But it’s now at a point where Staten is concerned.

“We do mix things up, like I've always told you guys, in practice for these situations, but when you're having your position meetings in the training room, it's not a good sign,” Staten, who’s also the assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator, said. “So we'll put out there who's healthy and work with those guys.”

However, Staten said putting in younger players such as guards Blake Bueter and Matt Carrick, both redshirt freshmen who played during MSU’s 29-19 loss to Northwestern last Saturday, proves why he makes his players practice with different combinations.

“The good thing about having being forced, is it puts guys out there and exposes them to real life reps and lets them know, 'ok this is why we do the drill work, this is why Coach Staten's been up my keester about my backside leg or about keeping my hands up in pass or about this and that,'" Staten said. “Now, they see it, and they see how it can positively or negatively affect the entire play and the entire team.”

The Spartans (3-2, 1-1 in Big Ten) have started all five games with different offensive line combinations, and Saturday’s game against No. 8 Penn State (3:30 p.m., BTN) will most likely make it six.

Bueter, who made his first MSU career start at right guard against the Wildcats, as starting right guard Kevin Jarvis is recovering from an apparent right leg injury, said the different combinations don’t matter when it comes to communication on the line.

“It’s just mainly getting used to different stances and what not,” Bueter said after practice Tuesday. “We have pretty good communication through our whole offensive line, and it’s a tight group of guys. So, I feel like we all gel together really well. We’re just trying to put the right people in the right spots.”

One offensive lineman who found the right spot is tackle Jordan Reid, who’s started all five games this season at right tackle — the position the sophomore’s played since he was at Cass Tech High School in Detroit.

“They tried to put me at center for a little bit during spring ball — it was alright,” Reid said. “They eventually stuck with me at right tackle, and that’s just something I’m been very comfortable at.” 

Staten said Reid is an example of how he wants his players to practice: “100 miles an hour." 

Which Staten hopes inspires the rest of his offensive linemen.

“He's doing everything at 100 miles an hour so there are other guys amongst my room amongst everybody that needs to look at that and embrace that and we've started to more and more and more,” Staten said. “And that's something that he's done that’s just fun to watch.”

While Reid has been starting every game at right tackle, Cole Chewins is listed as the lone starter at left tackle on this week’s depth chart after being rotated in the last three games. The redshirt junior started at the position for 16-straight games during the past two seasons before suffering an unknown injury early in preseason camp.

“I felt great,” Chewins said. “It was good to be back out there with the guys.”

Chewins said now that he plans on playing more this Saturday against the Nittany Lions, he hopes it will let other linemen settle into their positions.

“As the weeks go on, we gotta adjust,” Chewins said. “Coach (Dantonio) says, ‘You gotta be able to adapt and adjust.’ And for the most part, guys were doing their best to do that. So, I’m excited to be back and do the best I can for the team.”

With the Spartans now being almost halfway through their season, Staten said he’s not going “to be as generous in game-like situations now” during practice.

“We're just going to need to keep pressing forward and letting those other guys know that, 'Hey, our numbers are dwindling, you're next,'" Staten said.