Michigan State football: What we learned, what to watch vs. Illinois

Posted by Admin November 3, 2024 Football

EAST LANSING — Looking back at Michigan State football’s 47-10 loss to No. 10 Indiana and looking ahead to the Spartans’ bye week and ensuing trip to Illinois.

Next up for the Spartans: Illinois Fighting Illini

Matchup: Michigan State (4-5, 2-4 Big Ten) at Illinois (6-3, 3-3).

Kickoff: Time TBD, Nov. 16; Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Illinois

TV/radio: TV TBD, WJR-AM (760).

Know the foe

Bret Bielema’s team started hot and sat just outside the top 20 after beating Michigan on Oct. 19. But the Illini have dropped three of their past five games, including their last two, and fell out of the coaches poll on Sunday. The latest loss Saturday came at home against Minnesota, a 25-17 defeat that followed a 38-9 loss at No. 1 Oregon a week earlier. Illinois ranks tied for 96th in total offense (356 yards per game) and 84th in scoring (24.9 points), while its defense is 67th in yards allowed (365.4) and 32nd in points permitted (21.1). Two of the Illini’s three Big Ten wins came in overtime — 31-24 at Nebraska on Sept. 20 and 50-49 at home to Purdue on Oct. 12. Junior quarterback Luke Altmyer, a 2023 transfer from Ole Miss, has averaged 210.3 yards per game while completing 62.8% of his passes with 16 touchdowns and just three interceptions. The Illini offense ranks 89th in rushing (142.4 yards) while their defense is 76th against the run (154 yards). Like MSU, Illinois is off this week before the two meet for the first time since 2022, when the Spartans went on the road for a 23-15 victory after losing five of six before that.

Chris Solari’s 3 things we learned

Mounting injuries: The second bye week comes at a critical time for the banged-up Spartans. Quarterback Aidan Chiles left Saturday’s loss to Indiana in the third quarter and did not return, though coach Jonathan Smith said he believes his sophomore starter will be ready by the Illinois game. Chiles was without starting wideout Jaron Glover, who missed the game with an undisclosed injury. Already without starting cornerback Chance Rucker (right arm) since a Week 2 win at Maryland, the Spartans face the prospect of having lost another starting cornerback with Saturday’s left ankle injury to Charles Brantley. The senior was on crutches and in a heavy walking boot in the second half of the loss to Indiana, one of several significant injuries to MSU’s top layer of depth. MSU then lost starting safety Malik Spencer (undisclosed) late in the first half and was missing key backup Armorion Smith (undisclosed) for the game, and the secondary remains without both Rucker and Dillon Tatum. Top reserve defensive end Anthony Jones (left leg) also left early in the fourth quarter. Six other Spartans officially have been ruled out for the season with injuries.

Rush regression I: After putting together back-to-back strong showings on the ground, with 375 yards combined against Iowa and Michigan, the Spartans’ rushing attack disappeared in the final three quarters against the Hoosiers. Running backs Nate Carter and Kay’ron Lynch-Adams combined for just 16 yards on 14 carries as the offensive line in front of them was overwhelmed at the point of attack, much like it was during a three-game losing streak before MSU’s first bye. The Spartans allowed a season-worst seven sacks, and Chiles got hurt after absorbing a big hit while evading pressure and throwing the ball away. Chiles was dropped three times for 17 yards, and backup Tommy Schuster got sacked four times for 44 lost yards. Their minus-36 rushing total (which includes two mishandled punts by Ryan Eckley) is the second-worst performance in program history.

Rush regression II: MSU’s defense opened the season with seven sacks against Florida Atlantic and appeared primed to pin their ears back the rest of the season with eight more sacks in the following three games. But since Anthony Jones’ sack with 2:51 left in the third quarter at Boston College, the Spartans have not registered one in their last five games — a total of 317 minutes and 51 seconds without a sack. “I put that on myself and the rest of the guys on the D-line,” defensive end Khris Bogle said Saturday. “We just gotta step it up.”

Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari. Read more on the Michigan State Spartans and sign up for our Spartans newsletter.

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