This week, the Huskies will travel to East Lansing to face off against the 3-6 Michigan State Spartans. The Dawgs are coming off a home loss to Penn State after a valiant comeback attempt, and will look to right the ship against what should be a fairly motivated Michigan State team, especially on the defensive side of the ball, as they held a flailing Michigan team to just 6 points.
Defensive Overview
Joe Rossi coordinates the defense, which may surprise some, as Rossi was retained when Jonathan Smith was fired and
Pat Fitzgerald brought in. According to “O” Basse of The Only Colors, they operate mainly out of nickel due to the injuries that have plagued that side of the ball. Rossi’s Spartan defense currently ranks 62nd in the nation, giving up 337 yards per game (5.4 yards per play). That’s fairly middle of the road, but it’s a fair bit better than 2025, when they ranked 104th. In their 3 wins, they gave up 273, 219 and 192 yards respectively (to Toledo, Eastern Michigan, and Michigan, in that order). Now, it may be because of the talent difference or awful scheming (in Michigan’s case), but this solid defensive showing in victories was predicted by SB Nation’s Michigan’s State site The Only Colors, where they had this to say:
While I don’t expect MSU to suddenly be among the conference’s best, I don’t think getting to a more middling rank (7th-12th) should be out of the question. Some parts of the defense should be better than others, naturally, but each group has its guys who will be supplying us with some highlights.
They are currently 14th in the Big Ten, and as last week showed, they do have some talent. Safety Devin Vaught (who leads the Spartans with 53 tackles and 2 interceptions) had a pick against Michigan last week. Corner Nikai Martinez had 7 tackles to take his season total to 25, and also has 3 pass deflections and a forced fumble. At linebacker, Cam Stodghill (16 tackles), Brady Pretzlaff and Caleb Wheatland (each with 14 tackles) each are players to watch, with the absence of Jordan Hall. But the big story of last week, according to The Only Colors, was EDGE Anelu Lafaele:
Earlier in the season, he appeared to be more of a situational pass rusher, someone the Spartans could unleash off the edge in obvious passing situations. Against Michigan, however, he showed improved awareness against the run while remaining a disruptive presence in the passing game. It’s been encouraging to watch him develop into a more complete defensive player.
Indeed, Lafaele had a sack and a forced fumble against the Wolverines, cementing his status as a guy I’m keeping an eye on this week. However, even with all this talent, Basse said in the opponent Q&A that “this still is very much a defense that you can hit a few explosive plays against each game.”
Keys To The Game
When the Spartans have contained the run, they usually win. In their 3 wins this season, they have shut down their opponent’s run games, as stated above. It is a fact that the Huskies have one of the worst team rushing marks in the conference (17th of 18 teams, only above Minnesota), so the improvised runs of Demond Williams and the screen game are probably our best shots at winning. This defense is banged up and prone to giving up the big play, so this opponent is perfectly suited to a dual threat quarterback like Demond. But it is incumbent upon him to get the offense going and get into a rhythm. If he can do that, and get into a rhythm early, this seems like this is a defense who’s weaknesses can be exploited. But that might be a tall task if we’re going by the tape, which has shown his struggles with decision making, and his propensity to hold onto the ball too long. Look for Lawson, Roebuck and Naone to see a heavy volume of targets like usual, and for them to make plays in space. If they can do that, it’ll put this offense ahead of the sticks, and give the Huskies an opportunity for another road victory.
