Michigan State football wants to avoid falling in trap vs. Indiana, without hobbled QB

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Looking back at No. 9 Michigan State football’s 31-13 win at Rutgers and looking ahead to the Spartans’ trip to Indiana:

Next up

Matchup: No. 9 Michigan State (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) at Indiana (2-3, 0-2).

When: Noon Saturday.

Where: Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, Indiana.

TV/radio: FS1, WJR-AM (760).

RAINER SABIN: Inside MSU's offense transformation from pathetic to potent

Know the foe

The Hoosiers’ recent resurgence under coach Tom Allen hit some resistance against top competition this season. The Hoosiers lost their opener, 34-6, at No. 2 Iowa, fell 38-24 at home against No. 4 Cincinnati and got shut out, 24-0, at No. 8 Penn State on Oct. 2. However, they also struggled to escape a road game at Western Kentucky, 33-31, and are expected to be without quarterback Michael Penix Jr. for an extended period of time with a separated throwing shoulder he suffered against the Nittany Lions. With him, Indiana is averaging just 23.8 points and 343.5 yards per game. Allen’s defense continues to hold opponents to just 349.8 yards per game but is yielding 28.2 points. Running back Stephen Carr averages 77.2 yards per game with three touchdowns on 102 carries, while receiver Ty Fryfogle (272 yards, 26 catches, TD) and tight end Peyton Hendershot (274 yards, 21 catches, TD) remain the top targets in the passing game. The Hoosiers hope this past week off can help heal a few other key injuries, particularly with cornerbacks Tiawan Mullen, Jaylin Williams and Reese Taylor and safeties Devon Matthews and Raheem Layne.

BIG TEN MISERY INDEX: Michigan, Michigan State step onto CFP tightrope

Three things we learned

Speedy deliveries: Payton Thorne set a career high with 339 passing yards and displayed the versatility and depth of his arsenal by connecting with Jalen Nailor four times for an astounding 208 yards in the first half, with a pair of 63-yard touchdowns and another from 65 yards out on the Spartans’ third flea flicker of the season to result in a score. Nailor’s five catches for 221 yards is the fourth-highest total in school history, and his 44.2-yard average for his five catches is the highest total in the Big Ten since at least 2000, surpassing Charles Rogers' 41.2-yard average against Wisconsin in 2001.

MORE FROM SABIN: How MSU showed perfect offensive balance in 31-13 victory over Rutgers

Walker wonderful again: Kenneth Walker III posted his second 200-plus-yard game of the season with 233 on 29 carries. His 94-yard touchdown combined everything he has shown in his first five games into the longest play from scrimmage in MSU history — the vision to read his blocks, the burst to hit the hole, the shiftiness to make second-level defenders miss and the acceleration to run away from opponents into the open field. He also served as a battering ram in averaging nearly 5.0 yards on his other 28 carries. Walker, Thorne and Nailor combined to become just the fifth trio in Football Bowl Subdivision history and the first Spartans to run for 200 yards, pass for 300 yards and total 200 yards receiving in the same game.

MSU GRADES: Fantastic offense covers for bad special teams vs. Rutgers

Still imperfect: Despite being just one of 13 remaining unbeaten teams in the country at the season’s midpoint, the Spartans showed there remains plenty of work to reach their ceiling. They committed nine penalties for 68 yards against Rutgers, continued to struggle on offense in the second half outside of Walker’s long scoring run and allowed Scarlet Knights quarterback Noah Vedral to make big plays in the middle of the field in the first half against the defense. Coach Mel Tucker wouldn’t speculate how much better he feels his team can get, but he admitted MSU has yet to play its best football.

Three things to watch

Trophy game: It will be the second straight week the Spartans are favored going into an opponent’s homecoming game. The Hoosiers won the Old Brass Spittoon for just the fourth time since 2000 last season with a 24-0 victory, though MSU leads the all-time series 48-17-2. Three of Indiana's wins were before the trophy's inception in 1950. The Spartans own a 22-10-1 record at Memorial Stadium but lost there in 2006 under John L. Smith and in 2016 under Mark Dantonio.

DEFENSE RESTS: Here's why Cal Haladay may be MSU's defensive MVP this year

Redemption tour: After exacting revenge with Saturday’s win at Rutgers for spoiling Tucker’s debut, MSU looks to avenge its worst offensive performance of 2020 and only shutout loss in a 2-5 season. The Spartans managed a meager 191 total yards of offense against Indiana, 60 on the ground and 131 through the air, while getting just nine first downs and committing four turnovers. Their defense yielded 433 yards to the Hoosiers, including 113 on the ground.

Who’s the QB? Penix was the lynchpin of last year’s win, going 25 of 38 for 320 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He also suffered a second ACL injury afterward that ended his 2020 season prematurely. While his current shoulder injury does not require surgery, it seems highly doubtful Penix will play against MSU. That would give the start to 2019 Utah transfer Jack Tuttle, who went 6 of 11 for 77 yards in the fourth quarter against PSU. Tuttle also won the two games he started late last season, beating Wisconsin on the road and Mississippi in the Outback Bowl. The former four-star recruit was 44 of 72 for 362 yards, two touchdowns and an interception last season. True freshman Donaven McCulley is the Hoosiers’ only other scholarship quarterback.

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

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State football wants to not fall for trap vs. Indiana