In the first edition of the fall State News podcast, sports editor Chris Vaninni and football reporters Jeremy Warnemuende and Jeff Kanan talk about the MSU football team’s season opener against Western Michigan on Saturday (noon, ESPN2). The guys discuss the expected improvements in the Spartans secondary, the dangerous weapons on offense and give their predictions for Saturday’s game.
For the first time all season, MSU travels outside the state of Michigan in the second half of the year for three important road games. After a lot of home cooking in the first six games, the Spartans will be tested in a couple of the Big Ten’s toughest venues.
Oct. 16 vs. Illinois
MSU kicks off the second half of the season by welcoming Illinois to East Lansing on Homecoming. The Fighting Illini won’t go down easily, as head coach Ron Zook could be fighting for his job, but fired up by a homecoming crowd, the Spartans put up big numbers on a porous Illinois defense.
MSU 38, Illinois 19
Oct. 23 at Northwestern
Northwestern will never be confused as a powerhouse football program, but the Wildcats often are a dangerous offensive team able to come up with a nice upset every so often.
This season, though, the Wildcats are breaking in new starting quarterback Dan Persa, and the Spartans should have no trouble slowing down Northwestern’s offense.
MSU 27, Northwestern 13
Oct. 30 at Iowa
MSU lost to Iowa last season in heartbreaking fashion on a last second touchdown pass by the Hawkeyes’ Ricky Stanzi.
Although the Spartans will seek revenge for last season’s defeat, the Hawkeyes are just too good and have too much experience to lose a home game while likely competing for a Big Ten title.
Iowa 23, MSU 10
Nov. 6 vs. Minnesota
After MSU’s only consecutive road games of the season, the team comes back to East Lansing to welcome the Golden Gophers.
Both the Spartans and Minnesota will be coming off big games against Iowa and Ohio State respectively, and probably will be licking their wounds after tough losses.
Fortunately for MSU, it will be playing in the friendly confines of Spartan Stadium and will have their bye week to look forward to, leaving the Spartans no reason to take it easy on the Golden Gophers.
MSU 30, Minnesota 17
Nov. 20 vs. Purdue
Seemingly every year, MSU loses a game it isn’t shouldn’t. And with Robert Marve as Purdue’s new signal caller this season, the Boilermakers could be a surprising team in 2010.
But with an close-knit, experienced team, the “same old Spartans” mantra begins to disappear and MSU holds off Purdue in spite of starting sluggish following the bye week.
MSU 31, Purdue 26
Nov. 27 at Penn State
Beaver Stadium has not been kind to the Spartans in the last 50 years.If MSU wants to come out of Happy Valley with a win for the first time since 1966, this season could be one of the Spartans’ best chances in recent history.
Darryll Clark, the Nittany Lions’ starting quarterback last season, is gone, and MSU will take advantage of Penn State’s inexperience at the position to win in a low-scoring battle.
MSU 14, Penn State 6
Predicted overall record: 9-3 (6-2)
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Click here to read predictions for the first half.
