Game To Watch: #6 Michigan at #8 Michigan State: October 30, 2021
Michigan travels to East Lansing to play Michigan State in a battle of unbeaten teams this Saturday at 12:00 EST. The Wolverines beat Northwestern 33 – 7 last week, to keep their record a perfect 7 – 0. The Spartans had a bye week, but went on the road and beat Indiana 20 – 15 before that to reach 7 – 0. With three Big Ten East teams still undefeated in conference play this game will be critical to reaching the Big Ten Championship game.
Recent History
Michigan is 71 – 37 – 5 against Michigan State all time. The series has swung in Michigan State’s favor of late, with the Spartans winning 9 of the last 13 match-ups. Michigan State pulled off an upset win in Ann Arbor last year 27 – 24 to give Mel Tucker a win in his first game as part of the rivalry. Michigan had won two in a row before that win, 44 – 10 at home in 2019 and 21 – 7 on the road in 2018.
Top 25 Players
Michigan
| Player | Rank |
|---|---|
| Andrew Steubner | #18 OT |
| Aidan Hutchinson | #7 DE |
| Daxton Hill | #20 S |
Michigan Wolverines Gear
Michigan State
| Player | Rank |
|---|---|
| Kenneth Walker | #4 RB |
| Jalen Nailor | #19 WR |
| Jakub Panasiuk | #25 DE |
| Xavier Henderson | #23 S |
Michigan State Spartans Gear
What To Watch For…
The Success of Michigan’s Running Game
Michigan’s running game has been the foundation of the offense in 2021. The Wolverines are averaging 253 yards per game and 5.5 yards per carry this year and have for the most part dominated at the line of scrimmage. Blake Corum and Hassan Haskins have split the carries and proven to be a strong 1 – 2 punch. Michigan’s running game has been reliable most of the year, but did struggle against Rutgers and Wisconsin, when they were held to 112 rushing yards and below 3 yards per carry. Michigan State will look to have similar success stopping the running attack as those two Big Ten opponents did. The Spartans have been stout against the run this year, allowing just 119 yards per game and 3.3 yards per carry. They have not allowed an opponent to rush for 200 yards in a single game and have not allowed over 3.7 yards per carry in a game this year. Michigan’s running game leads the way for their offense, they will be tested by a Michigan State defense that will attempt to match their physicality.
Can the Wolverines contain Kenneth Walker?
Kenneth Walker has been the Spartans’ best offensive player this year after transferring in from Wake Forest. He got off to a fast start against Northwestern and has been excellent since. Walker has rushed for 997 yards and 9 touchdowns through seven games this season. Walker’s only tough games this year came against Nebraska and Indiana, they were the only two games he failed to reach 4 yards per carry and were the only one score games Michigan State has played this year. Job one for Michigan’s defense will be to contain the dynamic running back. Michigan’s defense has played very well this year and is coming off a strong performance against Northwestern. The Wolverines have been effective stopping the run this year, holding opponents to 117 yards per game, though four of their last five opponents have averaged over 4 yards per carry. Michigan has not played a running back as good as Walker this year and will need to be on top of their game this week.
Can Michigan Pressure Payton Thorne?
Michigan’s pass rush has been effective in 2021. Led by star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson (6 sacks) and linebacker David Ojabo (5 sacks), the Wolverines have gotten home for 15 sacks in seven games. Sacks are not all their is to pass rushing and the Wolverines have also registered 22 QB Hurries over those seven games. Hutchinson draws plenty of attention from the opposing blockers and has a knack for making big plays at key moments. He also creates favorable match-ups for Ojabo and others to make plays. Michigan State’s Peyton Thorne has been very good for most of the year. He has a good running attack to keep the pass rush honest and has been fairly well protected. The Spartans have only allowed 10 sacks and 9 QB Hurries in seven games this year. Thorne has shined as a result, completing 61 percent of his passes, averaging 9.3 yards per attempt and throwing 15 touchdowns against 4 interceptions. Michigan has to get to Thorne and make him uncomfortable to force the young quarterback into mistakes.
Prediction
Michigan and Michigan State both want to establish themselves as the more physical team early. The two rivals will trade body blows early as they attempt to get their running game going and identify the weaknesses in the opposing defense. The Spartans will lean on Kenneth Walker to make big plays, but they also have big play receivers who have been able to make explosive plays. Those big plays will be the difference for the Spartans. Michigan State 27 Michigan 21.
Spartan Stadium, Home of the Michigan State University Spartans, East Lansing, Michigan (21720443765).jpg Image taken by Ken Lund is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
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