Before each Ohio State game, Eleven Warriors catches up with a media member who covers the opposing team to get his or her perspective on the Buckeyes' upcoming opponent.
Michigan State
Spartans
This week, we're joined by Michigan State beat reporter Matt Wenzel of MLive, who has assisted Eleven Warriors for several seasons in Across The Field.
Among other topics, Wenzel discussed the impression Jonathan Smith has made in his first season at Michigan State, the skill set of Aidan Chiles and how the Spartans' defense has performed thus far.
Before we delve into anything else, what was your impressions from Michigan State’s first loss last week against Boston College? While there were plenty of turnovers, it also seemed like it was a downpour at times, how much did that have an impact on the game?
Matt Wenzel: The conditions weren’t great but didn’t seem to have a huge impact. Aidan Chiles didn’t blame the rain and Jonathan Kim finished 4-for-4 on field goals, including a 51-yarder.
Weather didn’t cause Michigan State’s first loss of the season. Wet or dry, home or road, turnovers have been a constant with only five FBS teams owning more than the Spartans’ 10.
Year 1 of a program reboot under Jonathan Smith was always going to come with a thin margin of error. There’s a lot to like early but not many teams are going to win on the road minus-3 in turnovers.
From your time with Jonathan Smith, what have your impressions of him been? What do you think he hopes to accomplish in his first year with the Spartans, and what do you think his long-term vision is for the program?
Wenzel: Smith discovered at an early age he loved football and being a high school coach and teacher was the goal. The basic thrill of drawing up a play on his hand in the backyard led to a walk-on shot learning at Oregon State and ultimately shattering program passing records.
Smith is an underdog overachiever who seems to fit perfectly with Michigan State’s constant chip-on-the-shoulder approach. Bringing stability and a pragmatic approach are the challenges Smith faces in an ever-changing landscape.
From an outsider’s perspective, Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles is really fun to watch, but he has a lot of boom or bust to his game right now. What have been your takeaways watching his first few starts and what type of player could he turn into eventually?
Wenzel: What you’ve seen so far is what was expected – a highly talented quarterback who just turned 19 and is only four starts into his college career. These are the growing pains that come with off-target throws or poor decisions and flashes of spectacular talent – the 77-yard bomb to Nick Marsh to spark a win at Maryland to dizzying scrambles last week at Boston College.
Although he’s still raw, I think Chiles has the skill set to be one of the best quarterbacks in the nation. Reducing turnovers is a must if he’s going to fulfill his potential but there are a lot of programs across the country that would gladly take him as QB No. 1 and that includes the defending national champions down the road.
Statistically, Michigan State’s defense has been in the top 30 of many statistical categories in the nation, albeit with a small sample size so far. How much are you buying that Michigan State’s defense has turned things around, or is this unsustainable production going forward?
Wenzel: We’ll see how Michigan State stacks up in a brutal stretch that starts against Ohio State before a trip to Oregon but this appears to be a different defense than what was marched out the last four years. Coordinator Joe Rossi, who Smith hired away from Minnesota, has developed a deep group that rallies to the ball and can actually get stops.
That’s a change of pace for a defense that never clicked in a chaotic tenure under Mel Tucker and coordinator Scottie Hazelton that was best known for futility. Four games into the season, Michigan State’s defense is arguably the biggest positive but the recent performances against Ohio State have been bloodbaths. Rossi is a Big Ten veteran tasked with changing the tune.
Smith said this week he hopes to help his quarterback by getting a more efficient ground game going, and as you know, that hasn’t exactly happened much against Ohio State the past few matchups. What’s the key to boosting the Spartans’ production there for Saturday and going forward?
Wenzel: In a very scientific estimate, I’ve probably posted 15 million stories about Michigan State’s substandard run game since taking over the beat in 2017. The names change, the results are basically the same, except for Kenneth Walker III. Third-and-3? Fourth-and-1? Stuffed more often than not.
If they’re going to have a chance, the Spartans have to keep the down and distance reasonable and that has been a problem with Nathan Carter and Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams operating behind a line that took a thin group into the fall and already lost its top two right guards to season-ending injuries.
What’s something about this Michigan State program on either side of the football that Ohio State fans should be paying close attention to this week?
Wenzel: Don’t sleep on special teams where the Spartans have weapons. Kim is 8-for-8 on field goal attempts and regularly boots kickoffs through the end zone. Ryan Eckley is one of the best punters in the nation and can flip the field.
Not that long ago, a matchup between the Spartans and Buckeyes could hinge on a singular play in any phase. That hasn’t been the case for a while but you never know.
Finally, Ohio State has won the past eight matchups against the Spartans and is a 24-point road favorite. Is there a path for this team to stay competitive with the Buckeyes on Saturday, and do you have a score prediction for how you see this playing out?
Wenzel: A decade ago, Michigan State was the underdog pain in the ass Ohio State struggled with because Mark Dantonio thrived in that arena. In Year 1 of a new program, the Spartans aren’t positioned to knock off the Buckeyes but Chiles makes a few big plays with his arm and legs and the defense doesn’t look overwhelmed. It’s a ninth straight loss in the series but Michigan State puts up more of a fight. Ohio State 45, Michigan State 24
