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V-Cast: pressure mounts as Michigan State drops seventh straight in Big Ten play

On3 imageby: Paul Konyndyk5 hours agoPKonyndyk
VCAST PSU

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State lost its seventh straight game falling to Penn State 28-10 in a trophy game featuring two teams with identical

After the game, SpartanMag staffers Jim Comparoni and Paul Konyndyk weigh in on the latest Michigan State loss and whether this one will have any impact on whether Jonathan Smith will keep his job as head football coach of the Spartans in the latest V-Cast.

V-CAST TOPICS

Michigan State defense wears down: Michigan State played hard defensively but eventually wore down over the course of four quarters. Midway through the third quarter, and throughout the fourth quarter, Penn State was able to chisel away at the Spartan defense with sustained success in the run game. The Nittany Lions rushed the ball 50 times for 240 total rushing yards. Senior running back Kaytron Allen led the way for Penn State on the ground with 181 yards on 28 carries and two touchdowns. Most of Penn State’s run production came in the second half against a tired Michigan State defense. Time of possession heavily favored the Nittany Lions, who held the ball on offense for more than 37 minutes. The Spartans punted six times in this game. Michigan State also turned the ball over on downs twice.

Pass Protection: We knew going into this game that pass protection would be a problem against a Penn State front seven that has more than enough talent to wreak havoc against poor pass protection. The Nittany Lions did a lot of damage with their pass rush against a good Indiana offensive line last weekend. Penn State generated a lot of pressure throughout this game. Redshirt freshman Alessio Milivojevic, who was sacked five times by Penn State, rarely had enough time to get beyond his first read. When he wasn’t sacked, Milivojevic was often moved off his spot by the Penn State pass-rush. The Nittany Lion pass rush was a problem on third down, as Michigan State converted on third down just once in 10 tries.

Fan Displeasure: Chants of Fire Smith were audible from the stands at Spartan Stadium from the second quarter of this game onward. Those chants, which started in the student section, began after Penn State took a 14-10 lead on a 75-yard touchdown throw by Ethan Grunkenmeyer on a coverage bust. Those chants grew louder throughout the game when Michigan State stalled out on the Penn State side of the 50-yard line. Michigan State made just one trip into the redzone against the Nittany Lions in this game. The Spartans scored their lone touchdown on a 57-yard run by senior Elijah Tau-Tolliver on the first play of their first offensive possession.

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