The Spartans went on to beat the Wildcats 31-10 for not only MSU's first conference win of the season, but also Mark Dantonio's 110th-career victory at Michigan State, to make him the winningest football coach in program history.

It was also the first time the Spartans scored 30 points against a Power Five football team since Sept. 22, 2018 against Indiana.

MSU, and its offense that got back on the right track, now looks to carry that momentum into Saturday's homecoming game, when they host the Hoosiers (3:30 p.m., BTN), a team that, in recent meetings, has done its best job frustrating the Spartans.

"They have always been a football team that has been extremely competitive in every football game," Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio said of Indiana. "They have lost games at the end of the game, as evidenced by some of the games we've had with them over the years. When Kevin Wilson was there, it was more offensively. I think Tom Allen has come in there and done a great job defensively. You can see his fingerprint on the defense. They play hard. They are sudden. They are good tacklers. They provide pressure."

Defensively, a lot of that pressure comes from redshirt junior Marcelino Ball, a defensive back/linebacker hybrid.

"He makes their defense work, able to do some of the things physically that he can do," Dantonio said.

As a sophomore, Ball finished third on the Hoosiers' defense with 59 tackles. Last season against MSU, Ball sacked Lewerke twice while also forcing a fumble.

Offensively, the Hoosiers may have uncertainty at quarterback — whether or not it is Michael Penix Jr. or Peyton Ramsey under center — but what isn't a question mark is the stability of running back Stevie Scott III.

As a freshman last season, Scott set Indiana true freshman records with 1,137 yards, 228 attempts, 10 touchdowns and six 100-yard games. Six of his scores came in Indiana's final five games. He carried that momentum into this season with four touchdowns in four games, including two in IU's season-opener against Ball State.

"He’s really productive," Michigan State defensive coordinator Mike Tressel said. "Indiana has had some backs, Tevin Coleman or Anthony Thompson or whatever the case is — for him to have all of the freshman rushing records, it tells you right now he has vision, he can handle the workload. He’s a big strong kid so, he’s very good. He’s very good, I know we saw that firsthand a little bit last year and on film leading into our game last year."

Michigan State's defense largely held Scott in check in the Spartans' 35-21 in Bloomington, Indiana a year ago. He ran for only 18 yards on 11 attempts, his lowest output on the year. But, that isn't stopping MSU from preparing for Scott's best.

“Stevie is a guy (against whom) you better bring it," Tressel said. "You better bring it, he’s a strong kid.”

The Hoosiers, however, will be short-handed on the offensive line after it was announced that left tackle Coy Cronk will miss the remainder of the year with a right ankle injury. Whether that will effect Scott remains to be seen.

Over the years, the Hoosiers have given the Spartans all of the fits they can handle. In 2016, Indiana upset then No. 16 MSU in overtime, before taking the Spartans down to the wire in East Lansing in 2017 — a late Felton Davis III touchdown sealed that game. And despite trailing 28-7 last year heading into the fourth quarter, the Hoosiers fought back to get within two scores.

With two defenses that have out-performed their offensive counterparts, Saturday's game has a chance to fall right in line with recent history.

"I think (Coach Allen) he's got them playing at a very high caliber of football," Dantonio said. "I know they had a disappointing loss at Ohio State, sort of snowballed on them, but been there. They were competitive early on in the football game and then some things happened and it got a way from them. We'll see how they play when they come to Spartan Stadium, but I anticipate a very good game.

"Always has been."