5 reasons why Michigan State will beat Penn State
Penn State is coming off a blowout win against Rutgers. Everything was clicking for the Nittany Lions on both sides of the ball. To close out the regular season, the Nittany Lions will take on Michigan State, a team that has been shaky for much of this season.
Penn State has the better team on paper, and they are hoping to continue their run at clinching a berth in a New Year’s Six bowl.
Michigan State has key players to watch on both sides of the ball. They have defensive players that can make noise, like linebacker Cal Haladay, who has been impressive the past few games for the Spartans.
As for the offense, their passing game can be productive, and much of that production comes from wide receivers Jayden Reed and Keon Coleman.
Michigan State enters this game as an underdog, but they have the talent to pull off the upset.
Here are the top five reasons why Michigan State will beat Penn State on Saturday.
Michigan State passing game
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As mentioned, one guy to watch for Michigan State’s passing game is wide receiver Jayden Reed. He has impressive hands on top of elite speed for Michigan State’s offense. They also have sophomore pass-catcher Keon Coleman, who is the team’s leading receiver with 600 yards and five touchdowns. There was a report that Coleman is likely to join the basketball team after Thanksgiving. If that ends up being the case, Michigan State will be without its most productive pass-catcher. Quarterback Payton Thorne has struggled this season, but if he can get the passing game going, that will be big momentum for Michigan State’s offense.
Michigan State run game
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Michigan State’s biggest loss is Kenneth Walker, who was drafted in the second round by the Seahawks. This season, the Spartans have Wisconsin running back Jalen Berger and Colorado transfer Jarek Broussard. Both running backs are combined for 834 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. Walker is a big loss to the Spartans, but they are still capable of making noise in the run game against Penn State.
Michigan State can grab momentum early
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Penn State has been hot the past three games, but their first quarters have not been so consistent lately. They blew out Rutgers last weekend 55-10, but they held a slim 14-10 lead after the first quarter against the Scarlet Knights. The Spartans have the talent to grab that early momentum against Penn State and pressure the Nittany Lions offense.
Stopping the run
Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Penn State has a talented duo of freshman running backs in [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] and [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag]. The Spartans will have their work cut out for them on Saturday. They have the depth up front to make big stops against the Penn State run game. The two players to keep an eye on are defensive tackle Maverick Hansen and linebacker Cal Haladay. The Spartans are the underdogs in this game, but they have plenty of motivation right now, hoping to clinch a bowl game.
Win and you're in
Dale Young-USA TODAY Sports
Speaking of motivation, Michigan State hasn’t had the season everybody had hoped for. After a loss to Indiana last weekend, the Spartans now need to beat Penn State on Saturday to become bowl eligible. They lost to the Hoosiers in double overtime, and the Spartans will be coming to State College with a chip on their shoulder. If Michigan State wins, they’re in. They have the talent to pull off the upset, and they have plenty to play for.
You know what they say — defense wins championships. Michigan State has the talent to finish its season off strong and become bowl eligible.
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