Michigan State football down key offensive linemen vs. Rutgers
EAST LANSING – Mel Tucker earlier in the week called football “a game of attrition,” and Michigan State football’s roster continues to battle mounting losses.
Three of the Spartans’ top offensive linemen – left tackle Jarrett Horst and right guards Matt Carrick and Geno VanDeMark – are not in uniform for Saturday’s game against Rutgers at Spartan Stadium.
Horst missed last week’s 23-15 win at No. 20 Illinois, and Carrick left both the loss to Michigan and the Illini game with a left ankle injury. VanDeMark saw action against the Wolverines and Illinois in the absence of Carrick and Brian Greene, who appears prepared to start at right guard. Brandon Baldwin took first-team warmups again at left tackle in place of Horst.
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“We need everyone to be prepared to play, because it's a game of attrition,” Tucker said Monday. “Some years, you can go relatively injury free. But most of the time, your depth is going to be tested. And our depth has been certainly tested the season.”
MSU remains without eight defensive players suspended indefinitely who were part of an altercation at Michigan: linebacker/defensive end Jacoby Windmon, defensive back Angelo Grose, defensive end Zion Young, defensive end Itayvion “Tank” Brown, defensive end Brandon Wright, defensive back Khary Crump, defensive back Justin White and defensive back Malcom Jones.
Defensive ends Jeff Pietrowski and Khris Bogle remain out with injuries, and Dashaun Mallory is not in uniform after moving from defensive tackle to end the past two games.
Defensive end Michael Fletcher, who was in uniform last week but didn't play, is again in uniform and going through warmups. Defensive tackle Jacob Slade, who left last week in the second quarter, is also ready for the Spartans.
To combat the lack of depth on the edge, freshman defensive tackle Alex VanSumeren joined Jalen Hunt working with the defensive ends in pregame warmups.
Long snapper Hank Pepper also is out for the fifth straight game with an undisclosed injury suffered before MSU’s loss to Ohio State on Oct. 8.
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 down key offensive linemen vs. Rutgers
