Northwestern at Michigan State Preview

By Kyle Dudley  |   Friday, October 21, 2005  |  Comments( 0 )

College Football
Got something to say?

Sign Up and be the first to comment on this article!

On Saturday, the #22 Michigan State University Spartans (4-2, 1-2 Big Ten) will host the Northwestern Wildcats (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten). The game will be at 12:00 PM at Spartan Stadium, and with two of the Big Ten's most prolific offenses, this game promises to be a shootout.

Despite boasting a lead in the Big Ten in almost every offensive category, Michigan State has been slipping as of late. The Spartans have dropped two very winnable games in the last couple of weeks. After a 4-0 start, including an overtime win over Notre Dame, Michigan State lost to in-state rival, Michigan in overtime 34-31 and lost another heartbreaker at Ohio State last week 35-24.

Led by junior quarterback, Drew Stanton, the Spartans' offense is ranked third in the country at 548 yards per game. Last week, against a stingy Ohio State defense, the Spartans managed to rack up 456 yards, the most the Buckeyes had allowed all season. The killer for Michigan State has been costly turnovers. In the Ohio State game, the Spartans had a 17-7 lead before a field goal attempt was blocked and run back 72 yards for a touchdown. Against a Northwestern offense as prolific as their own, the Spartans will need to hold on to the ball.

Northwestern, led by freshman running back Tyrell Sutton (6.3 yards per carry) has put up 85 points in their previous two games. Their offense ranks fourth in the country at 528.67 yards per game. The Wildcats are coming off of two impressive wins. Two weeks ago, against Wisconsin, Northwestern put up a school-record 674 yards of offense in a 51-48 win. Versus Purdue, last week, the same offense put up another 603 yards in a 34-29 win.

With neither team sporting a great defense, look for a shootout. The Wildcats average 35 points per game, while the Spartans average a gaudy 42. Look for a high scoring affair, and don't blink or you might miss a touchdown.
Got something to say?

Sign Up and be the first to comment on this article! (0)

Article Tools Share!   |  RSS  |  Bleacher Report About Bleacher Report