Rutgers Football vs. Michigan State Preview

This weekend the Rutgers Scarlet Knights head out to East Lansing to take on the Michigan State Spartans. Both teams are still searching for their first conference win of the season. Despite having identical 2-7 records, the odds makers have Rutgers as two-touchdown underdogs.

Head coach Chris Ash recapped the Indiana loss in his opening remarks during this past Monday's press conference, pointing out some encouraging signs. He "thought it was one of our best defensive efforts in terms of stopping the run," and that the "linebackers played their best game of the year." He was also happy with the three takeaways and two blocked kicks. He also said that at one point he looked out on the field and noticed that 9 of the 11 guys playing were guys who are returning next year. My thought on that is that it's good if those guys continue to improve, which under this coaching staff I believe they will. I think with some players it seems that they plateau in their sophomore or junior years and stop getting better. But with the strength and conditioning program currently in place at Rutgers these guys will continue to improve.

On the offensive side of the ball Coach Ash was happy with how the team was able to move the ball in the first half, but acknowledged that the seven straight three and outs in the second half were a killer for the game. The most glaring need seems to be for the running game to get more consistent. Offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer confirmed that they "have to block better" and "run the ball better to get into more manageable third downs."

In terms of prepping for Michigan State, Mehringer was asked if he's worried that quarterback Giovanni Rescigno will be too amped up playing in his home state. Mehringer said Gio "does a good job of managing his emotions," so that didn't seem to be a concern. You never know until the game starts but judging from his demeanor in interviews and on the field so far, it doesn't seem as though Gio will have trouble focusing.

Of Michigan State's surprisingly poor record, Mehringer felt it was partially due to the Spartans battling through injuries. But even still he feels the Spartans are strong against the run, don't allow big plays, and tackle well. Linebacker Chris Frey leads the Spartans with 75 tackles, cornerback Darian Hicks ranks seventh in the Big Ten in passes defended, and stud defensive lineman Malik McDowell has 7 tackles for loss. [UPDATE: Malik McDowell is out with an injury.]

Ash also reiterated his postgame comments that Rutgers needs to get better on special teams, this time also mentioning the kickoff that went out of bounds in addition to the missed field goal and punt that was blocked. He did mention that "Saturday was one of our best kickoff coverage performances" but that they were still giving up too much starting field position.

Ash was asked about the plan at safety for the Michigan State game. Both he and defensive coordinator Jay Niemann said that Anthony Cioffi has been dealing with nagging injuries that have affected his performance, but that Cioffi is still part of a three-man rotation at safety with Saquan Hampton and Kiy Hester. All three players are able to play both safety positions. Meanwhile, Isaiah Wharton and the rest of the DBs will be working on 50/50 balls in practice as they look to shake off a tough day last week against Indiana.

In previewing the Michigan State offense, Niemann mentioned that they use a lot of formations, so making the correct defensive calls will be of the utmost importance. Rutgers is unsure which MSU quarterback they will be facing. Starter Tyler O'Connor is questionable with a head injury, but has not been ruled out. His likely backup is Damion Terry, which their previous backup lost for the season due to broken leg. Niemann said that regardless of whether O'Connor or Terry starts the Michigan State offense is unlikely to change much. [UPDATE: According to Chris Solari of Detroit Free Press, O'Connor practiced today and is likely to start.] Rutgers will also have to account for both of the Spartans productive running backs, LJ Scott and Gerald Holmes.

A reporter asked about the spirit of the team in the midst of this losing streak. Ash felt that effort is "everything" and that "our players have competed every game, for four quarters every game." I would have to agree. With the exception of the fourth quarter of the Ohio State and Michigan games when the Scarlet Knight were shell-shocked, they have played spirited and aggressively. I think a lot of that has to do with the number of underclassmen receiving significant playing time. These guys are all fighting for spots for next year while trying to improve with each rep. Clearly, the idea of creating competition at every position is playing off in effort, and that effort will translate into an improved record next year.