Friday, November 8, 2024
Both teams prepare for a scrimmage in the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes played in Spartan Stadium on Sept. 28, 2024.
The ability to wreak havoc in opposing backfields pays dividends toward winning football games.
To begin the season, MSU football possessed this ability and had wins to show for it. Since then, the once-fruitful pass rush has tarnished, adding to the Spartans’ various on-field issues.
Coming off a 47-10 drubbing suffered to No. 8 Indiana and entering its second bye week, MSU (4-5, 2-4 Big Ten) has a lot of work to do in order to make a bowl game push. Of many problems that arose against the Hoosiers, the biggest concern for MSU lies up front on the defensive line.
Against its first four opponents, MSU racked up a Big Ten-leading 15 sacks. It hasn’t sacked an opposing quarterback once since a 23-19 loss to Boston College on Sept. 21.
In the span of six weeks, MSU’s sack defense went from best in the Big Ten to 95th in the nation.
“We just have to keep looking at it,” MSU head coach Jonathan Smith said after Saturday’s loss to Indiana. “I like those guys up front, especially on the edge, but we have not affected the passer.”
The problem hasn’t been just bringing down opposing QB’s; MSU has struggled to generate any kind of penetration. Over the past five games, MSU has only recorded five quarterback hits.
This has allowed opposing quarterbacks to sit comfortably in the pocket and time to read the defense. Every passing second equates to a higher likelihood of finding open receivers. MSU’s defensive backs are being asked to do what is frowned upon at every level: cover for more than three seconds. In some cases, it’s much more than three.
“We just gotta be better up front,” MSU defensive end Khris Bogle said after Saturday’s loss to Indiana. “We have to get to the quarterback as much as we can. We haven’t done it in a couple games, but that starts with us up front.”
In the last five games, opposing quarterbacks have gone 90-for-144 for 1,098 yards and 11 touchdowns with four interceptions. Those quarterbacks have also found success on the ground, running the ball 20 times for 121 and four touchdowns.
The defense is one unit, and when one portion isn’t doing its job, the overall success ceiling is lowered.
“Like I said, we just got to go out there as players and execute the game plan,” Bogle said. “I put that on myself and the guys on the defensive line. We just gotta step it up, and that starts at practice, so hopefully with this bye week we’ll know what’s at stake and we’ll get better.”
While opposing quarterbacks aren’t getting hit, MSU’s quarterbacks are. Through nine games, the Spartan offensive line has given up 27 sacks, ranking 114th in the nation. Seven of those sacks came against Indiana last Saturday.
MSU’s offensive line has failed to replicate the standard opposing offensive lines in the Big Ten have established. Without time, Spartan quarterbacks — specifically sophomore Aidan Chiles — have been put in poor positions to succeed, leading to unwarranted turnovers and inexperienced mistakes.
This season, Chiles has gone 141-for-229 with 1,850 years and eight touchdowns to 11 interceptions. On the ground, he’s ran it 73 times for 170 yards and three touchdowns while adding four fumbles to his turnover resume.
The Spartans’ lack of strength in both the offensive and defensive trenches has caused MSU to underperform as a whole. Through nine games, 17 offensive touchdowns and 18 turnovers is not a recipe for success.
After its first bye week amidst a three-game losing streak, MSU was able to cut out the bad and fine-tune the good in a 32-20 victory against a solid Iowa team.
Now entering its second bye week, the same story can be applied. The Spartans are in a two-game losing skid with another Big Ten opponent in Illinois on the clock.
MSU and Illinois will face off on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 2:30 p.m. at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill. FS1 will stream the game.
“We won the last bye week,” Bogle said. “So now we just have to make sure everyone is on the same page coming out of this next bye week and executing the game plan for Illinois.”
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For this bye week success to be true a second time around, MSU will have to regroup and reset to find answers for its lack of pressure. Maybe it comes with more blitzes or a different personnel group. Whatever the answer, the Spartans must find it if they want to play any games past Thanksgiving.
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