At 4-6, Northwestern has one last chance to salvage its bowl eligibility this season when the 13th-ranked Michigan State Spartans come to Evanston on Saturday. Here are some links to get you familiar with Michigan State:
- ESPN's Adam Rittenberg wrote a nice feature this week about Michigan State's fairly successful use of trick plays after the Spartans completed the "Charlie Brown" on a fourth-and-one play last week against Nebraska.
- Despite Michigan State's nation-leading defensive statistics, the Spartans' offense can more than hold its own. In fact, statistics indicate the Michigan State's efficient offense has helped the defense's dominate.
- MSU's offense has gotten better each week with the emergence of a solid core of talented wide receivers. The group has given quarterback Connor Cook some dangerous weapons on the outside.
- Michigan State defensive end Shilique Calhoun doesn't think that his defense is "the best." His rationale: there's still room to grow.
- After clinching a share of the Legends Division title last week in a win over Nebraska, Mike Dantonio admitted that there are plenty of distractions for his team, but it will be extremely important for his squad to maintain focus.