WKU Football: Michigan State Q&A with The Only Colors
The Tops will cap off their non-conference schedule against their biggest challenge this season: playing #17 Michigan State in East Lansing.
To give us more insight on the Spartans, Ryan O’Bleness at The Only Colors was able to take some time to answer some questions for us. The Only Colors is the Michigan State affiliate under SB Nation, which is one of the largest and most fun sports sites out there. Be sure to follow Ryan on Twitter and check out The Only Colors website as well as their Facebook and Twitter account to see their content on WKU from a Spartan perspective.
With that being said, let’s learn about the Spartans.
The Towel Rack: The Spartans weren’t projected to do very well in the preseason Big 10 rankings according to most sites. Now at 4–0 and ranked #17 in the nation, is this a surprise to most Spartan fans?
The Only Colors: Michigan State transformed its roster in the offseason, bringing in around 20 new transfers — many of whom are scholarship players — while 27 players transferred out of the program, and a few others graduated or pursued the NFL.
Basically, head coach Mel Tucker rebuilt the roster in his vision. So, the team had significantly different personnel compared to 2020, and I think the majority of MSU fans didn’t know quite what to expect going into the season, but thought it was going to be a rebuilding year. As you mentioned, the media was not high on Michigan State, and I think most fans were just hoping for bowl eligibility. I think the majority of MSU fans are pleasantly surprised by the 4–0 start, including 2–0 in the Big Ten, but know there is more work to do.
TTR: Michigan State and Western Kentucky have never played each other in football. What kind of road environment should they expect to enter in East Lansing?
TOC: Welcome to “The Woodshed,” as Tucker refers to Spartan Stadium. This weekend is Michigan State’s homecoming game, so expect many alumni to return to East Lansing and fill up the stadium. It will be loud and rowdy, with likely close to 75,000 people in attendance. Last week, Michigan State asked fans to “Stripe The Stadium” by wearing green if they sat in even sections or white if they sat in odd sections (or in the student sections). Mel Tucker asked fans to show up and be loud — they did not disappoint. Expect a lot of energy for homecoming, too.
Here is a good thread on Twitter showing how cool the striped stadium looked:
TTR: Mel Tucker is in his second year at head coach after going 2–5 in a short season last year. What have been some of the biggest adjustments he’s made at head coach since taking over the job?
TOC: Tucker had the deck stacked against him in his first season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He didn’t take the job until mid-February of 2020 when Mark Dantonio abruptly retired. Then the pandemic hit roughly a month later. Things like spring ball, strength and conditioning workouts, in-person team meetings, etc. were all canceled. So, Tucker and his staff had to implement the new offensive, defensive and special teams schemes via Zoom, which makes it much harder when you can’t do it live on an actual football field. Then eventually the season was postponed, and finally the Spartans got on the practice field in late September. While Tucker never used it as an excuse, that was an impossible scenario for a first-year head coach.
Now in 2021, with a full offseason to work, and actually having the time to be able to acclimate the new players in the program and install plays, Tucker and the Spartans have shown what the team is capable of doing. The players, coaches and fans are bought in.
The biggest change Tucker made, as mentioned, is the reconstruction of the roster heading into the 2021 season, where he was able to bring in the guys he wanted to fit his system, and those who no longer wanted to be in East Lansing decided to leave. From a schematics stand point, in 2020, Tucker and defensive coordinator Scottie Hazelton brought in a 4–2–5 (four down linemen, two linebackers and five defensive backs) system on defense, which differs from the 4–3 formation that was often the base defense under Dantonio. Offensively, Tucker and offensive coordinator Jay Johnson like to run the football “on their terms,” and while MSU struggled in that regard in 2020, it’s one of the team’s biggest strengths in 2021 with Kenneth Walker III in the backfield. Johnson is an aggressive play-caller and isn’t afraid to take shots downfield in the passing game as well.
And one of the other big changes Tucker made is building the culture that he wants to have at MSU. There are specific kinds of players and personalities he wants in his program, and those are the players he recruited in the transfer portal out of high school. Speaking of high school recruiting, Tucker has also gained a lot of recent momentum in the high school recruiting ranks and that energy and focus on recruiting has been great to see.
TTR: Looking at the Spartans most recent game, which was an overtime win against Nebraska, it was a much closer game than most would’ve imagined. What were your biggest takeaways from this game?
TOC: I think credit needs to be given to the Cornhuskers, and specifically the Nebraska defense, for playing a tough game and making Michigan State grind out a victory. In a way, it was good for the Spartans because the team really hasn’t been in a situation like that this season. But when their backs were against the wall, and it didn’t look like a win was probable, the Spartans found a way to get it done. While it was not Michigan State’s best performance, the other positive is that the game film will give the team a lot to work on moving forward.
There was some questionable play-calling in the game, specifically in the red zone, which had not been an issue in the first three games. There were also a lot of execution issues, specifically on offense. Michigan State gained just 14 yards (including one yard in the fourth quarter) and zero first downs in the second half. Luckily, the defensive and special teams units stepped up when it was most needed.
