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Michigan State Football: 5 players to watch vs. Wisconsin
Michigan State football returns to Spartan Stadium Saturday afternoon for a classic, physical Big Ten brawl with the 10th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers.
Michigan State football earned a major victory over 18th-ranked Notre Dame last weekend, silencing the college football experts who said that the Spartans could not contend for a conference championship in 2016.
Must Read: MSU Football: Report card for Notre Dame victory
While those outside of East Lansing have voiced concerns over MSU’s sustainability as a Big Ten power, head coach Mark Dantonio proved he has recruited to keep pace with Ohio State and Michigan.
The Spartans have not signed as many top-ranked recruits as the Buckeyes or Wolverines, but the key plays made by true freshman receiver Donnie Corley and redshirt freshman defensive tackle Raequan Williams vs. Notre Dame proved that the talent is there.
The group of upperclassmen who departed certainly left behind a gaping hole, but the notion that MSU could not fill that void was almost comical to those who have followed the Spartans program closely. Whether that’s disrespect or just a lack of insight is anyone’s guess, but it has nonetheless inspired Michigan State to prove itself (once again).
With one statement game in the rearview mirror, MSU returns to East Lansing for yet another crucial early season battle. Although they have yet to finish the non-conference portion of their schedule, the Spartans now must turn their attention to undefeated Big Ten peer Wisconsin.
The Badgers, while impressive in their opening win over LSU, enter East Lansing as the underdog after a narrow defeat over Georgia State last week. With all that’s at-stake, there’s plenty of reason to tune in.
That said, we have you covered with the key players to watch for as you follow along.
Jon Reschke
LB, Junior
Reschke quietly became one of the leaders of Michigan State’s defense last season, amassing 75 tackles, 5.5 for loss and two sacks in his first full season as a starter. Now, the Brother Rice product appears on the verge of stardom.
Despite missing the Spartans’ opening game against Furman due to a minor injury, Reschke made his presence known often against Notre Dame with eight tackles, a forced fumble and a key interception.
The performance was not shocking considering Reschke was once a four-star recruit, but it was a bit surprising given that it was his first game action coming off an injury. Michigan State’s linebacker group has been lauded as one of the nation’s best, but even that billing may be understated if Reschke continues to play like he did against the Irish.
Middle linebacker Riley Bullough is already a constant force, but it’s apparent that Reschke has taken another step forward in his development. A versatile backer who is capable of playing all three linebacker positions, Reschke will be counted on heavily against a Badgers squad that will be looking to establish the run, but also an intermediate passing game with a new quarterback under center.
Alex Hornibrook
QB, Freshman
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wisconsin will be starting a new quarterback in redshirt freshman Alex Hornibrook against the Spartans. The West Chester, Pa. native relieved starter Bart Houston against Georgia State, leading the Badgers down the field for three scores in his first four possessions. With a final stat line of 122 yards and a touchdown, the relief performance was inspiring, but the decision to name Hornibrook the starter is an interesting one.
While he revitalized a stagnant Wisconsin offense against Georgia State, the Spartans defense poses an entirely different level of competition. Hornibrook has shown poise and efficiency in his two appearances this season, but is he truly capable of giving Wisconsin the offensive balance it needs to move the ball against a stout MSU run defense?
With such a small sample size, it’s impossible for anyone to know for sure, but if Wisconsin feels strongly enough to demote a senior in Houston, there’s definitely something there. Besides, while Houston was able to lead Wisconsin to a win over LSU, he looked incapable of running the Badgers offense against a 35-point underdog in Georgia State.
We may not know for certain if Hornibrook is starting until gameday and the lack of game tape on the young lefty at least makes the situation a bit more difficult for MSU to prepare for. Whichever QB does make the start, one thing is for sure: Wisconsin is going to need a lot of assistance from its running game to beat the Spartans.
Corey Clement
RB, Senior
When healthy, Corey Clement gives Wisconsin one of the deadliest weapons out of the backfield in the country. Unfortunately for the Badgers, the Glassboro, NJ native has not been able to stay on the field since his breakout sophomore season (949 rushing yards, 11 total touchdowns) in 2014.
Clement played in just two games all of last season due to a nagging groin injury and was forced to sit out last week’s game to nurse an ankle injury. While it’s possible Wisconsin kept him out as a precautionary measure ahead of the big game against the Spartans, the senior’s status is still questionable for this week.
Should the Badgers have a healthy Clement at their disposal, Michigan State’s elite run defense will be in for a real challenge. With his blend of patience, toughness and agility, Clement is talented enough to keep the chains moving against anyone.
Furthermore, with an unstable quarterback situation, Wisconsin will be relying on its running game to get things started on offense, so expect to see the ball in Clement’s hands early and often if he suits up.
Spartan Running Backs
RB, Michigan State
Just as it had appeared that L.J. Scott had won a very close battle to become Michigan State’s workhorse running back, Gerald Holmes had a career game. Holmes, who had seemingly been relegated to third-string back before the Notre Dame game, broke out against the Irish for a game-high 100 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
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The impressive performance included both a 73-yard sprint to the end zone and a physical three-yard touchdown — not exactly the kind of plays you see from a third-stringer.
It has become clear the Spartans are seriously loaded at running back — not just a group of mediocre backs unable to separate themselves to win the job. While Holmes did the majority of his damage in the second half, Scott carried the load for MSU in the first half, finishing with 98 rushing yards and a touchdown of his own. It was quite the one-two punch, to say the least.
While the Spartans’ change-of-pace back Madre London did not see the field against the Irish, all three Spartan running backs are listed as co-starters again in MSU’s latest depth chart. While one would expect Scott to get the starting nod again given his consistency so far this season, the Badgers have to be scrambling at the prospect of bringing down all three of these backs following Holmes’ exploit of Notre Dame’s rush defense.
Expect MSU to look to establish the run early with Scott and work in either Holmes or London depending on who is most effective against the Badgers.
R.J. Shelton, Monty Madaris
WR, Seniors
Like Reschke, senior receiver R.J. Shelton saw the majority of his first action of the 2016 season in week two against the Fighting Irish after suffering a minor injury against Furman.
Must Read: MSU Football: 10 bold predictions for 2016 season
The Spartans’ starting F receiver picked up right where left off in 2015, torching Notre Dame for eight receptions, 80 yards and a touchdown in the victory. None, however, were as important as Shelton’s reception on a third-down play with just over a minute left. The 23-yard pick-up effectively iced the game for MSU, which had allowed the Irish to score three consecutive touchdowns and shave down its comfortable 29-point lead to just 8.
While fellow senior Monty Madaris was the leading receiver in Shelton’s absence against Furman, there was no denying which pass-catcher was the go-to target for quarterback Tyler O’Connor against the Irish. After losing Big Ten Receiver of the Year Aaron Burbridge to the NFL, the Spartans needed its seniors to step up early to help ease the transition for O’Connor and they have gotten just that.
Expect more of the same from the Beaver Dam, Wisc. native and his Cincinnati running mate this week, as MSU must find a way to move the ball through the air against a Badgers secondary allowing a paltry 178.7 passing yards per game thus far. The aforementioned freshman Corley and senior tight ends Josiah Price and Jamal Lyles will impact the game, but if one or both of Shelton and Madaris can serve as a consistent safety net for O’Connor, MSU should leave Spartan Stadium with another victory.
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