the entirety of Spartan Nation is looking at with a magnifying glass. Last year’s home opener was not the domination that we were all hoping for and was absolute precursor to the rest of the season. This year’s opener needs to be a piece of beauty with all cylinders performing to quiet the naysayers, myself included. You saw my prediction of a 5-7 season and missed bowl opportunity. This first showing by the offense can change my mind. The Broncos defense lost 18 players to the portal this year. That may be a good thing in a way because it wasn’t as if they had a stellar defense in 2024. Tate Hallock, S, will likely be on Marsh watch as Hallock was one of Western’s best defenders with 4 INT’s and second on the team in tackles. Look for Velling to have a good game in the middle. The biggest question for me is actually not Chiles, turnovers, or the offensive line, its the running game. I have no idea what to expect from this unit. I know my fellow TOC writers are really expecting to see a lot of Clarizio but he’s in the back of that depth chart. I am very intrigued to see what the backfield brings to the table, who stands out and who surprises. That all being said, I do think MSU has a far more superior offense to Western’s defense.
Special Teams
A lot of question marks here for both squads. Both teams lost extremely dependable kickers, but Western will at least have someone with experience coming off of injuries in Palmer Domschke. The Broncos lost all their return men and MSU should have the upper hand here with incoming transfers expected to make the return game a little fun this year. While both teams lost their kickers they both still have some fabulous punters. Hopefully MSU’s Ryan Eckley will have limited duties. As for kickers, I am going to give the edge here to the Broncos as MSU has many questions here in the ever scary, can anyone make a field goal category.
Conclusion
MSU should be in control this game. A Friday night home opener is always fun, especially the first week of classes. I’ll be in attendance and am looking forward to a rollicking crowd and a lot of points by the MSU offense. Looking for good synergy between players and a smile on Coach Smith’s face. I think MSU will win handily as Western had just too many holes to fill, which us Spartan fans can absolutely relate to. Leave a comment with your score prediction and whether or not you’ll be in attendance. Go Green!
