Trend: Same

*Running backs: C *

There isn’t a back receiving 40 carries a game like All-American Javon Ringer did for the Spartans last season, and MSU has struggled to find consistency at the position. Freshman Larry Caper and sophomore Glenn Winston have emerged as the two guys who are receiving the majority of the carries, but no matter who has been in, the Spartans have struggled to move the ball on the ground this season. The Spartans are eighth in the Big Ten in rushing and have yet to have a 100-yard rusher this season. Each running back has a pretty good yards-per-carry average but they haven’t broken off any big runs. The Spartans ran the ball well against Michigan, leaving hope the young backs will get better with experience.

Trend: Up

Wide receivers: B

Dropped passes were a problem last season and it seemed like it would be a problem again. But since junior Mark Dell has returned, the Spartans’ wide receivers have been holding onto the ball. The receiving corps was young last season and this year the route-running greatly has improved and the group has been able to find holes in opposing defenses. Sophomore B.J. Cunningham has made some highlight catches while senior Blair White has played like a man possessed this season, catching everything thrown to him.

Trend: Up

Tight ends: B

This group is hard to grade only because they haven’t been used to their full potential. The group is deep and there are four good pass catchers in the bunch. Junior Charlie Gantt hasn’t been used as much as he was last year, but his talent is still there. Sophomore Brian Linthicum — a transfer from Clemson — has proven to be a steal. Freshman Dion Sims is a freakish athlete, but with so much depth at the position, he won’t be fully utilized for a while. The group has sometimes struggled to make blocks, which have led to big stops by the opposing defenses.

Trend: Up

*Offensive line: B *

Having to replace the right side of the line, the Spartans’ offensive front has played above expectations. The pass-blocking has been exceptional, only allowing five sacks this season. The run blocking has been hard to tell. The Spartans haven’t run the ball well at all, but some of that is because of young running backs not recognizing a hole. The offensive line also has had to deal with injuries. Junior center John Stipek admirably filled in when senior Joel Nitchman went down. Stipek played so well that when Nitchman returned against Wisconsin, Stipek stayed at center and Nitchman moved over to fill in at left guard. The line is finally healthy, which should bode well for the Spartans the remainder of the year.

Trend: Up

*Defensive line: C *

The defensive line was unable to pressure opposing quarterbacks before the U-M game. The lack of pressure from the front four forced the Spartans to blitz more often and against Wisconsin, even the blitzes weren’t getting through. Injuries also have hampered the defensive line a little bit, and as a result, it appears true freshman Blake Treadwell will not be redshirted this season. The Spartans were even able to get pressure only rushing three against U-M, so they will have to continue that to take pressure off of the rest of the defense.

Trend: Same

Linebackers: B

Of course junior Greg Jones is the marquee player of the group and he’s been spectacular, leading the Big Ten in tackles and averaging 12 per game, but the other linebackers have been questionable. Eric Gordon played spectacularly against U-M, but the outside linebackers have often been beaten this year while being forced to cover wide receivers. The fact that the Spartans have been unable to find a consistent third starter is troubling. Whether it’s senior Brandon Denson, junior Jon Misch or true freshman Chris Norman, not one has been able to impress the coaches enough to be the consistent third starter. The linebackers have been able to shut down the run, however, keeping U-M — averaging 240 rushing yards per game — to only 28 yards, which was impressive.

Trend: Up

Secondary: C-

This one has been the shocker of the season. Coming into the season, the group had eight guys with starting experience, but every single guy has made mistakes. The secondary was considered the strongest part of the defense when the season began but it has turned out to almost be a liability. Teams have beaten the Spartans by spreading them out and throwing short and deep passes. They have given up numerous back-breaking deep plays to every opponent. The lack of turnovers also has been a problem for this group, forcing the offense to go on long drives. They finally showed up against U-M and junior Chris L. Rucker’s interception in overtime saved the game for them.

Trend: Up

Special teams: A-

Senior kicker Brett Swenson and junior punter Aaron Bates have been great, as expected. Swenson is 8-for-9 on field goal attempts — his only miss was a 52-yarder that had plenty of distance hit the goalpost. Bates is averaging 45 yards-per-punt, nine have landed inside the 20-yard line and six have been longer than 50 yards. The kick return game has been very good, with Winston consistently hitting the second level on returns. The Spartans’ kickoff team has been questionable. Although they haven’t given up a touchdown, opponents are easily getting past the 30-yard line. Part of that might be because the Spartans have rarely kicked the ball into the end zone.

Trend: Same

Coaching: B

The coaching this season has been inconsistent. Against U-M, the coaches were aggressive in going for fourth down late in the fourth quarter, but on the Spartans’ next possession, they played conservatively, which allowed the Wolverines to tie the game. Offensive coordinator Don Treadwell has been great, coming up with numerous packages and throwing in some trick plays that have led the Spartans to become one of the top offenses in the Big Ten. While the Spartans’ defense hasn’t played great this season, defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi said that was because of a lack of execution, not a poor coaching scheme. Whoever’s fault it was, it turned around against U-M and we’ll see if it continues the rest of the season. Head coach Mark Dantonio decided to stick with both quarterbacks and it paid off when Cousins injured his ankle. Playing so many guys at many positions has created much-needed depth.

Trend: Same

Overall: B

Although the Spartans still are coming off the high of beating U-M, the reality is this is still a 2-3 football team. The defense has had lots of problems this season, but the confidence coming off the U-M win could springboard the team forward. The good news is the team is getting healthy and the hardest part of the schedule is past them with the majority of the Big Ten schedule still ahead. A bowl game still is a possibility but the Spartans cannot afford any more losses against inferior opponents.

Trend: Up