My main takeaway is that even though Michigan State is 4–0, there is still a lot the team needs to clean up. Western Kentucky’s offense is tough to contain, and then the heart of Big Ten Conference play comes after that. There are no easy games left, and MSU needs to play at a better level than it did last Saturday to get victories moving forward. My other takeaway is that there is no quit in this team. The Spartans are going to fight and compete until the final whistle. That’s what MSU did against Nebraska, and that is the culture that Tucker has built.
TTR: Indiana just played WKU in Bowling Green and only won by two points. Do you think the Spartans will take the Hilltoppers more seriously after seeing them almost beat another team in their conference?
TOC: One thing that Tucker likes to say is something along the lines of “The opponents change, but the standard does not.” He has a lot of respect for Western Kentucky, and he will make sure his players are prepared the same way they would be if they were playing a Big Ten opponent. I don’t think the players are taking the Hilltoppers lightly, either, especially after the close call against Nebraska. Western Kentucky’s air raid passing attack could be a big challenge for Michigan State’s secondary that has often played a “bend-don’t-break” style and given up a decent amount of explosive plays this season. I do think the Spartans will be able to take advantage of the Hilltoppers’ weak rushing defense and Walker will have a big day. MSU is obviously the more talented team, but if the focus isn’t there, this has “trap game” written all over it.
TTR: Kenneth Walker III has looked like the real deal at running back for the Spartans so far with over 500 rushing yards just four games in. How do you see him doing Saturday against a Hilltopper defense that has struggled stopping the run?
TOC: Michigan State needs to win the game on the ground because if it controls the clock and limits Western Kentucky’s offensive opportunities, then the threat of an upset becomes less likely. Western Kentucky’s rushing defense appears to be the team’s biggest weakness, so like I said, I expect Walker to have a strong game. The Hilltoppers rank 120th in the FBS against the run, allowing 224.7 yards per game. The Spartans, on the other hand, rank 20th in FBS in rushing offense and Walker leads the country in rushing yards with 554 yards. Advantage, Michigan State. I expect MSU to dominate the trenches and rush for well over 200 yards as a team against WKU. I expect Walker to have at least 150 rushing yards and a couple of scores. Look for sophomore running back Jordon Simmons to also get a few opportunities as well.
TTR: How do you see the Spartan defense matching up against Bailey Zappe and the air raid Hilltopper offense?
TOC: Zappe is going to throw for a lot of yards, there is no doubt about that. The question is, will all of those yards translate into points? As I mentioned, Michigan State has given up a few big plays in the passing game, and does seem to play a “bend-don’t break” philosophy, but does a good job of actually keeping teams off of the scoreboard. The Spartans only allow 18 points per game, which ranks 33rd in the nation, while Western Kentucky averages 41 points per game (14th in FBS), so something has to give. I wouldn’t be surprised if WKU scored in the low 30s, but I don’t think the Hilltoppers will break into the 40s this week.
Michigan State did just lose cornerback Kalon Gervin and linebacker Chase Kline to the transfer portal, so depth is somewhat thin there now. However, players like Xavier Henderson, Angelo Grose, Chester Kimbrough, Ronald Williams and Michael Dowell still give Michigan State a lot of talent in the secondary.
TTR: Sparty and Big Red are two of the most loved and well known mascots in college sports. Do you see them getting along with each other during the game?
TOC: Yes, but I am sure there will be some friendly rivalry and competition going on. Sparty will try to intimidate Big Red with many pushups and flexes, while Big Red may try to intimidate Sparty by, well, trying to eat him, which Sparty would not allow. I expect some sort of silly antics between the two mascots.
TTR: What do you think would have to happen on Saturday in order for the Hilltoppers to leave Spartan Stadium with their first win against a Big 10 team?
TOC: If Western Kentucky wants to win, it has to win the turnover battle — protect the ball on offense and force takeaways on defense. Winning the turnover battle is something Michigan State has done well this season, currently with a plus-four margin on the year. The Hilltoppers also have to significantly improve against the run, or else it’s going to be a long day defending against Walker and company. The more offensive possessions WKU can get, the better. If the Hilltoppers can run more plays than the Spartans and force the MSU defensive backs to have to defend the air raid offense for a long period of time, fatigue could set in, and WKU will make big plays in the passing game. I expect the Hilltoppers to be just fine on offense, but it’s the defensive and special teams units that will need to make plays if Western Kentucky wants to get an upset win.
TTR: What is your personal prediction for the game?
TOC: This will probably be a high-scoring game. I think Walker is going to dominate on the ground, while quarterback Payton Thorne and wide receiver Jayden Reed make a big impact on offense for Michigan State as well. I think Zappe and Jerreth Sterns are going to make plays for Western Kentucky on offense. But I don’t think the Hilltoppers will make enough plays on defense, and the Spartans win in a tighter game than many people expect.
Michigan State 38, Western Kentucky 30
We once again thank Ryan at The Only Colors for his time answering our questions! Be sure to check them out for a Michigan State perspective on the game.
