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Michigan State Football: 5 players to watch vs. Northwestern
Sep 19, 2015; East Lansing, MI, USA; dMichigan State Spartans linebacker Andrew Dowell (5) celebrates fumble recovery during the 2nd half of a game at Spartan Stadium. MSU won 35-21. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Here are five Michigan State football players who we should be keeping an eye on against Northwestern this Saturday.
Another week is in the books and Michigan State football has dropped to 2-3 on the season after a tough home loss to BYU. It seems like the Spartans are showing no signs of life, but Mark Dantonio has a turnaround on the mind.
The head coach isn’t ready to give up on the 2016 season and focus on 2017, and he’s reiterated that point. Michigan State is a young, talented team that can be good for years to come, but for some reason, the current season has been a failure through five games.
Some players aren’t playing to potential while Tyler O’Connor, the offensive and defensive lines and third-down defense have all been major disappointments. Heck, you could throw the running backs into that group as well.
Can this team turn it around? It’s possible, but a win over Northwestern this weekend needs to take place in order for that to happen.
Here are the five Spartans we should be keeping an eye on against the Wildcats.
Tyler Higby
OG, Freshman
I’ve been high on Tyler Higby ever since he committed to Michigan State a couple of years ago. The redshirt freshman is finally getting his shot and he’ll be starting at left guard, lined up next to Kodi Kieler, this week.
If he lives up to the billing, he could be a special lineman for the Spartans. He was a high three-star recruit who was expected to ease into the playing rotation and Mark Dantonio has been praising him for the past year.
After redshirting in 2015, Higby got to see what it took to become a successful, NFL-worthy offensive lineman at Michigan State. He learned behind guys like Jack Allen, Jack Conklin and Donavon Clark and is currently getting pointers from Brian Allen and Kieler.
Standing 6-foot-4, 302 pounds, Higby is on the depth chart as the starter for the first time this season and that could be a shakeup that this line needed. Keep a close eye on the young freshman and see how he stacks up against Northwestern’s defensive line.
Sep 19, 2015; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans linebacker Andrew Dowell (5) celebrates an interception against the Air Force Falcons during the 1st quarter of a game at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Andrew Dowell
LB, Sophomore
Through the first couple of weeks, Andrew Dowell didn’t need to play a ton of snaps on the defensive side of the ball. Riley Bullough, Chris Frey and Jon Reschke were all healthy and ready to go, but Dowell did get the start in the season-opener.
Since then, Bullough and Reschke have both gone down with injuries and Dowell is being relied on to do more. Without their two best linebackers, the Spartans have struggled over the past three weeks. In fact, without Bullough, Michigan State is 0-3 this season and without Reschke, the Spartans are 0-2.
Bullough might be back this week, but rushing him would do more harm than good. If he is, that would give the defense a huge boost despite the fact that Shane Jones has done a solid job — even though he had a tough week against BYU.
Dowell should be prepared to start for the rest of the year in place of Reschke because if the rumors are true, he might be out for the season with a leg injury. He is coming off a career-high in tackles, nine, and is one of MSU’s best blitzing linebackers.
Keep an eye on this kid as he’ll have one of the larger impacts on the defensive success.
Oct 8, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans wide receiver Donnie Corley (9) attempts to make a catch against Brigham Young Cougars defensive back Dayan Lake (5) during the 1st quarter of a game at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Donnie Corley
WR, Freshman
If you’re not excited about the future of Michigan State football with Donnie Corley running the show, then you might not have a pulse. The true freshman wide out is second on the team with 16 catches for 237 yards and a touchdown, only behind R.J. Shelton.
The Spartans have thrown him into the mix to play a prominent role at receiver and he has delivered. The catch he had against Notre Dame had to have been one of the most memorable from a Michigan State receiver and that’s just a small sample of what we are going to see for the next three years.
With a potentially new quarterback under center this week, Corley might end up being the go-to guy. Shelton is clearly the most sure-handed of receivers and Monty Madaris is up there as well, but Corley has strong hands and is the most talented guy on the offensive side of the ball.
After a quiet two catches for 13 yards performance against BYU, I fully expect Corley to put up career-highs in all three categories, maybe not touchdowns, versus Northwestern. He is going to catch five passes for 100 yards and a score, breaking out as the teams top target, officially.
If the Spartans can get Corley, Shelton and Madaris all clicking at the same time, this offense could be scary.
Oct 8, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio walks the sidelines during the second half of a game against the Brigham Young Cougars at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Justin Layne
WR/CB, Freshman
Justin Layne came to Michigan State this season as a highly-touted wide receiver. Ranked as one of the top 200 recruits in the country, Layne joined a talented group of incoming freshman wide outs and looked as if he would be on the redshirt train.
That redshirt has since been burned and he appeared in last week’s game against BYU as a cornerback. Layne has also played a little receiver this season and has been targeted a couple of times, but Harlon Barnett seems to believe that he could be a special cornerback for the Spartans.
Layne came in for Tyson Smith in the fourth quarter after the game was well in hand, but he held his own at cornerback. If he can provide a spark in the secondary, he might be fully changing positions. Not only that, but he was known as an electric punt and kick returner in high school.
It’ll be interesting to see how the coaching staff decides to use him this week. Layne has already passed Josh Butler on the depth chart at cornerback behind Vayante Copeland, so there’s no doubt he’s going to see the field on that side of the ball.
Imagine him playing receiver, cornerback and returning kicks. Layne could end up being the most dynamic player since Tony Lippett.
Sep 2, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Football quarterback Damion Terry (6) warms up before a game against the Furman Paladins at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Damion Terry
QB, Junior
It might be time to start the Damion Terry era in East Lansing. I know, fans have been clamoring for the insertion of Brian Lewerke into the No. 1 spot on the depth chart, but the fact of the matter is that Terry will get a shot before the redshirt freshman, most likely.
Must Read: MSU Football: 5 bold predictions for October
The junior dual-threat came into the game last week and played relatively well. He did throw an interception, but when a player comes in ice-cold, mistakes like that are bound to happen. He rebounded by completing 6-of-10 passes for 63 yards and rushing for another 29 yards and a touchdown.
Terry led Michigan State on multiple drives inside BYU territory, something that O’Connor failed to do through three quarters. OK, so Dave Warner’s lackadaisical play-calling had something to do with that failure to put points on the board as well.
On this week’s depth chart, Terry, O’Connor and Lewerke are all listed as ‘OR’ at the quarterback position. That means we finally have a quarterback battle again and Terry might just get another shot to prove himself.
If the junior does well, we could see him take over as the starter for the rest of the season with Lewerke as the backup along with O’Connor. It can’t possibly get much worse than it’s been, right?
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