It’s been more than 90 years since the MSU football team fell to in-state foe Western Michigan, and when the Broncos visit Spartan Stadium at noon on Saturday, the Spartans will look to extend their winning streak in the series to seven games.
MSU welcomed Western Michigan to East Lansing last season and blew past the Broncos 49-14, giving the Spartans a 9-2 series lead. The game was a blowout from the start, as MSU jumped out to a 35-0 halftime lead and were never threatened by the Broncos.
Western Michigan is replacing both its starting quarterback — Tim Hiller — and running back — Brandon West — from last season and is looking for its first win in a season opener since 2004.
As the first game of the 2010 season approaches, here are four matchups that will determine Saturday’s outcome:
MSU quarterback Kirk Cousins vs. Western Michigan secondary
Head coach Mark Dantonio couldn’t have asked for much more out of then-sophomore quarterback Kirk Cousins last season when Western Michigan came to East Lansing. Completing 22 of 25 passes for 353 yards and two touchdowns against the Broncos, Cousins posted a pass efficiency rating of 233 — the highest single-game rating for any Big Ten quarterback in 2009.
Saturday will be Cousins’ first regular season game at MSU as the undisputed starter now that junior Keith Nichol officially has made the move to receiver. Going up against a Western Michigan defense that didn’t seem to bother him much last season, Cousins has a chance to have another career day at the expense of the Broncos.
Edge: MSU
MSU secondary vs. Western Michigan quarterback Alex Carder
The Spartans’ defensive backfield was seen by many as the biggest weakness for the team last season. No team in the Big Ten gave up more yards through the air (3,479) than MSU in 2009, and only one conference team — Illinois — had fewer interceptions.
When the Spartans’ secondary takes the field Saturday, it will be the first chance for MSU fans to see if there have been any improvements in defending the pass since last season. And although Alex Carder will be making his first start at quarterback for Western Michigan, he did appear in nine games last season as a redshirt freshman and could give the Spartans a tough early-season test.
Edge: Split
MSU’s kick return team vs. Western Michigan’s kickoff team
Western Michigan finished last season in the bottom half of the Mid-American Conference in a number of statistical categories, but one area where the Broncos excelled was kickoff coverage. Kicker John Potter, who led the MAC with 15 touchbacks in 2009, was a big reason for Western Michigan’s success on kickoffs last season, and he is back this year for his junior season.
The Broncos will have their hands full Saturday, as they will have to contain one of the most dangerous players in the country in junior MSU receiver and return specialist Keshawn Martin. Thanks mostly to Martin, the Spartans led the Big Ten with an average of 25.9 yards per return, including a touchdown return for Martin.
Special teams often are overlooked, but if Potter and Western Michigan can limit what Martin can do on kick returns, it might play a factor in Saturday’s game.
Edge: MSU
MSU’s discipline vs. Western Michigan’s discipline
Unfortunately for the Spartans, being one of the most penalized teams in the Big Ten seems to have become a habit. Last season, MSU was penalized for 720 yards — second most in the conference — and continued its recent trend.
On the other hand, Western Michigan had almost 200 fewer penalty yards than the Spartans in 2009 and was one of the better teams in the MAC when it came to committing penalties. An offsides penalty on a missed field goal proved to be one of the deciding factors in MSU’s loss to MAC opponent Central Michigan last season, and capitalizing on MSU penalties while not committing many themselves could be a way for the Broncos to stay in the game against the favored Spartans.
Edge: WMU
MSU’s offensive line vs. Western Michigan’s front seven
MSU was the best team in the Big Ten last season when it came to protecting the quarterback.
The Spartans gave up 14 sacks all season, two fewer than any other school in the conference.
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In last season’s matchup, Western Michigan got into the MSU backfield for two sacks, which was the second most the Spartans gave up in a single game last season.
If the Broncos can manage to put pressure on Cousins, they will have a fighting chance to slow the passing game down. But if Cousins is given all day to throw, he likely will pick apart Western Michigan’s secondary again.
Edge: MSU
