When a team starts the season against two Group of Six opponents, it’s easy for fans to overreact to the bad and underreact to the good.
For a program like Michigan State, which is simply trying to find some consistency after lacking it for a large part of the last decade, most of the early-season positives still need to be taken with a grain of salt. Beating teams you are expected to beat (Toledo and Eastern Michigan) is important, but it doesn’t necessarily tell us what this team will look like once the competition levels up.
The Spartans did exactly what they needed to do on Saturday, defeating Eastern Michigan 35-7 in East Lansing. It was their final opportunity at a relatively low-stress victory (perhaps outside of the second quarter) before the schedule takes a major turn.
Now, the real test begins.
Michigan State heads to South Bend on Saturday night to take on No. 3 Notre Dame, which may very well be the most formidable opponent the Spartans face all season. The next few weeks should tell us much more about what this team actually has.
Following the win over the Eagles, Spartans Illustrated examines a question the Spartans were able to answer, and a potential concern to monitor heading into a difficult matchup with Notre Dame.
Question That Was Answered
Q: Can Michigan State put together a competent third quarter?
A: Yes.
No, Michigan State didn’t exactly dominate Eastern Michigan from start to finish. At times, the Eagles looked like they were playing on a somewhat similar talent level as the Spartans, particularly in the second quarter when each team scored seven points, which is certainly something that could be of concern.
But this Michigan State team was never going to reach its goals this season by simply overwhelming teams with a talent advantage. The Spartans are going to have to win with effort, execution and discipline.
We saw a little bit of that in the third quarter Saturday, a quarter that has been a problem for this program far too often over the last few years.
MSU head coach Pat Fitzgerald has talked throughout the offseason about the importance of “starting fast,” particularly coming out of halftime, as part of the team’s effort to play a more complete game.
After a relatively dull end to the first half left Michigan State up by just one score at 14-7, the Spartans came out of the locker room and put the game away.
The MSU defense shut down the Eagles' offense in the second half, while the Spartans also took advantage of their red zone opportunities on offense — an area that was a problem during Week 1 against Toledo.
A two-yard touchdown run from running back Cam Edwards and a 38-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Alessio Milivojevic to wide receiver Charles Taplin were the two scores that effectively put the game out of reach. On the other side of the ball, the defense was stout, forcing a fumble and a punt on Eastern Michigan’s two third-quarter possessions.
Michigan State outscored Eastern Michigan 14-0 in the third quarter.
One efficient third quarter isn’t exactly something to throw a parade over, but it’s a step in the right direction.
More importantly, it’s something the MSU coaching staff should continue emphasizing. If Michigan State can consistently come out of halftime with the same level of focus and execution throughout the season, it would be a sign that Fitzgerald’s message is starting to translate onto the field.
